Cats are one of the most wonderful species you can ever know. The Maine Coon breed of cats would be the best choice for those cat lovers. They are highly domesticated cats worldwide. Do you want to know more about coon cats? Then, you can move forward to learn about the physical attributes of Maine coon cats below.
The physical attributes of the Maine Coon are enough to differentiate it from a group of cats. Maine Coons have a large body covered with long and silky fur. They are available in different body colors, such as white, cream, black, red, blue, shaded, and mixed colors. Also, they have large and pointy ears covered with fur. Their eyes are large and oval, which looks a bit scary. Coon has thick and long fur on its tail, which gives a long and bushy look.
Maine Coon are large and affectionate cats who love to play and hang out with people. It has distinct features, rather it physically or mentally. Just because you are excited about its name does not mean you are ready to keep a coon cat. You should have information on how it looks, what it does, and its physical details.
Physical Attributes Of Maine Coon Cat
Now, it is time to analyze the physical attributes of a Maine coon cat from its top to the tail portion. First, here is a brief description of how the Maine coon cat appears. Then, you can easily pick up the Coon cat from a crowd of breeds.
Body Size
Maine Coon are cats with massive bodies. This cat can grow up to four to five feet in height. The kitten size of coon is usually smaller, but when they are around three years of age, they may attain the size of a dog. Also, coon can weigh about 5- 8 kgs depending on their body size.
Male coons are taller than females, males are about 10-16 inches tall, and females are just about 8-10 inches. Anyway, their body is long and rectangular. You can not notice the sudden growth of this cat as it will take some years. So if you see a cat with larger body size, be sure it is a coon cat.
Fur
The massive body of coon is covered with long, thick, and smooth fur. It is the outer coat of coons. Every species of cat has a body covered with fur, but this coon breed has much fur in them. Their coat grows partially in the shoulder part rather than their body. This breed of cats is naturally found in frigid regions, so the fur works as an insulator and protects their body from excess heat and extreme cold. Along with the huge growth of fur, these coons shed a lot.
Body Color
Maine coons come with many body coat shades, such as cream, white, black, red, and blue, as well as mixed colors. Among them, silver and gold mixed coon is very rare to find. Also, there are 70+ different color combinations of Maine coon cats. The color of fur gives a pleasant look to their physical appearance.
Eyes
You would first notice the eyes of a Maine coon cat. They are big, wide, and oval-shaped. Their eye lens color is found in shades such as golden, green, blue, and grey. Also, you can find some coons with odd eyes or different eye lens colors in a single cat.
When the coons are at their kitten age, their eye color is usually blue. But, at their growing age, the eye color slowly changes due to iris pigmentation. They have the most expressive eyes. If they are sad, angry, happy, or bored, you can easily detect them by looking at their eyes.
Ears
Ears are one of the most defining physical attributes of the Maine coon. You can easily recognize them even through their ears. They are large, wide, and pointed upward. So, you can compare the ear of coons with that of a Lynx cat. The ears are covered with partial fur from their inner part, which helps them to give a smart and intelligent look.
Paws
The paws of coons are slightly larger than the average cat. Even the kitten coon has huge paws from birth, and it looks larger than the paws of an adult coon. The shape of the paws is round. They are highly muscular with a slight fur in them. It helps them to survive in harsh cold winter climates, such as keeping their paws warm and walking on the top of the snow.
Tail
Coons have the thickest fur on their tail. So, because of the long and thick fur, the tail also looks larger and bushy. It is wide at the joining point and gets narrower at the ends. Also, coon cats are known for their longest tail, about 14- 15 inches long.
It takes about 3-5 years for Maine coons to grow their tail fully. The tail helps the coons balance their bodies while landing on the ground and showing emotion. You can determine the length of your Maine coon by looking at its tail.
So, this is how a Maine Coon cat appears physically. Isn’t it easy to distinguish a Coon cat?
2 Common Physical Health Issues Affecting Maine Coon
Even though Main coon seems strong and muscular, they can have health issues. Here are some of the prone physical diseases of Maine coon which you must be aware of:
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Dysplasia is a condition in the hip joints of coon cats. When the hip joints of a cat fail to develop properly, it causes ball and socket dislocation. You may not detect this disease when a coon is a kitten. However, as the cat grows, it slowly loses the functioning of its hip joints. Mostly, female coons are more prone to this disease rather than males.
It is a hereditary disease that passes from the breed’s parents to their offspring. It does not kill the cat, but they may be unable to walk properly, run, jump, crawl, etc. If this disease is not treated in time, it leads to paralysis.
Obesity
Obesity is a common health issue which is due to overfeeding the coons. The owner of the coon cat is the reason behind this issue. People know that coon are the largest cat and grow up to 40 inches in length, but they do not know when they will grow. It takes about 3-4 years for a coon cat to gain its full size.
When you overfeed your coon, intending to fasten its growth rate, the nutrition becomes an overdose. It leads to many health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc. Your cat may not get active and move as other cats. Obesity in coon cats can reduce their life expectancy by up to 1-2 years.
If you detect any such issues in your Maine Coon, you can consult with a veterinary doctor as soon as possible. First, however, you must care about your Maine coon cats as they are your child. Otherwise, the diseases may worsen and lead to further, more dangerous conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here, we will discuss some of the most asked questions about Maine Coon cats; they are as follows:
How Do I Tell If My Cat Has A Maine Coon In Them?
You can check if your cat has Maine coon characteristics by looking at its physical appearance. A simple hint about the cat is its physical appearance: fur and body. As you know, Maine coon has long and shaggy fur around their whole body, including paws, ears, etc. Whereas a normal cat may not have lengthy furs. Also, look at the width and height of your cat. If they have a large body, you should be sure your cat is not normal but somehow related to the Maine coon breed.
Do All Maine Coons Have An ‘M’ On Their Forehead?
No, all Maine coon cat breeds do not have an ‘M’ on their forehead. However, some Maine coon cats may have an ‘M’ mark on their forehead. Most people worldwide think the ‘M’ mark on the cat’s forehead stands for Maine coon. But, it is not the actual answer to this question. Every Maine coon breed does not have an ‘M’ mark on its forehead. Only those Maine coon cats who are dominant and have a body pattern of mixed colors have the forehead mark.
Can Maine Coon Cats Meow?
Yes, Maine coon cats meow, but very rarely. The Coon breed of cats does not meow unnecessarily. Whenever they have to communicate with their owners and other cats, they chirp and trill. But, if you train the coon to respond to something with a meow, they will meow continuously for any purpose. Also, when your coon does not get enough attention from you, it may get boring and lonely and tends to meow a lot.
Conclusion
So, before you think of bringing Maine coon into your life, it is essential to mind makeup yourself about its body. This breed has plenty of physical attributes, which automatically makes it unique. Their body structure and appearance are easily recognizable from other cat breeds. However, once you have a Maine Coon in your house, you will know how different and special they are. You may either like or dislike the coon cat, but their presence and absence will matter greatly.
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