If you are raring to own a large cat with striking eyes and a coat, that has a friendly temperament along with a little mischief on the side, a Red Maine Coon may be the perfect one for you. Red Maine Coons are loyal, have dog-like qualities, and stand out because of their coat patterns.
Red Maine Coon: Coat color variations, nose, eyes, and personality
Coat Color Variations
Red Maine Coons are also known as ginger, orange, marmalade, or sandy. However, the Cat Fanciers Association only recognizes the red color and it is considered one of the most distinct colors of the Maine Coon breed.
Here are the recognized coat color variations of the Red Maine Coon breed:
- Solid red – a shade of red but with slight variations in the red color, there is an M pattern on the forehead
- Red smoke – the roots of each strand of fur are lighter compared to that of the tips
- Red classic tabby – lighter large red stripes on the body and with rings on the legs and tail
- Red mackerel tabby – a narrow striped pattern on the legs, body, and tail
- Red ticked tabby- ticks all over the body with no stripes, spots, or color blotches; ticked tabby cats do not have traditional spots on the body.
Red Maine Coons are tabby cats and you can see a faintly striped effect on their fur. The varying shades and patterns vary depending on the amount of red pigment your cat has and the more evenly it is distributed, the more solid red your cat’s fur will be. This is all dictated by genetics which controls coat colors as well as the shade and coat patterns.
This breed has long or medium-length fur that is soft and silky but the texture may vary with coat color. Their fur is shorter on the head and shoulders but longer on the stomach and flanks while some Maine Coons have a lion-like ruff around the neck.
Other colors among Maine Coons aside from red or ginger include black, white, cream, brown, cameo, or a combination of red and silver, silver, blue, and black and white.
Nose
Red Maine Coon cats have distinctive dark pink nose leather and paw pads.
Eyes
Red Maine Coon cats generally have eye color with a shade of green, amber, copper, orange, or gold.
Personality
Maine Coons are popular for being gentle giants and they are friendly, loyal, and also very vocal. They are affectionate, obedient, sweet-tempered, and known to have dog-like qualities. In addition to the usual temperament and behavior of this breed, Red Maine Coons are noticeably mischievous, gutsy, and not aggressive although certain factors like stress, health issues or hormones may trigger negative behavior at times.
Are all Red Maine Coons male?
No, not all red Maine Coons are male, however, they are more likely to be male than female due to the coat color genetics. For a male cat to be a red Maine Coon, he only needs one red gene from his mother who also has one red gene while for a female cat to be a red Maine Coon, she has to inherit two red genes, one from her mother with one red gene and one from her father that has to be a red Maine Coon. You may also check out our earlier article on are all orange tabby cats male for a more thorough discussion.
Are Red Maine Coons rare?
No, Red Maine Coons are not rare and they are fairly easy to find from breeders should you want one.
Interestingly, Red Maine Coons have gained in popularity, thanks to these internet sensations:
- Hobie – he has several videos on YouTube and he demonstrates well-known characteristics of Maine Coons like his playfulness and love for the water.
- Riley – he is also famous on the internet and so enormous that at three years old he already tipped the scales at 26 pounds.
- Parsley – this friendly cat from Scotland has thousands of followers on Facebook and his fans are from all over the world.
Conclusion
If you adore large cats, consider getting a Red Maine Coon because they are known to have a gentle and sweet temperament. Aside from their distinct coat color and patterns, Red Maine Coons are affectionate and friendly although they may tend to become very vocal.