Domestic

Type

12 - 15 years

Lifespan

Large

Size

3.5 kg - 11 kg

Weight

25 - 40 cm

Height

Rugged, placid, friendly

Temperament

20 - 30 mins per day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

Maine Coons are large domestic cats that have lots of love to give! They&rsquo;re known as gentle giants because of their loving sociable nature. They were originally called the Maine cat, but it was thought the cat was a result of a crossing between domestic breeds and raccoons (because of their long, bushy tails), so they then became known as the Maine Coon. You might also hear them referred to as the Maine Shag, American Longhair, American Coon cat and American Forest cat.

Maine Coons are one of the biggest breeds of cat. Males can reach up to 40 cm in height and can weigh over 11kg. Females are slightly smaller but are still large compared to other common breeds. Expect a female to weigh between 3.5 - 5.5 kg while a male can weigh between 6.5 - 11 kg.

They also mature much later than other breeds, they can continue growing until they&rsquo;re around 4 years old, whereas other breeds mature and are fully grown at around 18 months.

Maine Coons originally came from the American state of Maine, hence the name. It&rsquo;s also one of the oldest breeds in North America. The breed first arrived in the UK in the 80s and became a recognised breed of The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in the early 90s.

Maine Coons make great family pets! They&rsquo;re good natured, gentle, fun-loving and playful. Because of their gentle nature they&rsquo;re good with kids and other pets too. They&rsquo;re also very affectionate and love nothing more than having a cuddle on the sofa.

<ul>
	<li>Brownlie S, Fox P, Nicholls P K &amp; Watson P (online) Heart: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's heart hypertrophic cardiomyopathy page">www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy</a></li>
	<li>Cannon M &amp; Korman R (online) Kidney: autosomal dominant polycystic disease. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/kidney-autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's kidney autosomal dominant polycystic disease page">www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/kidney-autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease</a></li>
	<li>Garosi L &amp; Platt S (online) Spinal muscular atrophy (Maine Coon). In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetsteam Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/spinal-muscular-atrophy-(maine-coon)" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's maine coon spinal muscular atrophy page">www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/spinal-muscular-atrophy-(maine-coon)</a></li>
	<li>Langley-Hobbs S &amp; Wallace A M (online) Hip: dysplasia. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/hip-dysplasia" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's hip dysplasia page">www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/hip-dysplasia</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Maine Coon. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/maine-coon" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's maine coon page">www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/maine-coon</a></li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis%C2%A0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

That’s All You Need to Know About Maine Coons

Laid-back and affectionate, Maine Coons make great family pets. They can be talkative but aren&rsquo;t too needy. Their coats don&rsquo;t need a lot of maintenance &ndash; just a brush once or twice a week to keep them in good condition. These gentle giants enjoy exploring and hunting outdoors but are also happy staying indoors. Make sure they have <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-games-for-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to games you can play with your cat">lots of interactive playtime</a> and somewhere to climb and sit to watch the world go by.

Laid-back and affectionate, Maine Coons make great family pets. They can be talkative but aren&rsquo;t too needy. Their coats don&rsquo;t need a lot of maintenance &ndash; just a <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to cat grooming">brush once or twice a week</a> to keep them in good condition. These gentle giants enjoy <a href="/all-things-pet/letting-your-cat-outside" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to letting your cat outside">exploring and hunting outdoors</a> but are also happy staying indoors. Make sure they have lots of interactive playtime and somewhere to climb and sit to watch the world go by.

These guys are super affectionate; they&rsquo;re smart and are genuinely interested in everything you&rsquo;re doing. They also have a strong independent streak - so while they&rsquo;re happy to come over for an occasional cuddle, a Maine Coon isn&rsquo;t really a lap cat.

That being said, they usually get on really well with kids - which makes them great family pets. With the right socialisation and intros, they can also settle in with <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's cat breed guides">other cats</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dogs</a>.

Bear in mind that your buddy will get lonely (and <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-stop-cat-scratching" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on to stop a cat scratching">take it out on the furniture</a>) if left alone for long periods, so other pets might be a good idea if you&rsquo;re away at work all day.

These guys are super affectionate; they&rsquo;re smart and are genuinely interested in everything you&rsquo;re doing. They also have a strong independent streak - so while they&rsquo;re happy to come over for an occasional cuddle, a Maine Coon isn&rsquo;t really a lap cat.

That being said, they usually get on really well with kids - which makes them great family pets. With the right socialisation and intros, they can also settle in with other dogs and cats. Bear in mind that your buddy will get lonely (and take it out on the furniture) if left alone for long periods, so other pets might be a good idea if you&rsquo;re away at work all day.

A Maine Coon kitten staring from a perch on their climbing post

Like any other <a href="/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance">kittens</a>, Maine Coon kittens are energetic and playful. They&rsquo;re really friendly and good natured. They&rsquo;re also really smart so keeping them entertained with toys and lots of play time will keep them out of mischief.

The earliest Maine Coons were mostly farm cats, where they earned their stay catching rats and keeping birds away from the crops. To do this they needed to be smart, alert and super keen to explore: all traits that form the modern Maine Coon&rsquo;s character.

While today&rsquo;s Maine Coon would still love to spend all their time outdoors hunting and playing, it might be best to <a href="/all-things-pet/letting-your-cat-outside" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to the risks of letting your cat outside">keep your buddy inside</a> (depending on where you live) to keep the risk of traffic, theft and disease to a minimum.

One of the most loveable things about a Maine Coon is that &lsquo;special&rsquo; vocabulary. Instead of &ldquo;Miaows&rdquo; you&rsquo;ll probably get a <a href="/all-things-pet/understanding-cat-language" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to understanding cat language">sweet chirping sound, and unmistakeable yowling</a> when it&rsquo;s time for dinner!

These big, muscular cats can burn up a lot of energy. They&rsquo;re not known for being greedy and are not usually fussy eaters - but that&rsquo;s not to say that you shouldn&rsquo;t be fussy when it comes to what to feed them. Consult with your vet on the most appropriate feeding regime, bearing in mind that this will alter gradually as your Maine Coon <a href="/pet-insurance-for-older-pets" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance for Older Pets">cat gets older</a>.

To avoid matting, irritation and fur balls, that bushy, semi-long coat should be combed and brushed around twice a week. Shedding tends to increase in Autumn and Spring, so it&rsquo;s probably worth brushing daily during these months to keep on top of it.

Your kitty&rsquo;s ears should be cleaned once a week - but be really careful not to probe into the ear canals, as this can cause a lot of problems. Use a damp cloth rather than a cotton bud and check for any redness or discharge (i.e. signs of infection) while you&rsquo;re there.

When they&rsquo;re not napping, Maine Coons like to stay busy. It doesn&rsquo;t matter what game you go for - puzzles, cuddly toys, or even just taking the time to teach &ldquo;high five&rdquo;, sit and fetch. When it&rsquo;s time for litter training, a Maine Coon kitten will generally understand the assignment, so there&rsquo;s not much work needed.

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This is one big kitty whose paws you should think about covering with cat insurance. And you happen to be in the right place. Here at Everypaw, we have a range of&nbsp;<a href="/Home/cat-insurance.html">Lifetime Cat Cover</a>&nbsp;levels to help protect your fluffy bundle of fur.

Plus vet fees are not the only thing wrapped up by your kitty cover, every policy is full of extras. You&rsquo;ll have 24/7 access to a team of vets and vet nurses with <a href="/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall information page">Petcall</a>. Help finding your cat if they go missing. And if they don&rsquo;t manage to find their way home, we can help out with our theft and straying benefit.

This is one big kitty whose paws you should think about covering with cat insurance. And you happen to be in the right place. Here at Everypaw, we have a range of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance">Lifetime Cat Cover</a>&nbsp;levels to help protect your fluffy bundle of fur.

Plus vet fees are not the only thing wrapped up by your kitty cover, every policy is full of extras. You&rsquo;ll have 24/7 access to a team of vets and vet nurses with <a href="/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall information page">Petcall</a>. Help finding your cat if they go missing. And if they don&rsquo;t manage to find their way home, we can help out with our theft and straying benefit.

Maine Coon kitten lying on a climbing post

Maine Coon Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

If you&rsquo;re looking for a big cat with an even bigger personality, the Maine Coon could be pretty much the purr-fect pet for you. Those pointy ears and long bushy tails are guaranteed to turn heads, and their affectionate and sociable nature means makes them a fantastic family pet; they really are gentle giants. Here&#39;s everything you need to know about them.

Hip Dysplasia&nbsp;is where the hip joint doesn&rsquo;t develop properly which causes pain and lameness. Signs are usually seen at about a year old. Drugs to reduce inflammation or a special veterinary diet can help manage the condition. Surgery may be needed if the condition is severe.

Maine Coons can be affected by&nbsp;<a href="/all-things-pet/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's article about HCM in cats">Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)</a>, a serious heart condition. The heart muscle becomes thick, which stops the heart from working properly. If it&rsquo;s diagnosed early, medication can slow the disease down, but won&rsquo;t cure it.&nbsp;

HCM can be caused by a genetic mutation in some breeds. The gene that mutates has been identified in the Maine Coon breed which means they can have a DNA test to find out if they carry the gene. If they do, those cats with the gene shouldn&rsquo;t be used for breeding to prevent passing it on to the next generation. 
&nbsp;

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is an inherited neurological condition in this breed. A DNA test is available to find out if a cat carries the mutated gene. Signs of the condition are muscle weakness and wasting. Affected cats also become wobbly on their legs.&nbsp;

Unfortunately there isn&rsquo;t any treatment for SMA but affected cats do seem to stabilise and can happily live full lives as indoor cats. 
&nbsp;

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), also known as <a href="/all-things-pet/autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to AD-PKD in cats">autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease AD-PKD</a>, can be inherited in some breeds, including the Maine Coon. It&rsquo;s a dominant gene that causes this condition, so cats only need to inherit one copy of it to end up suffering from PKD.

Kittens are born with kidney cysts which grow as the cat ages. The cysts can be seen on ultrasound scans. Signs don&rsquo;t often appear until the cat is older and can include increased thirst, peeing more, weight loss and a <a href="/all-things-pet/whys-my-cat-not-eating" title="Link to Everrypaw's article &quot;Why is My Cat Not Eating?&quot;">poor appetite</a>.

The disease will eventually lead to kidney failure, but there are treatments that can help improve that cat&rsquo;s quality of life.

Common Maine Coon Health Problems by Vetstream

Maine Coons are strong, muscular, robust cats but there are some <a href="/all-things-pet/10-common-cat-illnesses-and-symptoms" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to 10 of the most common cat conditions">common cat health problems</a> to keep alert to. We have teamed up with Vetstream, experts in this area, to give you an idea of what to keep an eye out for in your Maine Coon.

Maine Coon Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

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Maine Coon

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Zoomies to Senior Snoozes, We've Got Them Covered

The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions.</a> 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

An older dog for pet insurance for older pets

As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

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Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

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How Does Pet Insurance Work: Getting a Quote

Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/Home/all-things-pet.html" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

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For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/multi-pet-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Multi-pet Insurance page">Insure multiple pets</a>&nbsp;for a multi-pet discount

99% of claims paid in 5 working days*

Unlimited 24/7 access to UK vet nurses and vets with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall vet page">Petcall</a>

Manage your UK pet insurance policy online in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-portal-info" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Portal Information page">Pet Portal</a>

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Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

Two levels of our Lifetime Pet Insurance cover have been rated 5 Stars by independent financial business, Defaqto, for 8 years in a row.

Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

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Maine Coon Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Maine Coon Cat Facts

Is a Maine Coon Right for Me?

What Are Maine Coon Kittens Like?

Life with a Maine Coon

Caring for Your Maine Coon

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise

Maine Coon Cat Insurance

Common Maine Coon Health Problems by Vetstream

Hip Dysplasia (HD)

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

Quick Maine Coon Q&A

What is a Maine Coon cat?

How big do Maine Coon cats get?

Where do Maine Coon cats come from?

Are Maine Coon cats good family pets?

That’s All You Need to Know About Maine Coons

References