How Big Are Maine Coon Cats?
If you want a cat that more closely resembles its wild ancestors than its domesticated relatives, then the Maine Coon might be the cat for you. Not only do their faces look like wildcats, but they are also the largest domesticated cats in the world.
Breed Summary
The Maine Coon is a rugged, wild-looking cat that has become famous for being the largest domesticated cat breed in the entire world.
Their long, thick fur might make them look a bit bigger than they are, but their stocky, muscular build and huge ancestors are mostly responsible for how big these cats are.
The size of Maine Coons varies a lot based on cat genetics as well as their gender. Like humans, male cats are more likely to be bigger than females.
Male Dimensions
1. Weight
Male Maine Coons weigh between 15 – 25 pounds on average once they are fully grown.
2. Full Length
If you measure a Maine Coon from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail, it typically measures between 30 and 56 inches.
They typically measure between 19 and 40 inches long without including the tail.
If you are curious about Maine Coon size cm, they typically measure between 48.26 and 101.6 centimeters long, not including the tail.
3. Height
Male Maine Coons stand between 10 and 16 inches tall on average.
4. Tail Length
The average tail length for Maine Coons is between 11 and 16 inches.
The longest recorded tail length for Maine Coons (and, by extension, any domesticated cat breed) is 16.3 inches!
Learn more about why the Maine Coon Cat Tail is so long.
Female Dimensions
Female Maine Coons are slightly smaller than their male counterparts.
1. Weight
The average weight of a fully-grown female Maine Coon is between 8 and 12 pounds.
2. Full Length
At their full length, female Maine Coons measure between 30 and 56 inches long.
If you want to know how long are Maine Coon cats without measuring the tail, they typically measure between 19 and 40 inches long.
3. Height
If you want to know how tall are Maine Coon cats, female Maine Coons measure, on average, between 8 and 14 inches tall.
4. Tail Length
The tail length of female Maine Coons ranges between 11 and 16 inches long.
Maine Coon Size Chart
The Maine Coon size chart by age below compares male and female Maine Coons from birth to fully grown.
| Age | Maine Coon Male (lbs) | Maine Coon Female (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 0.2 – 0.37 | 0.2 – 0.33 |
| 1 Month | 1.37 – 1.8 | 1.2 – 1.63 |
| 3 Months | 3.7 – 5.3 | 3.3 – 5 |
| 6 Months | 7.5 – 13 | 6.8 – 9.5 |
| 1 Year | 12.8 – 19.9 | 9.9 – 14.3 |
| 2-5 Years | 12.8 – 25 | 9.9 – 15 |
| 5 + Years | 15 – 25 | 9.9 – 15 |
Maine Coon Vs Normal Cat Size
The main size differences between regular cats and Maine Coons.
| Category | Maine Coon Male | Maine Coon Female | Regular Cat Male | Regular Cat Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 12 – 25 lbs | 8 – 12 lbs | 6 – 10 lbs | 6 – 10 lbs |
| Height | 10 – 16 inches | 8 – 14 Inches | 10 Inches | 9 Inches |
| Length | 19 – 40 Inches | 19 – 40 Inches | 28 Inches | 20 Inches |
| Tail Length | 11 – 16 inches | 11 – 16 Inches | 11 Inches | 9.9 Inches |
When it comes to a comparison of Maine Coon vs normal cats, Maine Coons are significantly larger.
Even the female Maine Coon size vs normal cat size is much bigger, even though female Maine Coons are much smaller than the males (source 1,2,3).
Read our complete guide on Maine Coon Vs Regular Cat Information.
Record Breakers
Here are the five biggest Maine Coon cats that have ever been recorded (source 1):
1. Stewie
Stewie still holds the record for the largest Maine Coon ever recorded! He measured a total of 48.5 inches.
He was a loving, sweet cat who spent his free time volunteering as a therapy cat at a local senior center.
His community was devastated when, on February 4th, 2013, Stewie passed away at age 8.
2. Barivel
Barivel is the largest domestic cat alive today.
After Stewie passed, the title for largest living cat passed to Barivel, who measures 47.2 inches long!
Today, he lives with his loving owners in Italy and has thousands of adoring fans on his Instagram account.
Learn more about Barivel The Maine Coon Cat.
3. Ludo
Ludo once held the record for the longest cat alive before that title was passed to another cat.
At his largest, Ludo measured 46.6 inches long and weighed an incredible 34 pounds!
Sadly, he died in June of 2019.
4. Omar
Omar is another incredible Maine Coon who resides in Australia. Not only does this cat weigh about 30 pounds, but he also measures 47.2 inches long!
His owners feed him raw kangaroo meat, which may have helped him grow so big!
5. Cygnus
Cygnus was immortalized in the Guinness Book of World Records for his incredible tail, which measured a total of 17.58 inches.
Tragically, Cygnus and his feline friend Arcturus both died in 2017 when a fire blazed through his family’s home.
Why Are Maine Coon Cats Large?
1. Enormous Ancestry
Genetic testing shows that the closest relative to the Maine Coon is the Norwegian Forest Cat.
These cats were once kept by Vikings, and it is believed they were brought by ship to northeastern America sometime before the 1800s.
Maine Coon cats were already quite large, but a combination of natural and intentional selection has made them even bigger.
2. Natural Selection
Natural selection means that animals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and bear offspring than animals without those traits.
The Maine Coon originated in the state of Maine, where it is believed Norwegian Forest Cats mated with local domestic and feral cats until the Maine Coon breed was developed.
The harsh, snowy climate meant that larger, more muscular cats with wide paws were better able to travel through the snow and successfully kill prey.
3. Intentional Selection
In the mid-1800s, sailors and farmers took an interest in these enormous cats, which often had wide, polydactyl paws.
Their paws allowed them to better grip mice and other pests, making them more proficient hunters than other cats in the area.
Farmers and sailors were more likely to keep Maine Coons than other cats and preferred cats with bigger paws.
Today, large Maine Coons are more popular than ones of average size, which means the breed will likely only get larger (source 1).
Cats Bigger Than Maine Coon
While Ragdolls, Savannahs, Siberians, and Norwegian Forest Cats are some of the largest cat breeds out there, there are no non-hybrid domesticated cat breeds bigger than the Maine Coon.
The Maine Coon even rivals certain wildcats in size! For example, bobcats typically weigh between 13 and 30 pounds and measure between 30 and 50 inches long.
While bobcats are usually a bit taller than Maine Coons, standing about 21 inches tall, there are many Maine Coons that weigh much more than the average bobcat! (source 1).
Maine Coon Size Comparison To Dog
While the largest cat breed weighs about 8 to 22 pounds, the smallest cat breed weighs just about 5 pounds! While this may seem like a drastic difference, it is nothing compared to the diversity of dogs.
Dogs vary so much in shape and size. While the smallest dog breed weighs just a pound, the largest dog can weigh well over 150 pounds! The reasoning for this comes down to how and why humans domesticated cats and dogs in the first place.
Most cat breeds are pretty similar in size and shape because, historically, their only job has been to hunt pests. Cat domestication was a more passive process than the domestication of dogs.
Cats incidentally, began hanging around humans once they began storing grain, which attracted mice. Humans kept these cats around since they were so good at hunting pests, but they did not make an effort to change them.
Dogs, meanwhile, have been domesticated to perform all sorts of jobs from guarding to hunting. The tiniest of dogs were kept as companions.
The long, skinny body of a dachshund was perfect for hunting otters, badgers, and other tunnel-dwelling creatures. Whereas the enormous Great Pyrenees were bred to keep wolves from stealing sheep.
Today, cats may not vary much in size, but perhaps one day this will change.
After all, the Maine Coon has skyrocketed in popularity due to its size, and it is possible that responsible breeders might be able to produce Maine Coons that are bigger than small and medium dogs! (source 1,2,3).
Conclusion
Even though some owners use Photoshop or forced perspective to make their cats look bigger than they are, Maine Coons are significantly bigger than the average cat.
On average, they weigh between 8 and 25 pounds and measure 19 to 40 inches long and 8 to 16 inches tall, making them the largest domesticated cat breed in the entire world.
