Blue sometimes has negative connotations like unfriendliness, aloofness, and lack of emotion. But the Blue Maine Coon is far from that. This gentle giant combines the best of both worlds: an elegant color with the outsized personality of the breed.
Blue Maine Coon cat
The Maine Coon cat comes in 75 colors, including blue. Originally, the breed only came in brown tabby color pattern. But today, those interested in owning this majestic cat have a diverse array of colors, combinations, and patterns to choose from.
The breed has five solid colors, blue, black, white, cream, and red.
The Blue Maine Coon is not exactly blue like the sky or the sea. In many animals, the term blue actually refers to a gray coat. Looking closely at animals with blue coats, you will see that their gray color has a slight tinge of blue.
Blue Maine Coon color variations
There are seven Blue Maine Coon variations: solid, blue smoke, blue-tabby, blue silver, blue tortie, blue and white, and chinchilla silver.
Here is a brief look at each of these color variations.
1. Solid blue
A solid blue Maine Coon is completely gray, from its fur down to its nose leather and paws.
2. Blue smoke
At first glance, the Blue Smoke Maine Coon looks like the solid blue Coon.
However, when the Blue Smoke cat moves, you will notice a difference between the color variants. The fur of the Blue Smoke has white roots and blue tips.
Furthermore, Blue Smoke cats may also have gray points and masks as well as white markings on the ears and ruff.
3. Blue tabby
A blue tabby has a predominantly light silver coat mixed with markings with a darker shade of gray. This color variation comes in three patterns.
The most common blue-tabby pattern is Mackerel. This type of pattern consists of a dark stripe on the backbone which then runs down to the cat’s stomach with narrow lines. These narrow lines are evenly-spaced and run parallel to one another.
The classic or botched pattern is characterized by the butterfly-like swirls that are typically found on the cat’s shoulders.
Finally, there is the ticked or agouti pattern consisting of multiple bands of color all over the coat. These bands can be found on the head, legs, and tail.
4. Blue silver
Like the Blue tabby, the Blue silver color variation also has the same three patterns, mackerel, botched, and agouti.
The key difference between the two is that the Blue silver variation has a pale silver base contrasted by blue markings.
5. Blue tortie
The Blue tortie comes in seven variations. These are the
- Blue Tortie Classic Tabby
- Blue Tortie Smoke
- Blue Tortie Mackerel Tabby
- Blue Tortie Silver Mackerel Tabby
- Blue Tortie Silver Shaded Classic Tabby
- Blue Tortie Silver Classic Tabby
- Blue Tortie Silver Shaded Mackerel Tabby
6. Blue and white
The Blue and white color variation are classified as a bi-color. The color variation is characterized by blue and white, with the latter found on the paws, belly, and chest.
The amount and location of the white color will vary from one cat to another.
7. Chinchilla silver
Both the Chinchilla silver and Chinchilla blue silver variants have white undercoats.
The Chinchilla silver has black tips on its head, back, sides, and tail as well as white markings on its chest, stomach, ears, and chin.
The Chinchilla blue silver, on the other hand, has blue tips on its head, back, sides, and tail. It also has white markings on its chest, stomach, ears, and chin.
Blue Maine Coon genes
Broadly speaking, a cat’s colors range from the five aforementioned solid colors, plus a combination of these five as well as dilutions of these.
Almost all cats are black, except for those that are red. Red or orange cats have what is called the masking gene.
The color variations you see in domestic cats, including Blue Main Coons, come as a result of the modification of their genes and polygenes.
Genes and polygenes modify the basic colors of a cat. For example, a dilute gene changes the black color to blue/gray, and red to cream.
Polygenes, on the other hand, determine the tone of a cat’s coat. As you will read later on, Blue Maine Coons come in various shades of blue. Polygenes are responsible for those variations. Polygenes are passed down from parents to their kittens through selective breeding.
Cats with blue coats, including Blue Main Coons, have the gene for the black color that has been diluted.
The color of a cat is determined by the color of its parents. Broadly speaking, the color of a cat’s other family members has no bearing on his color. The only exception to this rule is the colorpoint gene. This gene can be passed down by a kitten’s ancestors.
A kitten’s pattern, on the other hand, is mostly determined by the color of its parents. If one of a kitten’s parents has a solid color or pattern, it will also have the same color or pattern.
On the other hand, if both parents have recessive genes for a particular color, none of their offspring will produce a kitten with a dominant color.
Generally speaking, parti-color cats are mostly female. Male parti-color cats are rare.
Blue Maine Coon rarity and price
Blue Maine Coons are not incredibly rare. However, they are not as common as Maine Coon kittens of other colors.
The price of a Maine Coon kitten ranges between $400 and $2500. The gap between these two price extremes can be attributed to numerous factors. These include age, genetics, vaccination, certifications, and pedigree status.
For example, a purebred Maine Coon typically costs $600 while a kitten costs about $1,000. A show cat, on the other hand, may cost as much as $2500 while a mixed Coon or moggy will cost considerably less.
Where to get a Blue Maine Coon
Interested in getting a Blue Maine Coon?
Today, if you are trying to adopt a pet, the best way to start is to perform an online search. Maine Coon cats are sold on a variety of platforms, ranging from social media and advertisement websites.
Because buying a Maine Coon cat is a big investment, it is crucial to find a reputable seller who will help you in your journey to being a good fur parent.
The best place to buy a Blue Maine Coon is through a reputable and registered breeder. Although registered breeders sell their cats at a higher premium, the main advantage of this option is that you are assured that you are adopting a purebred kitten.
Registered breeders will provide you with the paperwork for each of their kittens. Furthermore, reputable breeders ensure that each kitten has been screened for defects.
The best way to find a registered breeder near your place is to visit the website of cat registries in your area.
Occasionally, you can find Maine Coon kittens posted for sale on social media platforms. If you are interested in any of the kittens posted for sale online, you will have to perform a little legwork, verifying the kitten’s parentage and medical history.
Some shelters may offer Maine Coon cats for adoption and you will only need to pay for a minimal fee. However, most shelters rarely get these cats. Plus, you are not sure if the cat is purebred.
As much as possible, avoid pet shops, backyard breeders, and sites like Craigslist. Although it is possible for you to find a healthy, purebred Maine Coon in either of these places, the probability is considerably low.
Compared to registered breeders, backyard breeders are often inexperienced and may not know proper and responsible breeding.
The majority of pet shops source their animals from dog and cat mills which are motivated solely by profit without regard to the welfare of the animals. And by buying animals from pet shops, you are helping perpetuate this bad practice.
Adding a Blue Maine Coon to your family
The Maine Coon is almost always a welcome addition to families looking for a loyal and intelligent cat. And when you add this cat’s majestic color and you have the perfect recipe of a magical relationship. But be prepared. Searching for a Blue Maine Coon is not an easy process because this particular color is quite rare.
Image: istockphoto.com / Nils Jacobi