Admittedly, not all cats have an adorable temperament, but if there is one breed that stands out due to its affectionate personality and as a good companion it is the Maine Coon.
Maine Coon Personality Traits
The International Cat Association or TICA currently recognizes 71 cat breeds while the Cat Fanciers Association acknowledges 44. Each of these breeds has their unique personalities and physical attributes. The Maine Coon breed stands out due to its enormous size complemented with an immense personality.
Here are the breed’s most noticeable personality traits:
1. Maine Coons are very affectionate.
The dictionary defines the word affectionate as readily feeling or showing tenderness or fondness. Maine Coons fit this description to a T since they are truly fond of their humans. Owners of this breed attest that their cats express their affection by sitting on their laps, sleeping with them and kneading them while purring loudly.
2. They are gentle giants.
Maine Coons are considered the largest cat breed. They can grow to almost 40 inches and weigh from five to 8.2 kilograms. Similarly, they have a very gentle nature which has gained them the moniker gentle giants. They are calm, laid-back, do not want to harm anybody and they are not aggressive unless provoked or threatened.
Maine Coons are also very gentle with other pets at your home. They are known to tolerate other cats that have grumpy behavior. Most of all, these felines are gentle with kids and they make good playmates but it is advised to have adult supervision especially for very little children.
3. These felines are very playful.
Maine Coons are very energetic and playful despite their enormous size. They play a lot and if you cannot play with them, they can entertain themselves quite well. These felines are considered the retrievers of the cat world because they like to chase and retrieve toys and bring them back to their owners.
Here are some recommended toys for your furry giants:
4. They are very independent.
These furry giants are not clingy to their humans and are very independent. They can play and entertain themselves and they can be left alone at home.
5. Maine Coons are uber-smart.
These gentle felines possess great intelligence and are easily trained. They are inquisitive and able to learn and understand quickly. One Maine Coon owner shared that in a matter of days, her cat was able to understand that “shh” means that she should stop what she’s doing and “come” means that she should come to her owner.
Other ways that these cats manifest their intelligence is their ability to be very sociable, their great survival skills, their ability to communicate with humans and they are receptive to the feelings of their owners.
6. They adore the water.
Maine Coons are fascinated with water and would happily spend a certain amount of time just playing with their water bowl or licking the bathroom tap. They may enjoy playing in the tub. They are also known to be natural-born swimmers but may prefer fresh water as opposed to stagnant water.
7. They can be very vocal.
This breed tends to be very vocal and talkative but in a good way. Their vocalization is not annoying. They usually chirp especially if they are excited and when greeting their owners. These cats also produce chirping sounds when they see birds outside the window and they have a high-pitched voice like a kitten that you will find amusing as it does not seem to match their enormous size.
These felines do not meow a lot but may do so when they miss their humans.
8. They are loyal but may be wary of strangers.
Maine Coons are devoted and loyal to their humans and adore every single member of the family. However, they do not usually trust strangers and may hide away when there are visitors. Although they may tend to warm up to some people they rarely want to be touched by strangers.
Maine Coons possess great personalities that endear them to people. Aside from those mentioned above, they are sweet-tempered, easygoing, adaptable and resilient. However, as with other breeds, they also have their not-so-desirable side. They tend to be impulsive, neurotic and dominant at times especially if they are stressed, anxious or experiencing health issues.
Male vs. female Maine Coon personality
While both male and female Maine Coons are sociable, playful and affectionate, the former appears to be more cautious with humans especially if these people are not part of the family. They are friendly and energetic but they more reserved and laid-back compared to females. Male Maine Coons do not mind displaying goofy behavior and love to be the center of attention.
Image: istockphoto.com / Nils Jacobi