Life With A Maine Coon

Life with a Maine Coon is quieter and slower than life with most cats. They are not nervous or skittish. They walk, they do not dart. They settle into rooms the way larger animals do, taking visual stock of the space before choosing a spot.

Expect a cat who follows you from room to room without being underfoot, who greets visitors with curiosity instead of suspicion, and who tolerates — sometimes enjoys — the family dog, the toddler, and the vacuum cleaner. This is the European Maine Coon temperament at its best.

Vocally, Maine Coons are famous for their chirps and trills rather than meows. Many will hold long conversations about nothing in particular, especially around mealtimes. The voice is softer than the size suggests.

Daily life centers around three or four short bursts of play, a long midday rest, evening lap time, and a confident, quiet patrol of the house at dusk. Maine Coons are not nocturnal in the destructive way some breeds are.

They are also, famously, water-curious. Most Maine Coons will dip a paw into a water bowl, push toys into the bathtub, or supervise the shower from the bath mat. It is one of the great joys of the breed.