How To Tell If Your Cat Is A Maine Coon

This can be different if your cat is a mixture but most of the time a cat with maine coon in the heritage will have a very strong build.

How to tell if your cat is a maine coon. The tail is long and should run the length of the body when at least as long as the neck. Adults can reach up to 10 inches in height ranging all the way to 16 inches. Maine coons are very playful and affectionate and are often described as not your typical standoffish cat. A telltale sign of the maine coon cat is their fur.

Another distinguishing characteristic of the maine coon cat is its shaggy coat and fur around the neck that is called a ruff which resembles the mane of a lion. Analyse the cats size eyes tail fur paws personality body frame and ear tufts for clues the cat is a maine coon mix. They evolved to survive the harsh maine winters so they have tufts of fur on their paws as well as that long silky coat with the thick under coat. This genetic anomaly is not limited to coons and was made famous by ernest hemingways cats.

Check out the clues below that help distinguish a part maine coon from a purebred. This is the probably the most unmistakable feature of the maine coon. Personality is friendly and outgoing. The maine coon is one of the largest breeds of domestic cats so its body size will be a good starting point to draw reference from.

Some maine coons have extra toes known as polydactyl caused by the pd gene. The fur of your cat will be medium to long and quite shaggy. A male usually weighs between 13 and 18 pounds while a female will weigh from 8 to 12 pounds. The coat is longer on top and softer underneath giving the colors of the fur pattern and dimension rather than uniformity.

Genetic testing is the only full proof method of identifying if you own a mixed maine coon or not.