Maine Coon Cat: Breed Information and Health

If you love big cats, then this is the cat for you. The Maine Coon is a very solid and rugged cat. It’s friendly but wants to be untouched.

It is used to harsh climates. If you live somewhere very cold and/or very hot, then you can have a Maine Coon.

It is also very adaptable to climates, even if it has been in a harsh environment. If you live somewhere, cool Maine Coon’s are an option for you.

It has a beautiful array of colors. The color of the cat is a shaggy golden brown. It often has stripes on its face or extending from its eyes.

They are very playful and active animals. They are also very friendly to humans and animals alike. Not only that, but they aren’t the loudest either; Maine Coon’s are very quiet. Not only that, but they Show High Affection towards you as well.

Maine Coons are also very intelligent. Many can be taught to not go places. Or to only go if you permit them to go.

Maine Coons are also very independent animals. Sometimes they can be taught to speak with vocalization blocks. These are blocks that have words attached to them. These words then convey emotions or speak. Some cat parents have taught their Maine Coons whole sentences. 

These cats are also very docile. They are the cats whom your guests will get to meet when you open the door. Some often only notice people are there when the cat goes to the door.

They do need high grooming maintenance. This will just mean you need to brush them Daily. This is to ensure nothing gets caught or stuck in their fur.

Maine Coon’s may be small compared to humans. They were declared America’s second most popular breed. (according to the CFA’s registration totals. This is due to the Maine Coon’s family orientation lifestyle.

They are likely to be very near to you but not your lap. They will be there at family gatherings. 

Water fascinates Maine Coons. Sailors used to take them aboard ships as they were used to adapting to sea temperatures. They may hop into the shower with you for a second. They may also sit around the bath with you, and touch with a curious paw. 

Maine Coon’s are indigenous to the Americas. Maine Coon’s have an adaptive nature which made them useful in the coastlines and inland areas. 

Origin

United States

Health

Dr. Adedapo Adisa:

The Maine Coon cat is one of the oldest and the biggest domesticated cat native to Maine. Asides from being long and quite large in appearance, the Maine Coon cat has also been known to be a vermin hunter with an average life expectancy of 9-15 years.

Although they are a healthy cat breed, the Maine Coon cats have a few inherited medical conditions associated with them. These conditions in the Maine Coon include a heart disease known as Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and a joint condition affecting the hip joint called hip dysplasia.

In the Maine Coon breed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, there is thickening in the smooth muscles of the left ventricular wall of the heart. 

This thickening of the muscular wall affects the amount of blood it can hold during the relaxation phase and how it pumps out blood during the contractile phase.

There is a corresponding enlargement of the upper section of the left ventricle, known as the left atrium, which may result in clot formation and fluid build-up around the lungs in the affected Maine Coon cats. This eventually leads to heart failure in the Maine Coon cats.

Notable symptoms that have characterized hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the Maine Coon cats include; 

 

● Increased heart rate and rhythm.

● Uncoordinated heart rhythm.

● Heart murmurs.

● Weakness in the cats and inability to tolerate exercises or strenuous activities.

● Lameness or paralysis as a result of clots occluding blood vessels.

If any of these signs have been experienced in Maine Coon cats, it is essential to visit your veterinarian, who would carry out multiple tests to reach a confirmatory diagnosis.

However, in some cases, your Vet might want to screen for the mutant gene in the Maine Coon cats via DNA tests.

If found to be present in Maine Coon cats, it is essential to discontinue the cat from breeding programs.

Another inherited health condition seen in the Maine Coon cats is Hip dysplasia. This genetic condition causes the degeneration and malformation of the ball and socket joint type of the cat’s hip.

In the typical hip joint of the Maine Coon cats, the head of the femur (thigh bone) fits into the cup-shaped acetabulum of the hip bone (the socket), giving it the ball and socket appearance that allows for various movements.

However, Maine Coon cats with hip dysplasia have the ball and socket of the hip joint improperly aligned (subluxations). The constant movement further causes wear of the acetabulum and femoral head, leading to further degeneration of the joint.

Some symptoms you would find in the Maine Coon cats with this condition include;

● Limping in the cats or difficulty in walking.

● Cats are avoiding physical activities.

● Pain may be felt by the cat when one touches the affected joint

● The joint and bone may appear inflamed (osteoarthritis).

● Cats may happen to lick and chew around the affected hip joint.

When the Maine Coon cats have shown one or more of these signs, it is important to immediately report them to your veterinarian. 

To diagnose Hip dysplasia in the Maine Coons, your Vet may request an X-ray of the hip joints.

Surgical interventions and pain medications or meds to curb inflammatory activities may be administered to the Maine Coon cats.

In situations where a confirmatory diagnosis has been reached, such affected Maine Coon cats should be discontinued from breeding activities to prevent them from passing the defective gene for hip dysplasia to their kittens.