Growth and Development

of Maine Coon Kittens

Maine Coons are lauded as the largest domestic breed, and this can be misleading to the uninformed. They aren't much bigger at birth than other breeds, but sometimes their baby fluff and the long tail make them look larger in the first couple of weeks if compared to another breed kitten of the same age.

By the time your kitten comes to live with you, between 3-4 months, it should weigh anywhere from 2.5 to 6 pounds. A small girl may weigh as little as 2 pounds at 3 months. Between 3 and 12 months the average weight gain is estimated around 1 pound per month, and this can be spread out over fits and starts, where they gain 1/4 pound one month and 2.5 the next. They start to level out somewhere between 9-14 months; though still growing the maturation process slows and they fill out more subtly until the age of 4 or 5 years. There is no guarantee your kitten will end up being 20 pounds or more. If many related cats tend to grow to this size, chances are good yours will, but there's always a sneaky gene that can show up in this one kitten that will leave it to only grow to maybe 14 or 16 pounds - now have a friend drop a bowling ball on your lap a few times, preferably when your bladder is full, and tell me that's not much weight! As for the stories about the 30 pound cats, those are mostly myth and exaggeration. I've never met a Maine Coon over 22 pounds that was a trim, healthy weight, and that is sincerely the exception rather than the rule! A healthy 16 pound boy with a full fluffy coat in prime condition will "look" to be a solid 20 pounds. You'd be surprised if you put them on a scale!

Some people are confused about the coat as well, as many Maine Coon cats seen in the show hall appear to have a mostly short coat, with some length and fluff around the belly and britches, and may have no noticeable ruff. These will generally be your younger adults and seen in Championship, which are cats that have not been altered. Some Maine Coons will never grow a full and luxurious coat until they have been either spayed or neutered. MC's may also vary on when they grow their "seasonal" coat, often known as full coat. Logic would suggest they be in full coat over the colder winter months, but this is not always the case. Some cats look like a domestic short hair with excess belly fur all winter and grow a long lustrous coat in May, while others are mostly bald until November when they look like they're ready to face the arctic!

At what age your kitten starts to grow it's shaggy coat can vary greatly. Some kittens develop coat almost immediately and look like miniature MC adults at 3 or 4 months, while others will start getting britches and belly fur around 6 months and a ruff will start to fill in as late as 1 year, provided the kitten has been altered before 8 months of age.

Do not be concerned if your cat doesn't look like a Maine Coon all at once :-) The variations of growth patterns are as varied as they are among different families of humans. No, not all MC's will look the same, but the classic shaggy coat, square muzzle and big expressive eyes will all come together eventually, and whether you end up with a 10 pound or a 22 pound adult, the cat will be your loving and ever-present companion! You may be initially attracted to the Maine Coon for their rugged good looks, but you'll fall in love with the personality.

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