Why Do Maine Coons Look Like Humans?

If you have spent too much time with a Maine Coon, or looking at Maine Coon pictures on the internet, you have likely wondered why do Maine Coons look like humans?

Compared to most cat breeds, the Maine Coon can be extremely human-like in their faces, which can be both charming and a little disconcerting! Find out why this is …

Some Maine Coon cat breeders selectively breed their Maine Coons to look more like humans. They do this to make their Maine Coons look more visually pleasing, in their eyes. Other Maine Coon breeders try to breed kittens with more fluffy coats, or unique and interesting shapes, and sizes.

So today, we are going to look at why Maine Coons look so human-like, what it means for them as a breed, and how they stack up against humans in terms of looks and size.

Make sure you read to the end of the article, to see some hilarious examples of Maine Coons that look exactly like people, so much so that you might even question whether the pictures are real.

Why Do Maine Coons Look Like Humans?

Maine Coons are the largest, and longest, domesticated cat breed in the world.

They were embraced by humans hundreds of years ago and have since grown into a fierce companion that adores spending all it’s time with its family.

Some say Maine Coon cats love us so much they have even started to look like us! And to be honest, these people are not entirely wrong!

There are a few reasons why Maine Coons might look like humans:

Selective Breeding

The biggest reason why some Maine Coons have human faces, is that Maine Coons have been selectively bred over the years.

It happens to every cat breed and every species of domesticated animal. We breed our pets for the characteristics that we like or want.

However, this does not explain why Maine Coons more so than any other cat breed has become human-like in their appearance.

Is it due to intentionally breeding Maine Coons to look like people? Some breeders do try to do this, but most do not.

It is likely just a coincidence that Maine Coons we think look the “cutest” also happen to look the most like people. And this is why the breed has developed to look so human-like as a breed.

Size

There is a belief that the size of the Maine Coon is partially responsible for why we think they happen to look so human-like.

Their heads are bigger, their ears are bigger, and their faces are larger and rounder which all contributes to them looking more like us.

When you compare a Maine Coon to other, smaller, cats, naturally, people feel Maine Coons look the most like us.

Intelligence

You could argue that one of the biggest reasons Maine Coons look like humans is that they are so intelligent and you can sense/feel/see that intelligence behind their eyes.

There is a level of understanding and comprehension in your Maine Coons eyes when you look at them and talk to them.

Compared to other cats which could potentially make them look considerably more human-like (source 1,2,3).

Maine Coon Human Face Examples

Some Maine Coons look kind of human-like. While others look almost eerily human.

Here are some cool examples of Maine Coons with human faces, that you might even recognize:

Tatyana Rastorgueva

Tatyana is well known for breeding the most human-like Maine Coons anywhere in the world.

She has received a lot of attention from the press over her uniquely human-looking Maine Coons.

In Tatyana’s case, these Maine Coons were selectively bred by choosing the most human-like Maine Coon pairs and breeding them together.

She has been doing this for generations.

Take a closer look here.

Valkyrie

Valkyrie is one of the most popular and famous Maine Coons with a human-like face.

You can find out more about Valkyrie the Maine Coon human look-alike here or find her on Instagram quite easily.

Nirvana

Nirvana is a black Maine Coon popular on TikTok.

This Maine Coon cat has quite a severe-looking human face.

Her owner, and the owner of Nirvana’s page, often shares tons of Maine Coon content including human-like kittens.

Maine Coon Looks Like Actor

Some Maine Coons look like people! This is now well established.

So it is only natural that we should go out of our way to find some Maine Coons that look like famous actors, right?

So here is a guy that looks like a Maine Coon more than some Maine Coons look like themselves!

The actors name is Ron Perlman. Take a look here.

Ron is well aware that he looks particularly Maine Coon-ish.

He was already famous for being an actor, but now he is also famous for looking like a Maine Coon!

Does he mind, is he pleased, or is he offended?

We definitely hope Ron is not offended that folks think he looks like a Maine Coon. Instead, we hope he is amused by the fact!

It’s hardly an insult being compared to the stunning Maine Coon cat breed, is it?!

Maine Coons are amazing and he should be pleased that he is associated with them. But it would be understandable if he isn’t!

Cat With Human Face Mythology

What breed of cat has a human face?

Of course, the Maine Coon, but the Japanese Bakeneko is a magical cat that can shapeshift into human form and speak human words too.

Can the Maine Coon do that?

No, at least they have not shared that power with us yet!

A Bakeneko is a magical supernatural cat that has immense power and is incredibly vindictive against people.

Bakeneko is often created when cats are abused or brutally killed by people.

These cats then come back in the form of the Bakeneko and curse the person who harmed them. Which is fair.

Human-Looking Cat Breeds

Maine Coons are not the only human-like cat breeds out there.

The simple question “what breed of cat has a human face” is all well and good but the answer does not always explain why these cats look so human-like.

If you were to casually scroll past most of these cats on social media you might not even contemplate their human-like facial features unless someone pointed them out to you.

• Maine Coons: Shape of the head, eyes, intelligent looking, and bred to look like humans in some cases.

• Siamese: The shape of their face and jaw as well as the position of their eyes.

• Norwegian Forest Cat: Similar to the Maine Coon, the shape of their face and eyes as well as increased intelligence.

• British Shorthair: Maybe this one is a stretch, but their very rounded large heads can make them look human-like.

Reasons Why People Like Maine Coons With Human Faces

Maine Coons with human faces is quite a strange concept that you might think would be quite unnerving.

But people love them!

In our view, it is quite odd but something is charming about a Maine Coon with a human face, that people seem to enjoy.

Here are some reasons people might like Maine Coons with human faces:

• Unique: They are unique and interesting to look at and quite unusual compared to other cat breeds which could lead to them being very popular.

• Human-ness: Their human-ness is cute and makes them look almost like babies in their faces which is very appealing to many people.

• More Connected: Some people feel more connected to Maine Coons with human faces because they look more like their owners.

• Funny: It is funny to have a cat that looks like a little, fluffy, person. How can you not like that?

Maine Coon Cat Compared To Human

Maine Coons may look like people but they cannot quite be up to snuff in terms of our size yet.

Sure, Maine Coons are pretty big, but they are nowhere near the size of an adult person!

Take a look at the table below to see why:

What Breed Of Cat Sits Like A Human

The Scottish Fold cat loves to sit like a human in a weird upright position with its legs splayed out in front of them.

It almost looks like they are sitting in an armchair in front of the fire, enjoying a glass of wine and a good book!

It is often called the Budha position and it is believed to be purely a comfort thing.

Some cats like to sit like people. Did they learn it from us? Maybe.

What Cat Looks Like A Maine Coon

Many people believe that the Norwegian Forest cat looks almost identical to the Maine Coon.

There is likely some shared ancestor way back somewhere in their shared past.

These two large cat breeds do look very similar and are both exceptionally large and lovely cats. But, and this may be a little biased, the Maine Coon is cuter. Sorry Forest Cat!

Conclusion

So, why do Maine Coons look like humans?

It is a mixture of luck/chance, selective breeding, and a trick of the eye.

We as people try to find patterns and shapes within everything we look at it. This is just human nature.

And while some Maine Coons certainly look human-like, most do not particularly.

It is fun to try and see the human features in your Maine Coons face.

But if the process was reversed, how many people’s faces would you say look Maine Coon like? Probably not very many.

And if someone does look a tad Maine Coon-ish, you probably should not tell them this to their face! Or maybe you should, they might take it as a compliment!

Thanks for reading and hopefully you found this as fun to read as it was to write.

Related Questions

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The most human-friendly cat breed is probably the Maine Coon, though it could also be the Ragdoll, Siamese, and Scottish Fold.

Cat With Human Face Meme

Some cats look like they have human faces, and some cats have human faces thrust upon them. Is sticking Nick Cage’s face on a cat high-brow humor? No, but who cares.