Maine Coons are well known for being infant-like and goofy well into their old age. But, when do Maine Coon cats stop growing?
Keep reading to find out more about the Maine Coons unusual growth pattern.
Maine Coons, unlike many other domesticated house cats, stop growing between 3-5 years of age. Their slow growth rate enables them to grow strong muscular bodies. From 9-12 months their growth rate slows, but they continue to grow slowly, not reaching full size until 3-5 years.
Maine Coons, in part due to their size, are very different than other ‘normal’ kittens, which leaves owners a little confused about how big do Maine Coon cats grow?
Officially Maine Coon cats stop growing by 5 years of age, compared to most cat breeds that are fully grown by 2 years old.
Keep reading to find out why the Maine Coon cat breed grows so slowly.
When Do Maine Coon Cats Stop Growing?
Maine Coons are mysterious, intriguing, woodland long-haired cats that we openly and lovingly welcome into our homes.
In recent years, these previously wild cats have become one of the most popular cat breeds to own in the United States!
These gorgeous cats are adorable and adoring and make the absolute best cuddle buddies. How could they not, when both the male and female Maine Coon can grow up to 40 inches long – talk about a seriously long cat!
Did you also know that the male Maine Coon cat can grow as big as 25 lbs in weight?
One record-breaking Maine Coon grew even bigger than this! Read this article I wrote to see how big the biggest Maine Coon cat in the world is.
Many people wonder how long do Maine Coon cats keep growing because their speed of growth seems to slow down a lot at around 9 months old, yet they usually haven’t reached the expected dimensions the Maine Coon cat is known for.
From 9-12 months onwards the Maine Coon cat’s growth rate becomes visually less obvious.
Whilst you might not notice your Maine Coon continuing to grow from 9-12+ months because you see them every day, they are growing. In fact, your Maine Coon is likely to keep growing for a further 4 years.
Maine Coon cats have a very slow growth rate when compared to the average cat breed that you see wandering around the street.
While the majority of other cat breeds finish growing between 18 – 24 months of age (occasionally even sooner) the Maine Coon will not reach full size until 3-5 years of age.
At what age is a Maine Coon cat fully grown?
To be on the safe side, it is best for owners to wait until their Maine Coon reaches 5 years old, before panicking that their precious cat is smaller than average for the breed.
Take a look at the infographic I created below, to get a better understanding of the Maine Coon size compared to a normal cat’s size:
Maine Coon Growth Chart
Maine Coons have a far slower growth rate than the majority of other cat breeds.
Below is a table that details the Maine Coon size and weights you can expect your male and female Maine Coons to reach, according to their age.
The following Maine Coon growth chart by age covers the weights and dimensions from birth until full maturity.
Maine Coon Growth Chart Female
| Age | Weight | Height (Inch) | Length (Inch) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 0.2 – 0.3 lbs | 3 | 5.5 |
| 1 Week | 0.6 – 0.9 | 3.5 | 6.6 |
| 1 Month | 1.2 – 1.6 lbs | 4 | 7 |
| 6 Months | 6 – 10 lbs | 7 | 13 |
| 9 – 12 Months | 9 – 11 lbs | 8 | 16 |
| 4 – 5 Years | 8 – 12 lbs | 8 – 14 | 19 – 40 |
Maine Coon Growth Chart Male
| Age | Weight | Height (Inches) | Length (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 0.2 – 0.4 lbs | 3 | 5.5 |
| 1 Week | 0.6 – 0.9 lbs | 3.5 | 6.5 |
| 1 Month | 1.3 – 1.8 lbs | 4.5 | 8 |
| 6 Months | 8 – 11 lbs | 8.5 | 16 |
| 9 – 12 Months | 12 – 16 lbs | 14 | 26 |
| 4 – 5 Years | 15 – 25 lbs | 10 – 16 | 19 – 40 |
How Much Does A Maine Coon Grow After The First Year?
A Maine Coon will have done the majority of its growing by the time they reach a year old.
Their growth rate normally starts to slow down after about 9 months, and from 12 months onwards the visual changes in your cat’s size will almost be negligible.
As you will have seen in the above Maine Coon growth chart breakdowns, you can see that between month 12 and month 60 the amount of growth slows down considerably.
Maine Coons probably grow about 10% more between years one and five.
In males, you can expect them to put on a couple of pounds, whereas a female Maine Coon might only put on as little as one pound extra from 12 months of age.
The best way to track the growth of a Maine Coon after its first anniversary is to use Maine Coon growth pictures.
Pictures of your Maine Coon taken every 3-4 months are a great way of seeing the difference for yourself. Especially when the differences are so small, as is the case post 12 months of age.
Do Maine Coon Cats Grow Slowly?
Maine Coons do tend to grow more slowly than other domestic cats.
This is an evolutionary adaptation that they have developed from living in harsh environments.
It sounds almost counter-intuitive, but that is why animals such as elephants take so long to develop. If you imagine the kind of tough upbringing a wild Maine Coon might have had many decades ago, the need to be bigger plays a big part in their future survival.
With size comes time. The bigger an animal needs to be the longer it takes them to get there.
There are plenty of great benefits to getting bigger, and doing so more slowly.
By taking its time to grow slowly the Maine Coon can develop strong muscles and tough bones that are capable of withstanding the following:
- Bigger Jumps
- Further Falls
- Scraps With Competing Predators
How Big Should A 1 Year Old Maine Coon Be?
At one year old your Maine Coon is about done growing (in terms of overall percentage size).
But what does that mean for you as their owner, and what do you have to measure against?
Well, to start with we can reference the size chart that we included earlier in the article. For your convenience, we have highlighted the one-year mark for both male and female Maine Coons below:
Female Maine Coon (1-Year-Old): 9 – 11 Pounds | 8 Inches Tall | 16 Inches Long
Male Maine Coon (1-Year-Old): 15 – 25 Pounds | 10 – 16 Inches Tall | 26 Inches Long
These heights, lengths, and weights make good benchmarks but that does not mean you should be concerned, unless your Maine Coon is way-way off these figures!
Sometimes individual cats are petite and slinky and will come in massively under the expected breed size. By comparison, some cats will overshoot the average figures massively!
As always, if you are concerned about your Maine Coons height or weight etc it’s best to speak to your vet. At the very least, they can put your mind at ease.
Do Maine Coon Cats Get Big?
Maine Coons are one of the biggest domesticated cats in the continental United States of America, and the world as a whole. So yeah, they get pretty big!
Many people refer to Maine Coons as the canine of the feline world. This is partially due to their dog-like affection and loyalty but it applies to their size too.
Whilst there are plenty of dog breeds that are bigger than a Maine Coon, there are also plenty of dogs that grow to be far smaller in stature.
When Do Maine Coons Grow Their Mane?
The Maine Coon’s lovely and iconic furry coat tends to take 3 to 5 years to fully develop.
However, by the time they are 9 months old, and roughly 90% of their growing is done, most Maine Coons manes will be mostly, if not completely, developed.
Conclusion
So, when do Maine Coon cats stop growing?
When it comes to the question of when will my Maine Coon be fully grown you do have to wait until they reach their 3 – 5th year of age before they reach their full-size.
By then, you are probably hoping they do not get much bigger or their food bill will become astronomical!
Related Questions
How To Tell If Your Cat Is Full Maine Coon
Full Maine Coons have very wide tufted paws, bushy tails, thick coats, and a luxurious mane. They are far furrier than most other cats and have quite distinctive shaped faces, especially the ears and eyes.
How Long Do Maine Coons Live?
Maine Coons tend to live to be around 12 to 15 years old, but like any other breed of cat, they have the potential to massively overshoot that number.