Maine Coon is a unique feline recognized for its large size, abundance of fur, and great curiosity.
Also known as Coon cats, these felines portray desirable traits that any cat owner seeks.
They are soft kitties that adapt to any home environment, are incredibly smart and easy to teach new tricks, are easy-going, and get along with other pets.
They are also athletic and strong.
How Much is A Maine Coon in India?
The price of a Maine Coon in India ranges between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000 inclusive of delivery.
Factors Affecting The Price of A Mane Coon in India
Before adopting or purchasing a Maine Coon, you will have to consider the cat’s nutrition to prevent overweight issues.
You will also need to train your cat with suitable cat exercises.
Being a plump cat, the Maine Coon can quickly sabotage your household stuff or get hurt.
Remember to keep the valuables and fragile items far-off distance with this breed.
Lastly, the Maine Coon enjoys interactive exercises with her family. You must be prepared to offer an environment for interactive play to keep your kitty happy and growing.
Now to the factors affecting the price of a Maine Coon:
Health
Consequently, kittens with a great health record cost extra compared to those needing extensive medical treatment.
Luckily, Maine Coons are known for being a generally healthy breed.
They can, however, suffer from the following conditions: obesity, hip dysplasia, stomatitis, hypertrophic, cardiomyopathy, periodontal disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and polycystic kidney disease.
Status of the Breeder
Legalized Maine Coon breeders incur higher breeding costs than backyard breeders.
Buying from a registered breeder means higher rates than buying from unregistered breeders.
Registered breeders ultimately feed their kittens premium food, give them the required vaccinations and provide high-quality living such as cat towers and buying the best cat toys.
Furthermore, registered breeders check their breeding cats for hereditary defects to ensure that their litters have a clean bill of health.
Vaccination History
All cats should be vaccinated to prevent unwanted health conditions.
Kittens who have undergone vaccination will inevitably cost more since the breeders have invested in their health.
Alternatively, you can get an unvaccinated kitten and do the vaccination yourself (not literally). The cost should be more or less the same a buying a vaccinated kitten.
Always ask for a copy of the kitten’s vaccination history from the buyer. Also, get in touch with a veterinarian who can ascertain the genuineness of the vaccination record.
Quality of the Cat
Premium quality kittens with great health records, vaccination records, and purebred pedigree certifications are expensive.
Breeding and show-quality kittens are most expensive because their pedigree status is widely recognized, and they have an impeccable health record.
Certificate of Purebred Status
If you choose to buy from a registered breeder, expect to fill in some pedigree certification paperwork. The certification confirms that your kitten is of purebred status.
Therefore, certified Maine Coons cost more than noncertified ones.
Buying a kitty with mixed genetics means that she might not have the breed’s common personality or physical characteristics.
History of the Maine Coon
This breed derives its name from Maine, which dates back to the early 19th century.
There are several theories behind the origin of the Maine Coon.
One theory depicts that Maine Coons descended from long-haired cats breeding with short-haired ones. The other theory says that Vikings introduced them to North America.
Maine Coons did not, however, originate from mating a cat with a raccoon. The only resemblance the Maine Coon has with a raccoon is the brown tabby coat.
Records exist of a black, and white Maine Coon called Captain Jenks of the Horse Marines in 1861.
In 1895, a female Maine Coon called Best Cat participated in a cat show held in Madison Square Garden.
A Maine Coon named Molly Bond was the 5th feline registered when the Cat Fanciers Association was formed in 1908.
The Maine Coon’s popularity declined in the following five decades, pending the fuss over the exotic Siamese and stunning Persian cats.
Things turned around for the better in the 1960s, seeing the Maine Coon as one of the most sought-after felines.
Appearance
The Maine Coon is a large-sized cat with a soft fluffy coat that seems suitable for cold weather.
The body is muscular, with a broad chest, medium-length legs, large circular paws, and long whiskers.
The shaggy coat is longer at the upper hind legs and the stomach and shorter at the shoulders. The tail is long and furry as well.
The medium-sized head is notably longer than its wider and embellished with a small triangular-shaped muzzle.
The ears are wide at the base and sharp as the tips. They are equally endowed with fur.
The eyes are large and sharp and come in copper, green, greenish-gold, or gold color. Bi-colored or white Maine Coons may have blue eyes.
The most common coat colors with this breed are the brown tabby pattern.
Other solid colors include black, red, white, and bi-colors of red and white, blue and white, tortoiseshell and calico.
Temperament and Character
Maine Coons like being around their family and have a habit of following people around like dogs.
Far from needy and desperate for attention, Maine Coos are happy to be petted but won’t beg for it.
In case you’re too busy doing your things, this kitty will sit and wait for you to come around rather than whine and moan.
Though they are not lap-cats, coon cats love to sit near their humans. They are vicious mouse hunters, thus very helpful to keep those pesky rodents out of your home.
Maine Coons keep their skills sharp by playing with their toys when they are not chasing mice. You will mostly find the Maine Coon on ground level rather than on trees or tall furniture.
While all Maine Coons love to play, the males are wittier than their female counterparts, who are more reserved and dignified.
Not the most vocal cat breed, Maine Coons communicate through soft chirps and trills.
Trainability
Maine Coons need daily play dates to stimulate their minds and their natural instinct to explore and hunt.
Since Coons are smart, training and housebreaking them won’t be a pain. Still, training requires lots of patience and understanding.
The clicker training method works quite well with the Maine Coon. Coupled with positive reinforcement, this method ensures your cat learns new things quickly.
Though it is best to train a kitten because it learns faster at a young age, it is not to say that adult cats can’t be trained. Even older cats can learn new tricks.
You’ll want your kitty to associate the clicker with positivity. So, every time you click, offer your cat a treat and repeat the process. Keep your training sessions short because cats have a short attention span.
Once the kitty knows the importance of the clicker, you can incorporate basic tricks and commands such as ‘sit’ and ‘come’. Simply say the command and press the clicker. When the cat obeys you, give her a treat.
Once she’s up to speed with basic tricks, advanced ones like high-fives and paw-shakes will be much easier to teach.
Grooming
The Maine Coon’s hair needs daily brushing to prevent matting. Brush her teeth at least twice a week and inspect her ears every week for debris, wax or signs of infection.
Always clean your kitty’s litter box and ensure to set aside separate litter boxes if you’ll be keeping more than one cat.
Maine Coons need to take adequate amounts of water every day.
Ensure your cat’s bowl is always full of water and if she doesn’t drink from the bowl, supply her with a flowing fountain if you can manage to have one.
Does the color of the Maine Coon’s eyes change?
Newly born Maine Coons often have blue eyes that change color to green, copper, or gold as they age. Their eyes don’t change color when they are already fully grown.
How can you tell when a Maine Coon is a mixed breed?
Inspect the kitty’s body type, size, eyes, ear tufts, fur, paws, tail, and personality. However, genetic assessment is the surest way of knowing whether the cat is mixed. A purebred Maine Coon will display the physical traits we highlighted in the ‘Appearance’ section.
Do you have to take a Maine Coon for walks?
Maine Coons love to go on walks. So, it would be effective to invest in a harness to take your feline for strolls in the neighborhood.
Be prepared to host one of the largest cat breeds you’ll ever find. While its body mass is on the higher side, this ball of fur is the sweetest feline ever!