Behaviour and Health of Maine Coon Cats
Maine coon kittens are sought after particularly in America. You will want to know the important things about this lovely cat before sharing your life with him or her.
I have set out in clear bullet fashion for easy reading carefully researched information that you need to know before looking at maine coon kittens.
Cat Behaviour
Maine Coon
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- above average intelligence
- his behaviour is influenced by his background – “hard bohemian lifestyle”
- Kind and sociable with other animals
- playful
- good with their paws – they use these a lot to pick up things and eat with etc.
- make trill/meow when contented or startled or asking to play
- not “lap cats” generally
- some like to play with water
- for example, tipping the water bowl over
- dipping toys in water bowl
- can be dog-like in behaviour
- for example, playing “fetch” – they will do exactly as a dog does in this game
- accompany owners on chores
- “hang out” with their human companions
- big, gentle, good natured “goofs”
- people orientated but not overly dependent
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Now to health issues of Maine Coon kittens. The Maine Coon kittens that you acquire are going to be fairly closely related, and have many characteristics in common. This includes genetic strengths and weaknesses. Certain genetic health disordersmay be more or less of a problem in a particular breed than in other breeds. For example, a breed may have a slightly higher incidence of gum disease than the cat population as a whole, but have a lower incidence of heart disease or liver disease.
Genetic problems generally only affect a tiny minority of the breed as a whole, but since they can be eradicated by careful screening, most reputable breeders try to track such problems, both in their breeding stock and the kittens they produce. By working with a responsible breeder who will speak openly about health issues, you are encouraging sound breeding practices. The specific health issues regarding Maine Coon kittens are set out in this table:
Cat Health and Genetics
Maine Coon
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- In certain genetic lines of the Maine Coon cat population a mutation in a gene (there may be more than one gene that has mutated) has been shown to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
- HCM is a disease of the heart muscle where the heart muscle of the left ventricle thickens and becomes stiffer than normal
- A genetic test for HCM can be carried out
- HCM is not curable
- HCM can produce anything from a minor heart murmur to severe heart trouble.
- Another health issue is the possibility of night blindness affecting vision
- However, the most common inherited health problem is hip dysplasia, which can produce lameness in a severely affected cat
- Gum Disease is also more common in Maine Coons than in other breeds
- Any breeder you talk to should be willing to discuss whether they’ve had any problems with these diseases in their breeding stock, or in kittens they’ve produced; how much screening they’re doing, and why.
- Healthy Maine Coon Cats should live for 12-14 years up to 20 years old.
- Maine Coons are very hearty animals and are generally quite healthy and resilient animals.
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Sources:
- the photograph is by Helmi Flick
- Wikipedia
- Yahoo Answers
- Breeders
- Own knowledge
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