If your cat is constantly asking for attention, it might make you wonder, why is my Maine Coon so needy?

Maine Coons are loving, affectionate cats, but if they become clingy, it might mean they are not getting enough attention.

Maine Coons are social, loving animals that thrive on companionship. They love to spend time around their owners but are rarely clingy. If a Maine Coon is needy, it means its owners are spending too much time away from the house. It can also be a sign that your Maine Coon does not have enough playtime or enrichment.

We all love cuddling our cats, but at some point, it might become too much!

Therefore, if your Maine Coon is asking for more attention than you can give, it can become a real problem for both of you.

Read on to find out why your Maine Coon is clingy, and what you can do to help.

Why Is My Maine Coon So Needy?

The Maine Coon is a stunning, regal breed that is famous for its huge size and long, fluffy coat.

While Maine Coons originally became popular for their ability to hunt rats and mice, they have become increasingly popular over recent years for their:

Enormous Size
Social Personality
Extreme Intelligence

These cats are so friendly and smart that they have even been nicknamed the “dogs of the cat world”.

Many owners choose to get a Maine Coon because they are attracted to their loving personalities.

However, Maine Coons are rarely needy.

While they do enjoy spending time in the same room as their owners, they do not usually get underfoot or demand too much attention.

If your Maine Coon is excessively clingy, though, it might be a sign your cat is not getting the attention it needs.

Here are some reasons why your Maine Coon might be acting needy:

1. Your Maine Coon Is Not Getting Enough Attention

The most obvious reason why your cat might be clingy is that you simply are not providing them with enough attention.

Maine Coons are social creatures who long to spend time around their owners.

Are you away at work most of the time, or keep your Maine Coon shut in a separate room?

Owning a cat is a lot of responsibility, and one of your responsibilities as a cat owner is to give your cat the attention and love it deserves.

Spending time cuddling your cat, or even just sitting in the same room as your cat can make a huge difference!

If you spend a lot of time with your cat while you are home, but are away at work most of the time, your Maine Coon can still suffer from loneliness.

Here’s how you can prevent Maine Coon separation anxiety.

However, if you simply cannot provide your cat with the attention it needs, you should probably consider getting your Maine Coon another cat as a companion.

2. Your Cat Is Jealous

Have you recently adopted a new pet, moved in with a partner, or even given birth to a child?

A new addition to the family can be a huge stressor for any cat.

Maine Coons are particularly intelligent and sensitive, and they may even feel as though they have been replaced.

If you recently added someone new to your family, consider whether this addition has affected your cat’s schedule or environment.

Have you moved their favorite bed, or set up a crib in their old play area?

Do you feed your cat at a different time now, or has a new activity taken the place of when you usually played together?

Always take your cat’s feelings into consideration during big changes, and try to preserve as much of your cat’s routine as possible.

3. You Don’t Play With Your Cat Enough

Maine Coons can also become demanding and attention-seeking if you do not provide enough playtime.

Most cats need to be played with between 20 and 30 minutes a day.

The active and intelligent Maine Coon, however, may need as much as 30 minutes to an hour every day!

Cats are most active at dusk and dawn since they are crepuscular creatures.

Therefore make sure you set up a routine where you play with your cat during these hours, to help keep them entertained.

4. Your Maine Coon Does Not Have Enough Exciting Toys

Playing with your Maine Coon every day is an essential part of keeping them entertained, but they must also be able to entertain themselves when you are not playing with them.

Simply having a few toy mice and balls around will not be enough for a Maine Coon.

These cats are so intelligent and playful that they can easily become bored with their selection of toys.

Puzzle toys, cat tunnels, and motorized toys are all excellent options to add to your cat’s toy repertoire.

You should give your Maine Coon plenty of floor toys that they can bat around and chase, as well as more complex toys to keep them thinking.

These are my favorite Maine Coon cat toys because they are both sturdy, and exciting and stimulate the Maine Coons intelligent mind.

5. Your Cat Feels Insecure

Even if you play with your cat a lot and give it plenty of attention, it might still be clingy.

In this case, your cat may feel unsafe in its environment.

Do you have a lot of loud children or other pets, and if so, does your Maine Coon have a safe space away from them?

As social as Maine Coons are, all cats need their own space where they can escape from others if they are feeling overwhelmed.

Your Maine Coon may become clingy, using you as a security blanket when they do not have their own space to retreat to.

Consider getting your Maine Coon a tall cat tree like this, or installing shelves and beds up high along the walls.

Giving your cat a space where it can hide from others will help it feel more safe and secure.

6. Your Maine Coon Has No Variety

Another reason your Maine Coon could be clingy is that it does not have any variety in life.

It is not enough to have an exciting array of toys if those toys are always the same.

One common tip for cat owners is to make sure you rotate toys. Keep only about one-third of your cat toys out at any time, and rotate every few weeks.

You should not just provide a variety of toys though, since your cat can easily become bored and unstimulated by living in the same old environment.

Cats need to be stimulated by the following:

New Sensory Experiences
New Smells
New Sights
New Sounds

These factors will keep life interesting for your Maine Coon.

Another great tip is to grow cat safe plants like catnip or cat grass, as this will offer new stimulation for your cat.

You can also provide a tray of sand, dirt, or some other interesting substance for your cat to play in.

Finally, many Maine Coon owners choose to train their cats to walk on a harness and leash.

Allowing your cat to go for short walks outside is an excellent way to provide both exercise and stimulation!

7. Signs Of A Needy Cat

Some owners can tell that there is something off with their cat, but do not necessarily know what these behaviors convey.

Therefore, if you are suspicious that your cat’s needs are not being met, here is a list of signs that may indicate your cat is clingy:

Following You Everywhere

Maine Coons naturally follow their owners from room to room, but they usually do so in an unobtrusive way.

While these cats do enjoy staying in the same room as their owners, they will often rest or play separately while their human works.

A clingy Maine Coon, however, might anxiously follow you everywhere, while constantly demanding your attention or staring at you.

Whining And Making Noise

Maine Coons are often vocal when they want something, such as food or attention.

For the most part, though, these cats are only chatty on occasion.

If your Maine Coon is often staring at you and whining or making other noise, though, it could be a sign they are asking for your attention.

Zoomies

Many cat owners affectionately refer to a specific cat behavior as “the zoomies.”

This is when a cat runs around the house like crazy, often jumping onto furniture and running into walls.

Zoomies are a great way for cats to burn off pent-up energy, but if your cat is doing it often, it is usually a sign your cat is not getting enough:

Playtime
Enrichment
Exercise

Destructive Tendencies

Content cats with plenty of toys and entertainment have no need to release pent-up energy.

When a cat is bored, however, it may destroy cardboard, scratch up furniture, or even knock over houseplants or your valuables.

If your cat engages in destructive behavior, this means your cat is very bored and needs more stimulation.

Oversleeping

While some cats deal with boredom by running around and destroying things, other cats become so bored that they oversleep.

If you notice your cat lying around and sleeping more than often, though, you should not just assume they are bored; as lethargy can also be a sign of underlying illness.

These are the top 7 Maine Coon health issues to watch out for.

Overeating

Bored cats may also try to find entertainment and pleasure through food.

They might demand more food than usual, and they may also gain weight as a result.

Like oversleeping, though, overeating could also be a sign of underlying illness, so be sure to take your cat to the vet if you notice any worrying symptoms.

Do Maine Coons Need A Lot Of Attention?

Maine Coons typically do not need a lot of attention, but they do require more attention than some cats.

While many cats can be quite independent, the social Maine Coon prefers to be around people or other animals.

Maine Coons do not usually demand lots of attention, but they do like to hang out in the same room as their owners.

If your cat is left alone during the day, it will likely become lonely.

These cats thrive in households with more than one person, so their social needs can be met.

If you suspect your Maine Coon might be lonely, it could be a good idea to bring home another cat or even a dog to provide companionship.

Why Does My Maine Coon Follow Me Everywhere?

Does your Maine Coon constantly follow you from room to room?

If so, here are a few possible reasons why:

1. Social Interaction

It is actually quite common for Maine Coons to follow their owners around from room to room.

Typically, Maine Coons enjoy existing in the same room as their human, but will unobtrusively rest or play nearby while you work.

This is a perfectly natural behavior, and it is a sign that your cat likes being around you.

2. Requesting Attention

If your cat becomes pushy while following you around, though, it could be that your cat is not getting enough attention.

If your Maine Coon rubs against you and asks for pets while following you from room to room, this is a sign that your cat is not spending enough time with you.

3. Boredom

If your cat is not getting enough playtime or does not have enough toys or enrichment, it might follow you around out of boredom.

If your Maine Coon frequently whines or makes noises while staring at you, it is likely asking to play.

4. Anxiety

Like human babies, cats can develop separation anxiety.

This is especially true of cats who, as kittens, were given constant attention.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a rise in social anxiety among many household pets.

Many people adopted pets during quarantine, and because they rarely left the house, their animals grew accustomed to constant attention.

Unfortunately, this can cause a lot of stress for animals when their humans begin going back to work.

Learn the tricks to stop Maine Coon separation anxiety here.

Do Maine Coons Get Attached To One Person?

If you live in a household with other people, you may wonder, do Maine Coons attach to one person?

Some potential owners can become afraid that their Maine Coon will bond with someone else. So, do Maine Coons have a favorite person?

Maine Coons usually develop a special bond with one owner, often the person who feeds them and spends the most time with them.

However, these cats have more than enough love for a whole family!

Even though they may be extra close with one family member, these social cats are incredibly loyal to all of their family members, provided they are treated with love and respect.

Are Maine Coons Clingy?

In general, Maine Coons are not considered clingy.

However, the social interaction of a Maine Coon next to regular cat behavior can be quite different.

Many cats are known to be independent or even aloof, preferring to spend most of their time alone.

Maine Coons, on the other hand, are very sociable and love to be around people.

Still, as social as Maine Coons are, they typically prefer parallel social interaction to constant cuddling or playing.

While it is important to cuddle and play with your cat every day, a Maine Coon will rarely demand a great deal of your time.

How To Entertain A Maine Coon Cat

If your Maine Coon seems bored or restless, it is time to provide your cat with more enrichment.

This breed is incredibly intelligent and high-energy, and they can easily become bored with the same old cat toys.

Here are some things Maine Coons like that will help keep your cat entertained:

Sturdy Floor Toys

Floor toys are an essential way to keep your cat entertained while you are busy. Toy mice, balls with bells, crinkle toys, and springs are all great choices.

Since Maine Coons are so large and active, though, they tend to be pretty hard on their toys.

It is therefore a good idea to invest in sturdy toys so your Maine Coon can play with them for a long time.

Toys To Chase

When playing with your Maine Coon, you should use feather toys, ribbons, or other long, dangly toys for your cat to chase, pounce, and jump!

Motorized Toys

One of the best Maine Coon toys is anything that moves on its own.

You can find a variety of motorized cat toys, such as mice that run around or fish that “swim” in water.

These toys are perfect for Maine Coons that love to chase things!

Cat Tunnels

A cat tunnel for Maine Coon cats is a great way to relieve boredom.

Many cats will run through tunnels, or hide in them while they pretend to stalk prey.

You can even purchase multiple cat tunnels and connect them together for a fun tunnel system that will keep your cat entertained for hours.

Cat Trees And Shelves

Maine Coons love climbing and jumping, and they are famous for sitting up high.

All Maine Coons should have at least one large, sturdy cat tree.

You can also install shelves for your cat to run around throughout the house.

Plants

Catnip, cat grass, and other cat-safe plants are all fun ways to add some variety to your Maine Coon’s life.

Many cats enjoy smelling and chewing plants.

You could even make a “dig box” filled with cat-safe soil and plants, so your cat can enjoy the natural world inside.

Water

While many cats detest water, the Maine Coon is often known to actually love water!

These cats may play in the sink or bathtub, and some even enjoy swimming.

If your Maine Coon enjoys water, you could take it outside for a swim, or fill a bathtub with a few inches of warm water and some fun floaty toys.

Walks Outside

Maine Coons are patient, intelligent creatures, and they can easily be trained to walk on a harness and leash.

Taking your cat for short walks outside will introduce your cat to all sorts of new:

Smells
Sights
Sounds

This is also a perfect way to get some exercise!

Are Maine Coons High Maintenance?

Maine Coons are not usually considered high maintenance by cat owners, but they still require a lot of time and responsibility.

These cats need plenty of toys and furniture to stay satisfied, as well as plenty of attention and playtime each day.

Since Maine Coons have such long, thick fur, they need to be brushed regularly.

These are my favorite Maine Coon grooming tools, perfect for the job of keeping your Maine Coon cats fur in tip-top condition.

A healthy, high-quality diet like this, as well as regular checkups, are essential for keeping your cat in good health.

Even though Maine Coons are one of the most easy going cat breeds out there, you should always research just how much money and time they require before committing yourself to such a responsibility.

Why Does My Maine Coon Talk So Much?

Maine Coons are quite eccentric cats, and one unique trait of this breed is that they tend to chirp or trill rather than meow.

Maine Coons are naturally soft-spoken, but they can still be quite chatty!

These cats will often have “conversations” with their owners, and they may use their voices to ask for food, playtime, or attention.

If your Maine Coon is incredibly chatty, though, it could just be your cat’s personality.

Even though most Maine Coons are not constantly vocal, your cat may be an exception.

In some cases, though, a chatty Maine Coon may not be getting enough attention and could become chatty as a way to ask for cuddle time.

Conclusion

Maine Coons are known to be affectionate, but if you are asking yourself, why is my Maine Coon so needy, then your cat is likely bored or suffering from a lack of attention.

Maine Coons are social creatures that need plenty of playtime and attention. If your Maine Coon is clingy, you may want to consider adopting another pet or providing more toys for enrichment.

Author

Katrina Stewardson

A Maine Coon cat enthusiast with 11+ years experience owning three Maine Coon cats. I have first-hand experience of many Maine Coon health issues, e.g. hip dysplasia, bent tail canal, and arthritis. I have experience in training Maine Coons, registered breeders, adopting Maine Coons, and how to care for a Maine Coon. I currently own two male Maine Coon cats, named Mika and Bali.
View all posts Director