Maine coon cats and dogs

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Hi,

My boyfriend has a dog*, anyways we're moving out of my Mothers house in a while (in a year or so). My bf prefers pedigrees and so we're thinking about getting a Maine Coon cat when we get our own place. I've been searching online but I haven't been able to find any stories about Maine Coon cats and dogs. It says all over the place how they get along with everyone generally but I can't find individual stories.

Can anyone tell me what they're like with dogs? Are they passive or do they tell the dog when the dog's gone too far? Also, any other information abot this breed would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time,

LostAlien.






*The dog gets along with my Mum's cat mostly and they seem to like each other but seem to have 'cultural' misunderstandings.

All cats are different. Some cats will do well with dogs, and some won't. Breed isn't relevant.

I know all cats are individuals but this breed is known for being gentle. I want to make sure that the cat won't be pushed about or annoyed by the dog, that it will be able to tell the dog "enough".

We don't intend the cat and dog to be with each other unsupervised but most cats I've ever had live with me have figured out how to open doors and the dog knows too. It's difficult to remember to lock doors behind you all the time.

Anyways, I just wanted to know about the breed from people who have known Maine Coons. Also, medical issues wise, are there any other medical issues than hip dysplasia, polycystic kidney disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that I should ask a breeder.

I have lived with cats all my life, I do know that they can be really different personalitywise but I've never lived with a pedigree cat. I know that with dogs pedigree matters, the energy levels and tendency towards play are different breed to breed.

One little thing that might help and give some additional safety to both parties might be to give the cat a place of retreat that the dog cannot physically reach. Like moving the basket/blanket it is to use for sleeping on a sideboard or some other hip-high piece of furniture. This way, the cat can retreat when it feels pestered by the dog and the probability of the two attacking each other should be reduced. I would expect a cat with a place of its own to be more relaxed than a cat which cannot properly retreat from the other pets in the household and thus less likely to attack.

Maine Coon Cats are very gentle. My neighbor had one. It was the size of a small dog.

That's good advice, we do that with my Mum's/my cat. He has the run of the house and the dog is in the kitchen only (usually, sometimes the living room). It's just the cat is very passive and I see issues with this, the dog doesn't really pay attention when the cat says "buzz off" because of him being passive. The cat (Al) likes the dog (Toby) and vice versa but Toby tends to lick Al across the room in response to Al's friendly headbutts (annoying Al).

I would worry about a cat breed with a reputation for being gentle and calm because of this, I don't want an aggressive cat though either. With Al and Toby we need to watch them constantly when they're in the room together because Toby doesn't seem to understand when Al's had enough. Strangely enough, if they get into the same room with no humans (as they can both open doors*), Toby doesn't seem to over do his affection. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong when they're together and I'm in the room with them.

*we do lock the doors when doing something that needs doing elsewhere in the house.

I'm glad to know this. Did this cat ever have experience with dogs to your knowledge? I like big cats (domestic ones) so the bigger the better. Also, was it healthy over it's life and how old was it?

Last edited by LostAlien on 30 Dec 2010, 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Maine Coons are great multi-pet household cats. The only problem you may find is if the Maine Coon has been an only pet for a long time--it may take the Maine Coon time to adjust. But if you're looking into getting a kitten, just get one from a responsible breeder who socializes their kittens well and you'll have no problems. Your other options is to look into Maine Coon rescues--rescues will know the cat's personality better and will tell you whether the cat is a good candidate for a house with a dog.

Males tend to be easier with other pets than females--I've had two Maine coon mixes that were females and they both had to be the Queen of the household. My current male cat is a Maine Coon mix, and has a very typical male Maine Coon personality. He came into my home when he was about 1-1 1/2 year old and at the time I had 4 cats and 2 foster cats. He never cause a fuss with anyone. Actually he was a stray someone had dumped and he had hung around my apartment complex for a few weeks, and me and my neighbors were feeding him outside. But then he decided he wanted to come live with me. So he started showing up at my apartment backdoor and would invite himself in for a snack and nap when I opened the door. He has been my cat ever since. He actually a pretty awesome cat. About 8 years ago i moved back in with my mom who had two dogs at the time, and he had no problem whatsoever with adjusted to the dogs. He does get quite pouty when the dogs steal his treats though.

Contrary to what another person said, breed does matter with cats. There is a wide range of temperament and personality among the breeds, and some are better suited for a multi-pet household than others. Also with Maine Coon, you need to know these are often BIG cats, and they are a natural breed that developed from free-roaming domesticated cats. Many Maine Coons like to go outside, and some, like my boy, will be roamers if you let them. But these days the outside is a very dangerous place for cats, so if you find your new Maine Coon wants to go outside, consider building him a safe, enclosed outdoor space (a "catio") where he has go outside and chill, but not roam freely. Many Maine Coons can be trained to walk on leashes too, if you start them at an early age.

Other than that, they are mellow, affectionate "buddy" cats who may not like sitting in your lap or being held, but they will want to spend time hanging out with you. Many times they like to form a strong bond with another pet--my boy had a buddy, a Siamese mix who sadly died last year, who he spent most of his time with, and since my Siamese's death, he's been lonely and needing extra attention for the humans here. Some Maine Coons will even bond with dogs. They tend to be vocal, but not loud, and often have a wide vocabulary of chirps, thrill and other sounds that is very endearing. And they do need a little grooming to avoid matting.

They didn't have a dog. It was an older cat named Alex. He was about eleven years old. He was really nice and would let me pet him. I have a thing for dogs and cats.

I think that a Maine Coon cat would be a perfect cat for me to have. Too bad I didn't live in a house.

Thanks Mercurial, this really answers my questions really well. Were there any health issues that you observed in your Maine Coons that I should ask a breeder about if I decide to go to a breeder?

Also, as regards grooming, what kind of brush would be best (for when I'm prepairing the house)? And is there anything else apart from the obvious (litter trays, beds, food and toys) that I should consider with a Maine Coon in mind?

There are a couple of health issues with Maine Coon. One is HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), an potentially deadly inherited condition that is common in cats. It causes the muscle walls to thicken, which can lead to poor circulation, blood clots and heart failure. HCM is one of the most common fatal diseases in cats of any breed, but certain genetic mutations of this disorder has shown up in Maine Coons. So if you go to a breeder, ask if they watch for HCM in their breeding cats. A good breeder of Maine Coons will understand your concerns and may offer a health guarantee if you wish to return the kitten if a vet finds any health problems (always have a new kitten seen by a vet). I've also heard of hip dysplasia with Maine Coons, which is a common problem in large dogs, where the hip joint in not formed properly and this requires surgery to correct. Ask the breeder about this too. I would be wary of breeders who breed for excessive size--one of the appeals of a Maine Coon is that they can get very large, but actually, healthy bloodlines of Maine Coon will produce average sized cats to larger sized ones, and not just the bigger ones. One of my Maine Coon mixes was barely 7 pds while two others were in the 15-17 pd range. My current boy's just shy of 13 pds--very average for a male cat.

Maine Coon are strong cats and they are heavy boned and heavily muscled. You will need to invest in a very sturdy and tall scratching post like the Purrfect Post ( http://www.purrfectpost.com/ ) so they don't end up ripping up your furniture. I have one of these for my Maine Coon boy and he loves it--it's a bit expensive but the Purrfect Post is very well built. Mine is years old now and it still in good condition. And Maine Coons love sleeping on furniture, so prepare for the fur. We have quilts covering almost everything here where the cats sleep, to make it easy to clean up the fur--just throw the quilts in the washer! My Maine coon loves cat beds, but he also loves pillows, the couch, my bed--variety! Maine Coon shed lightly year-round and heavily twice a year--in the spring to grow their lighter summer coat, and again in the fall to grow their denser winter coat. Brushing them regularly will cut down on the furballs--I'd recommend a metal toothed brush that has cushioned rubber tips. If you get a kitten, start brushing them early so they get used to it. Be gentle and offer treats to make it a positive experience for them

All my Maine coons have loved jumping up on tabletop and desks. But ready for this. My boy is good about staying off the kitchen counter, but everything else is fair game for him. So be sure to put fragile things where your cat can't jump up and knock them down. The most humane way to teach your cat to stay off kitchen countertops or other furniture you don't want him on, is to get a small misting/spray bottle, fill it with just water, and lightly mist him when he jumps on what you don't want him on. Provide him, though, with places that he can jump on, so he;ll learn to prefer those instead--some people invest in cat furniture. Myself, I'm content with him staying off the kitchen countertops and letting him have free access to everything else.

A note about furballs--cats get hairballs. Occasionally they puke them up. Occasionally they puke up food or grass. It is normal. But excessive vomiting of hairballs or food or bile is not. So if at any point your Maine Coon starts vomiting frequently (like once a day or more) take him to a vet. Also, I do not recommend the hairball formula/indoor formula cat food that you may see around as these have higher fiber content that can irritate many cats' GI tract and lead to Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome. IBS is also common in cats--my boy has it. It can have many causes, but diets too high in grains and too low in animal proteins can contribute to the development of IBS. Cats, after all, are carnivores, not cows. So start you kitten out with a good high protein, low grain/grainfree cat food. Mine get Fancy Feast--it's not the most "premium" cat food out there, but it is good enough that my boy with IBS can tolerate it without any problems.

Another thing with big cats is you'll need a big "jumbo size" litter box. Probably two if you have the room. I wouldn't get the ones with a cover--my Maine Coons have always dislike the confined space. And put the litter boxes in a quiet but easily accessible place in the house so he can do his business in peace. And be sure to keep them clean--dirty litterboxes are unsanitary for both your cat and you.

Anyhow, good luck!

I actually used to live in a house with 7 cats. None of our cats could stand the neighbor's chow(sp?). Not the pixie bob, not the maine coon, not the norwegian forest, the two spotty ones. They would all "kamikaze" as my GF called it the glass door when he came up to it. Sometimes they'd get so pissed at the dog they'd start attacking each other. Your experience may vary.

My Luna is part Maine Coon, and our neighbor would sometimes have his dog come inside our house. The dog was a Springer Spaniel mix, about 100 lbs. Luna wasn't afraid of him. He went right up and sniffed him

Thanks for the information. I want to know as much as I can before getting a kitten/cat because I want to make sure that he/she will be happy with us. I know not all cats get along with dogs and small dogs (that are spoilt) can be vicious.

Thanks. Good to know.

Toby is a Kerry Blue (still a puppy about 6 and a half months). His shoulder is a little above my knee. He's very energetic.

How are the energy levels on a Maine Coon cat in your experience? Do you think it would be possible for them to play (if they become friends)?