Maine Coon
Large, unbothered, and quietly fond of absolutely everyone.
- gentle
- sociable
- unhurried
- dog-like
- even-tempered
- quietly chatty
Why you are a Maine Coon
You take up space without ever making it anyone's problem. People expect someone your size to be imposing and instead you are the most relaxed person in the building. You do not pick a favourite human — you like the whole household, including the ones who are not very nice to you, and you will follow any of them from room to room without ever demanding anything. You communicate in small noises rather than demands. Nothing much rattles you, which is why everyone ends up telling you things.
The real Maine Coon
A natural breed from Maine, shaped by a hard climate — the heavy water-resistant coat, tufted ears and long bushy tail are all cold-weather adaptations. It is now CFA's most-registered breed, having overtaken the Persian; a lot of writing online still says Persian is number one, which is out of date. The breed is slow-maturing, taking several years to reach full size.
- Registry status
- CFA: yes — currently CFA's #1 most-registered breed. TICA: yes.
- Origin
- Maine, USA — a natural breed shaped by a cold climate, not deliberately constructed.
- Coat
- Heavy, shaggy and water-resistant, uneven in length with a shorter shoulder coat and a long britches and belly coat.
- Size (registry wording)
- CFA describes a large, muscular, rectangular cat with substantial boning; its breed page notes informally that "it is not unusual for a mature male's weight to reach or exceed 20 pounds."
- Weight — commonly cited, not registry-verified
- males commonly cited 13–18 lb (5.9–8.2 kg), females 8–12 lb (3.6–5.4 kg)
- Life expectancy at birth (UK VetCompass, Teng et al. 2024)
- 9.71 years
- Lifespan — commonly cited by breed guides
- 12–15 years
A note on those two figures. No cat registry publishes numeric weight ranges — CFA and TICA standards are descriptive — so any weight you see anywhere, including here, comes from commercial sources. And the two lifespan rows measure different things: life expectancy at birth includes kittens that do not survive, so it runs lower than the ranges breed guides quote. They are shown separately because averaging them would produce a number that is true of nothing.
Honestly, what is hard about a Maine Coon?
That coat mats if it is ignored, a cat this size eats and costs accordingly, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is well documented in the breed — a gentle temperament does not make it a low-commitment cat.
Documented in the breed
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with the MYBPC3 A31P variant is documented in the breed, though reported penetrance varies widely between studies (roughly 2.3%–18% in heterozygotes). Hip dysplasia and spinal muscular atrophy are also documented. Reported hip dysplasia rates differ between sources (24.9% vs 37.4%).
This is general, descriptive information about a breed, drawn from registry statements and veterinary literature. It is not veterinary advice and says nothing about any individual cat.
One more thing
The breed is slow-maturing and does not reach its full adult size for several years — a two-year-old Maine Coon is still filling out.
The other 17 results
While you are here
- Cat Name Generator — thousands of names by colour, theme and gender.
- Cat Age Calculator — convert cat years to human years, with a full chart.
- Cat Personality Test — profile your own cat instead of yourself.
Quiz results are for entertainment. Breed information is general and descriptive, is not veterinary advice, and does not describe any individual cat. For questions about your own cat's health, please consult your veterinarian.