When it comes to choosing the perfect cat for you there really isn’t any “bad” choice per se. There are certain cat breeds that will match up better with certain types of people, but at the end of the day when you get a cat you don’t really need to fully understand or fully get along with one to have fun, to love each other and to care for one another for the rest of your life.
That’s the great part about owning a pet, you don’t just “own” them, they become part of the family from the moment they get through your door.
So, today we will be focusing less on helping you choose the perfect cat for you, and more so on just helping you identify which of these two cat breeds is better suited for the type of person that you are. So, are you a Maine Coon type of a person or are you a Persian Cat type of a person? Let’s find out together.
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History
When it comes to their background, there is very little that we know about them except for the fact that they have both been around for a very long time. They both allegedly popped up all of a sudden and have been two of the most famous cat breeds ever since.
Temperament
Temperament wise, the two vary quite a lot. First and foremost, we should say that these are not direct traits of the breed, only what we’ve noticed over the years from the owners of said breeds. So, while a lot of these temperament issues can be attributed to only one of the two, in some cases these can also be switched around or they could easily act differently to begin with than what we’re mentioning here.
With that said, from what we’ve seen so far, the Maine Coons are very relaxed and friendly. They tend to be very self-reliant which leads to them being the favorite breed for people that want a friendly cat that they can leave to its own devices for multiple hours of the day.
This can also be attributed to their high intellect, they are unusually smart, which leads to them more often than not finding ways to entertain themselves without needing any specific toys or tools in the first place.
The Persian cats on the other hand are way different. Many have said over the years that they are a lot more introverted than Maine Coons. While Maine Coons will quickly adapt to new family members, Persian cats will need some time to befriend anyone, even a newborn baby for that matter.
They are also a lot less independent creatures, they need a lot of help, especially when it comes to cleaning them and their fur and feeding them at the perfect time.
Maine Coons will stop eating once they’re full, because they are quite easily susceptible to becoming overweight, but Persian cats are quite the opposite. They will overeat until they explode, which is why the internet is full of pictures of overweight or downright obese Persian cats.
Appearance
They are both extremely large cat breeds, amongst the largest on the planet. But as far as similarities go, that’s where we have to stop. The Maine Coons have very elegant medium long hair covering their whole body.
They are especially classy, and although their hair tends to be quite uneven and shaggy, they still look especially exquisite because of how large they really are. Their fur also requires a lot of care, you’ll need to spend a lot on grooming and taking care of them if you’re even considering getting a Maine Coon baby.
Persian cats on the other hand are quite similar on first glance but trust us, the differences pile up very fast. First and foremost, the Maine Coons are larger, and a lot furrier. Second of all, they have a very specific trait that every cat owner in the world refers to as “flat faced”.
As hilarious as that may sound, it perfectly encapsulates how anyone would describe the strangeness that is the Persian cat. The Maine Coon has a very normal looking face, as far as cat standards go of course, while the Persian cat’s face is round and flat, making it look like it was scrunched against a window at all times.
Their ears are also very different one from the other. The Maine Coons are very famous for having a lot of hairs growing from inside of their ears, they have those massive tuffs of hair on their ear tips too which make them adorable to hold and hug.
The Persian cats are a bit different, having even longer ears but no ear muffs can be found inside. This can either add to their strange and adorably goofy look or it can hurt them, you decide. Regardless, it’s all a matter of preferences here.
Health Issues
When it comes to their general health and grooming practices, you cannot go wrong with either of them. But, while that may be true, there is a difference between the two, and that comes from the fact that the Maine Coon is a larger specimen typically that needs a little more care than people think.
First of all, as we mentioned previously, the Maine Coons are very predisposed to being overweight or obese. They don’t need much to survive, but they can easily eat too much for the sake of finishing up their plate. There was even a case that involved a cat that would eat because it made its owner happy so it became obese just to see its owner smile.
Growth Rate
The main difference between the Maine Coons and the Persian cats is that Maine Coons grow up way slower than most other cats out there. While most cats need less than 2 years to reach adulthood, Maine Coons need anywhere between 3 to 5 years to fully grow into their adult size.
This is great if you want to see your pet grow from being a little baby to the magnificently gorgeous specimen that they grow up into over the years.
The Persian Cats are more typical when it comes to growing up, they need less than two years then afterwards they simply stop growing anymore. This can also be attributed to their smaller size, since Maine Coons are some of the largest domesticated cats on this planet.
Sociability
Maine Coons, as we’ve mentioned previously, are very affectionate beings. They will easily fall in love with any new family member and if someone new enters your house they will be the first to jump on their laps to get petted.
The difference between the two is a lot harder to explain if you’ve never dealt with any of these two breeds but essentially, while they will both be very friendly to you and the rest of the family, Persian cats are a lot less sociable with strangers. They will hide from them, even attack them if they try to get too close to them.
They are both very quiet and calm creatures, but you will rarely hear about a Maine Coon attacking someone, while there have been plenty of instances over the ears of Persian cats being frightened to the point where they just have to jump out and run for cover.
Exercise
This is a huge selling point for both of these cat breeds because it is a huge difference. Maine Coons are extremely energetic beings, they require a lot of play time and they will need to run a lot more than you’d think.
Because of their sheer size they are prone to getting obese so you’ll need to help them avoid this by either getting them a lot of toys to play with and even walking them several times a day or by simply hiring someone to walk them on the daily.
Persian Cats on the other hand require very little activity to stay fit. While they can look chubby in pictures, that’s usually just their massive fur coats giving you that impression. In reality they don’t need to move much to stay fit, they are very active nonetheless and they are not that prone to being overweight to begin with.
We should also mention that both of these cats are very playful, but the Maine Coons are on a whole different level. Maine Coons can spend hours chasing after a butterfly, while the Persian cats will start the chase but give up a few minutes later.
Persian cats usually prefer to bask in the sun over running around aimlessly, so if you’re leaning more towards a Maine Coon then be sure to spend a lot of money on the toys because they will be using them.
Vocality
Maine Coons are extremely vocal creatures, they will scream at you every morning to feed them, they will demand your attention by purring very loudly and they will never stop gnawing at your feet if you have anything comestible in your hands.
On the other hand, Persian cats rarely ask for anything, they usually prefer to stay elegantly in place, waiting to be fed. They can still shout their brains out, but they usually prefer not to.
Territoriality
Neither are quite all that territorial to begin with. While the Persian cat is a lot easier to scare into attacking, the Maine Coon will almost never attack any other creature simply because they are too friendly to do so in the first place.
Despite being so large, they almost never pick a fight with anyone, so you can get either of them and not expect a brawl in your household.
Costs
Both are very expensive cat breeds, so you won’t be making it with your wallet intact from this purchase regardless. It all depends on which part you want to spend more on. Essentially, a Persian cat will be more expensive because they are considered to be more so show cats than Maine Coons. If you're looking for maine coon for sale there are many places you can find on our website as well.
On the other hand, a Maine Coon is a lot more expensive down the line because of all of the grooming, toys, pills and whatnot that you’ll need to horde over the years.
Conclusion
So, which of these two is the better pick for you? We honestly can’t say for sure. Take these words with a grain of salt however, as they are not always going to apply to every single Maine Coon or Persian cat out there.
Regardless of which one you choose, you will still be getting an amazing companion nonetheless, so you can’t go wrong with either of them.
