Have you ever wondered how much the gender of a cat can affect both its physical and personality traits?
If you have, then you might also be interested in comparing the male vs female Maine Coon cat breed to determine which gender is better suited to your family and lifestyle.
Male Maine Coons are physically larger than female Maine Coon. The male’s personality is usually larger, though they can exhibit more needy behavioral traits than female Maine Coons whom many consider being more aloof and cat-like. Female Maine Coons require less human attention than males. Both Maine Coon genders are sociable and affectionate.
Is one Maine Coon gender better than the other? Keep reading to find out!
Maine Coons are known for their affectionate, loyal, playful characteristics.
Their gentle nature and laid-back temperament also make them ideal family pets, especially for families with young children.
But when it comes to picking a gender, are you 100% clued up on the key character and behavioral differences between male and female Coons?
If not, take a look at our male vs female Maine Coon comparison table below, to determine which gender is most compatible with you.
Male Vs Female Maine Coon Cat
Have you researched every cat breed in existence, and determined that the beautiful natured Maine Coon cat is most suited to your own personal situation?
If this sounds like you, all you need to do now is select a gender.
However, selecting the right gender isn’t as simple as it might first seem…
Buying a cat isn’t just for Christmas, instead, the average Maine Coon lifespan actually ranges between 12-15 years.
Therefore, not considering the gender differences carefully before making a purchase, is foolhardy.
Take a look at the table below, to identify the 15 main differences between male vs female Maine Coon cats:
| Factor | Male Maine Coon | Female Maine Coon |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Larger than the female counterpart. Grows between 10-16 inches tall, and up to 40 inches long | Generally smaller than a male counterpart. Grows between 8-14 inches tall, and up to 40 inches long |
| Sociable | Very sociable. Love spending time with owners | Sociable, but can be more aloof and ‘cat-like’ |
| Personality | Large outgoing personality | Friendly and outgoing personality. Calmer than males |
| Independence | Independent nature | Very independent nature is often considered more aloof and ‘cat-like’ |
| Attention | Requires a lot of humans attention | Does not require a great deal of human attention |
| Grooming | High levels of grooming required | High levels of grooming required |
| Exercise | Need lots of daily exercises, though generally more active during daylight hours | Need lots of daily exercises. Often more active during nighttime hours |
| Diet | Require diet high in protein, low carbs, and fats, and fatty acids | Require a diet high in protein, low carbs, and fats and fatty acids |
| Lifespan | Average lifespan 12-15 years | Average lifespan 12-15 years |
| Maine Coon Price | Average cost: $1000 | Average cost: $1000 |
| Health Issues | Prone to hip dysplasia, obesity, spinal muscular atrophy, and polycystic kidney disease. | Prone to hip dysplasia, obesity, spinal muscular atrophy, and polycystic kidney disease. |
| Bonding | Prefer to bond closely with one owner, rather than the entire family | Often bond with multiple families members |
| Playtime | Love to play with their owners, at anytime | Prefer to keep playtime to their own terms, and timescales |
| Space | Require more space than females | Need less space |
| Stubborn | Very stubborn | Less stubborn |
Difference Between Male And Female Maine Coons
There are 15 key differences between the Male vs Female Maine Coon behavioral traits, and characteristics.
Potential owners should pay special attention to all the Maine Coons personality traits, before buying either a male or female Maine Coon kitten.
1. Size
The Maine Coon cat is one of the largest domesticated cat breeds in the world, reaching up to 16 inches (25-40cm) in height, and weighing between 8-25 lbs (3.6-11.3 kg).
Their sheer size makes them stand out in a crowd, and they are often referred to as ‘gentle giants’ due to their large physical build, yet non-aggressive, gentle nature.
As with many animal species, the male Maine Coon is somewhat larger than its female counterpart. The female Maine Coon by contrast is thought to be considerably more nimble than their male counterparts, due to their smaller physical build.
The table below clearly shows the difference of a male vs female Maine Coon size:
| Average Size | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Weight (lbs) | 8-12 | 15-25 |
| Height (inches) | 8-14 | 10-16 |
| Length (inches) | 19-40 | 19-40 |
2. Sociable
Both male and female Maine Coon cats are known for being more sociable than the average moggy.
It is the male of the species that is the most outgoing though since Male Maine Coons love to spend as much time as possible around their human family.
By contrast, the female Maine Coon is considered more aloof and ‘cat-like’, since they are happy to spend larger proportions of their time in their own company.
That’s not to say that the female Maine Coon is anti-social though, since they also love human attention, like the male of the species does.
3. Personality
If you are looking to buy a cat with a large personality and outgoing nature, then opt for a male Maine Coon.
Although there are always exceptions to each breed, it is more likely that your male Maine Coon kitten will grow up to have a bigger personality, than a female kitten would.
That’s not because female Maine Coons are ‘boring’, quite the opposite in fact.
Instead, they are simply different from their male counterpart, preferring to be far calmer, less attention-seeking, and independent.
Ultimately, nurture plays a key role in your Maine Coons overall development, whichever gender you buy.
Therefore, if you are keen to have a more attention-seeking, outgoing, and fun Maine Coon cat, spend more time with them, and encourage lots of playtimes.
The amount of interaction you have with your cat throughout their lives is thought to impact their behavioral traits, to a degree.
4. Independence
All Maine Coon cats are independent, to a degree. However, in general the male Maine Coon will be far needier than their female counterpart.
Therefore, if you are still sitting on the fence about which gender to purchase, consider how much time you have free in your current lifestyle.
For those short on time, it would be more advisable to purchase a female Maine Coon since they are less likely to become stressed if left on their own for too long.
On the flip side, if you genuinely have the time to spend with a cat, every day, and you prefer the male vs female Maine Coon characteristics more then consider purchasing a male Maine Coon.
5. Attention
Generally the male Maine Coon will require more human attention, than the female Maine Coon.
So before making a purchase, consider how much available time you have spare each day to devote to your Maine Coon kitten.
6. Grooming
All Maine Coon coats, whether male or female, have three layers of fur.
Closest to their skin are their two thick undercoats, which are formed by short dense hairs that play a vital role in keeping them warm.
The third coat is partially water-repellent and made up of long hairs that sit on top of their undercoats.
It is known as the outer guard coat, and its job is to protect Maine Coon cats from environmental elements, such as rain and snow.
Also known as the American longhair, both genders of this breed need to be groomed every day, or no less than 2-4 times per week.
This is important since long-haired cats can quickly develop tangles and matting if an owner does not brush them regularly.
Click here to see my favorite grooming brushes.
Although Maine Coons place a great deal of importance on grooming their fur coat regularly, they will still need assistance from their owners to keep their fur coats in a healthy condition.
Therefore, if you don’t have time to dedicate to a Maine Coons high-maintenance grooming schedule, it would be advisable for you to select an alternative breed.
For more grooming tips, take a look at my article “Maine Coon Grooming Tips You Need To Know“.
7. Exercise
Maine Coons are known for being very playful and kitten-like, late into their adult lives.
They are highly intelligent too, so if you start teaching them tricks whilst they are still kittens, it is possible that your adult Maine Coon will enjoy playing ‘fetch’ with you, for many years!
This cat breed is prone to obesity, so it is important that owners encourage their Maine Coon to exercise on a daily basis. Their dietary intake should also be adjusted if they are naturally exercising less as they approach old age.
In terms of male vs female Maine Coon exercise habits, there is a small noticeable difference between the two genders.
For example, the male Maine Coon tends to be more active during daylight hours, whereas a female Maine Coon prefers to be active during the nighttime.
It is possible that the more outgoing nature of the male Coon also results in them being more active than their female counterpart.
8. Diet
Maine Coons are well known for growing very slowly, not reaching their full size until between 3-4 years of age.
By comparison, a standard cat will reach their full physical size by 2 years of age.
In order to ensure your Maine Coon is getting the correct nutritional balance, suited to this slow growth rate, it is important that Maine Coon cats are only fed high-quality dry foods, rich in protein.
Owners must ensure their Maine Coons food is packed full of protein.
In fact, if protein isn’t the first thing to be listed on the ingredients list, don’t buy it.
A Maine Coons dry food must also be low in carbohydrates, with plenty of fat and fatty acids, such as omega 3 and 6.
These are my favorite Maine Coon dry cat foods.
Wet food portions offer variety in a cat’s diet, but should be used sparingly since they contain a high moisture content.
Although wet food offers a good source of moisture for Maine Coons that do not drink enough water, too much moisture can result in dental health damage.
Therefore owners should limit wet food portions, to no more than 2-3 times per week.
In regards to male vs female Maine Coon, there really isn’t a great deal of difference when it comes to the diet you feed them.
Except for the fact that the male of the species is likely to eat slightly more food than a female Maine Coon, because they tend to be larger.
9. Lifespan
When we compare the male vs female Maine Coon lifespan, it is evident that both genders are likely to live between 12-15 years.
It is not thought that gender affects a Maine Coons expected lifespan.
10. Maine Coon Price
Maine Coons are well known for being an extremely pricey cat breed.
Therefore, if you are intending to buy this pedigree breed you should be prepared to pay an average of $1000 (£811) per purebred kitten.
In general, the cost of a purebred kitten will increase when its quality and pedigree status improve.
Those individuals interested in breeding Maine Coons will likely have to pay up to $2000 (£1600) per kitten, and anywhere up to $2500 (£1934) for a Maine Coon show kitten.
From my detailed analysis, I have not found the male Maine Coon to cost any more than the female Maine Coon.
What I did notice, however, is that cats that have not been neutered, or spayed, always cost more.
Although this might seem illogical, it actually isn’t, because non neutered, or non-spayed kittens are far harder to look after.
For example, a non neutered will likely cause more damage to a breeder’s home, by spraying the breeders their favorite sofa with a scent that just cannot be removed! Nice!
11. Health Issues
Despite being a hardy cat breed, the Maine Coon cat is like other cat breeds and is therefore prone to developing unwanted health issues as they age.
The most common illnesses to affect both male and female Maine Coon cats include:
- Obesity
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
- Hip Dysplasia
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
Whilst obesity can be avoided via human intervention, this is not the case when it comes to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
Instead, owners with male Maine Coon cats should keep an eye out for symptoms of HCM, since this form of heart disease is more prone in male Coons, than females.
Both male and females Maine Coon cats are prone to developing hip dysplasia since this health issue is common in large cats.
However, the male of the species appears to be less lucky once again, since they are more susceptible to developing hip dysplasia than their female Maine Coon counterparts.
12. Bonding
One common trait of the Maine Coon cat breed relates to their bonding abilities.
If you take a look at the male vs female Maine Coon cats in action, it is quickly evident that male Maine Coons prefer to bond mainly with one owner.
By contrast, the female Maine Coon is calmer and more accepting of the entire family.
13. Playtime
If you are looking for a fun cat to bond with, buy a male Maine Coon.
That’s not to say female Maine Coons are less enjoyable in general.
The difference simply relies on the fact that the female Coon prefers playtime and types on their terms!
14. Space
For individuals living in smaller homes, or apartments, consideration should be given to the amount of realistic space available for housing a Maine Coon, and their toys.
Whilst both genders may start off small, once fully grown (between 3-5 years of age) they are both considered very large cats, so will require quite a bit of space.
The male Maine Coon grows into an immensely large cat, requiring quite a lot of daily physical stimulation.
Think carefully about the space you have available, to house a male Maine Coons toy collection!
These are my Maine Coons favorite gear to play with.
15. Stubborn
When you research the difference between male vs female Maine Coon cats, it is clear that the male of the species has a reputation for being a touch stubborn!
Therefore, if you are keen to purchase a male Maine Coon, make sure you teach them all the house rules whilst they are still young. Males become harder to train, as their mature.
By contrast, females are considered very easygoing and laid back, so respond better to being taught new rules late in life, than their male counterparts.
Conclusion
As you will have seen there are many different things to consider when choosing between a male vs female Maine Coon.
Ultimately though, it all comes down to an individual’s personal preference, and the type of cat you are ideally looking to own.
What is safe to say, however, is that neither gender is better than the other.
Instead, each gender definitely has its own unique pros and cons which you will need to weigh up and consider seriously.
In the end, though, both genders are highly intelligent little beings, that will grow into an extra large-sized cat, with loving and affectionate personalities to match.
I personally opted for a male Maine Coon, since I love energetic pets, with big personalities.
Our male Maine Coon definitely doesn’t disappoint us in terms of having an amazing personality.
In fact, he was better than I could ever have imagined since he enjoys playing with the entire family, can be amazingly fun to be around, and enjoys loads of cuddles.
Most importantly, he’s never lashed out or tried to attack our young children.
Instead, in the face of adversity, our Maine Coon has always been very tolerant, and understanding of our young children’s immensely loud noises!