Maine Coon Personality

Maine Coon. Photo by Helmi Flick.

Intro 

You have to be realistic and sensible when discussing Maine Coon Personality or the personality of any cat breed. All domestic cats have similar personalities, whether they are mixed breed cats, feral cats or purebred cats. Wild cats including early generation wild cat hybrids have different personalities but even then the underlying desires and motivators are the same so most of the character is the same too. All humans have similar personalities, why should cats be different? In humans you get some fairly slight variations from country to country but the variations from individual person to individual person is greater, much greater. The same applies to cats and cat breeds.

Clowns? 

All that said, Maine Coon cats have noticeably nice personalities. People who keep Maine Coon cats say that they act like clowns. They may act more foolishly than other domestic cats but I doubt it. All domestic cats do things that are charming to us but seem a little silly sometimes. We find this amusing and it is a major reason why we like living with a domestic cat. 

Meow? 

A meow is not quite part of the Maine Coon Personality but a trait nonetheless. The Maine Coon has a distinctive voice, more a chirp than your standard meow. They are fairly quiet cats and the cats I have seen at cat shows (the best ones, perhaps) are very laid back, well behaved and quiet.

Smart? 

Some breeders say they are intelligent. Once again I think a bit of caution is required when talking about cat intelligence. To differentiate in intelligence from breed to breed seems almost impossible. Some cats are less active perhaps because they are more naturally anxious. This may give the impression that they are less intelligent. This applies to the Persian cat for instance. At the opposite end of the spectrum the Sphynx and the skinny cats (e.g. Oriental Shorthair) are more active and considered intelligent. I can confirm that the Sphynx cat acts intelligently and is active. Higher levels of activity can be seen in the wild cat hybrids too (e.g. Bengal cat). These cats may have brains that are perhaps used more (more stimulation) which makes them seem more intelligent. A survey found that the Maine Coon was mid range in intelligence for what it is worth

Water babies? 

Unlike many domestic cats the Maine Coon likes to play with water. This may be a throwback to the semi wild barn Maine Coon cats of the 19th Century, who know? Feral and wild cats will like water because it is a source of food and drink. While most domestic cats don't have the same need to depend on natural resources to survive. 

Laid back? 

The Maine Coon Cat Club says that this cat breed is affectionate and doesn't mind being loved by any member of the household. I think this a well balanced cat and quite laid back provided she/he is well socialized as part of the breeding process. 

Combo 

I think that the attraction to the Maine Coon (and this is a very popular cat - the second most popular currently based on the Pictures-of-cats.org popularity poll after the Siamese) is the combination of characteristics meaning the Maine Coon Personality plus the fantastic looks and that ever so touchable tail and fur. Maine Coon Personality to Maine Coon Cats