A Maine Coon is a furry, intelligent and very friendly breed of cat. Maine Coon cats are known mostly for their size and their gorgeous fur.
The Maine Coon is one of the top three popular cats in the world today.
The Maine Coon is easy to be with, easy to take care of and even easier to love.
For the fact of the matter, the Maine Coon is quite adaptable and they do seem to get along with many other animals.
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Family Friendly
The Maine Coon is a very family-friendly cat. He or she is super sweet and does not demand too much of your attention.
Communicative
The Maine Coon loves to talk. It is in his own special way, but he or she will get his point across. The Maine Coon uses many little sounds to tell you what he is saying. Sounds like chirps, trills and little cheeps.
Inquisitive Nature
The Maine Coon is curious about everything. The Maine Coon loves to know everything about its surroundings. No matter how boring an item is, the Maine Coon can turn it into a game. Many Maine Coons love to learn how to do tricks.
Other Animals
The Maine Coon will be able to make friends with other animals. However, getting to this point may be a little difficult and it could take some time. When you decide to bring another animal into the home, you do need to be sure to introduce your Maine Coon to the animal.
Granted, there may be some serious disregard on both parts, but if you take your time, and theirs, slowly getting used to each other, a friendship and possibly a strong bond may form.
The Maine Coon is especially laid back, sociable and gentle in nature, so it is not likely going to be the Maine Coon who has a difficult time with this new friendship.
A domesticated cat of another breed, now that is another story. All of those positive features in the Maine Coon are not necessarily going to be found in the other breeds.
Are Maine Coon Cats Aggressive?
Ten Steps
There are a simple ten steps that can be taken to make integration of the Maine Coon and another domesticated breed of cat to become friends. As stated, it is not possible to put the Maine Coon in a room and then add another domesticated cat breed.
Step One
Set up two separate cat bases. By cat bases, I mean areas that belong to one or the other. An area that is only their territory. It is best to keep these two areas separated, such as in separate rooms. Within each area there should be:
- A cat bed
- A safe place, or hiding space
- Food
- Water
- Scratching Post
- Litter Box
As a first step, the cats are better off being kept separate from each other. You can take a small amount of time each day and let the one cat smell around the closed door of the other cat’s area. Do this with both cats.
It is obvious that each cat will be able to smell each other, they will know there are signs of another feline, they just will not be able to see him or her or spend time in each other’s area.
Step Two
The integration of two cats will take a period of time. Just as with humans and other animals, the cats should set the pace. Each day, open the door to each room. When either cat is ready, they will make an advance.
Step Three
In the first couple of days, you want to keep the cats separate. The next day you could open one door, and then let the cat sniff. Do the same for the other door.
Step Four
Being brought to a new home can be difficult for any person or animal. It does take time to become accustomed to new surroundings. Both cats need to see that you are willing to give them time.
This stage is very important. Both cats do need to feel that they have your time, your love and your patience. When the cat feels all of the good feelings, it helps them to feel safe and secure.
One point that needs to be clarified is that the human needs to spend quantity and quality time with the primary cat, the one who was there first.
Step Five
Introduce the scent of the other cat. Since cats do already have an amazing sense of smell, they probably have already smelled the other cat. A simple way of letting the others smell the went is to take the cat bed from each room and put it in the other room.
If there is any sign of stress or aggression, pull the bed for another day. Once you remove the other bed, be sure to hold, pet and show some positive reinforcement to the cat.
Step Six
Sometimes it is beneficial if the human put in pheromone plug-ins and sprays throughout the home. These are available online and likely from your Veterinarian. These pheromone sprays are known to calm and relax cats.
Step Seven
The next step may be one of the most difficult ones. It is now time to let each cat smell the room and belongings of the other cat. Not only do the cats need to smell and explore the other area. Obviously, this should be done without the other cat present. If they see the other cat, aggression could begin and the fur might start to fly. Not all cats will be good sitting through this. Some may become stressed out. If so, remove them from the area and give positive feedback and a treat.
Step Eight
The steps now become a little more nerve-wracking for all three involved. This step involves introducing the two cats to each other. The way this step works best is to have one cat in a room, and attach a mesh screen to the doorway.
The mesh will allow them to see each other, and smell each other. However, if either one of the cats seems to be distressed, they should be taken back to their own personal safe zone.
Another attempt could be made by placing one cat in a cat carrier. During this stage, you may notice that there is an amount of hissing and hair puffing.
As a human, stay calm, speak gently with both the cats and try to talk them into calming down.
Step Nine
This is one of a repetitive nature. The first steps should be repeated as often as is needed to allow the cats to acclimate to one another. Each step should be repeated as often as necessary until the two cats are calm.
Step Ten
This is the final step. It is time to put the cats together and see how the effort you have put into this challenge has worked. This step allows them to interact with each other in a closer manner.
Does A Maine Coon Need A Companion
The Maine Coon is sociable by nature. It is always beneficial for the Maine Coon to have a companion, a friend of sorts. The Maine Coon requires mental stimulation and attention. When a Maine Coon is alone too much of the time, the cat could develop depression.
If possible, you could adopt a baby kitten. The adult Maine Coon is not threatened by a kitten-like it may be when around another adult cat. This does not mean that the Introduction process should be skipped. It may only need to last a short time.
The adult Maine Coon will, in fashion, begin to care for the kitten. This would mean male Maine Coon or female Maine Coon. I would assume that the adult Maine Coon sees not fight in a baby, and as it is a baby, the adult Maine Coon can teach it what it should know and not be overly concerned with a little hair raising on behalf of the kitten.
Maine Coon cats love attention, and they love to give attention to the owner. They do this by rubbing against the legs, purring or trying to snuggle in their owner's lap. When a Maine Coon is alone for long periods of time each day, it could hurt them mentally and then ultimately physically.
The effort that is need to be put in to get two cats to be friends with each other, is more than worth it when you see how happy your Maine Coon and the new cat is when they become friends. Keep in mind as you are training the two cats, the Maine Coon is actually quite a docile and gentle cat, they want to give love and get love. This along with their laid-back demeanour make them a perfect companion cat.
If at all possible, when you decide you want a Maine Coon, try to adopt two kittens or a pair of siblings.
