Your Maine Coon kitten

Things you'll need and things you'll need to do

INTRO

Whether this is your first kitten, or perhaps the first young one in quite a while you've invited to live in your home, you'll need instructions or reminders! If you've had other cats, and this is your first Maine Coon, there are some differences about this breed that will be helpful to know.

THE FIRST DAYS

Changing homes is a big deal for your new baby, so you don't want to overwhelm him with too much all at once. It is best to bring him into the house and keep him in a smaller space with some food, water and a litter pan and some toys for a few days while he adjusts to new smells and to you. Let other household members or friends come meet him one or two at a time over the next couple of weeks. Play with him and pet him and make him feel secure. DO NOT pull him out and show him off to a whole lot of strangers right away or you may end up with an insecure skittish kitty! If he wants to hide under furniture for a day or two, you must let him. Take a teaser toy or piece of string and cajole him into playing with you to get him to come out. Spend time in his room alone with him - he'll soon come to see you as his companion and, if he is not forced, he will come to depend on you and trust you.

The worst thing you can do is take a kitten out of his accustomed environment, put him in a new place with all new smells and stuff and people and within a day or two expose him to a whole slew of strangers - a combination sure to bring on great stress and compromise his immune system, virtually guaranteeing he'd get sick.

Frankly, I've never had anyone report that my kittens had a difficult time adjusting - new owners more often call with great surprise that the kitty ended up on their lap within 15 minutes of opening the carrier door! This of course only after they've sniffed every corner of the room, as cats are great explorers by nature. Some may hide for a day or two but quickly their curiosity and their need for companionship overcomes their shyness.  They seem to bond pretty quickly with their new family, even when adopted at 6, 8, 10 months or older.

Some kittens are more shy than others.  I've had kittens who were skittish and shy in the same litter with kittens who would walk right on a person's head the minute a stranger comes through the door - who knows where this aspect of temperament comes from?

Your new baby just needs to learn that this is a safe place.  Don't put too much pressure on the kitten.  They usually will come out from under the furniture within a day or two because being social cats by nature, they want your companionship.  Let the kitten learn that it is safe and you'll be rewarded with maybe more attention than you expected.

THE MAINE COON

The Maine Coon is the largest domestic purebred cat. It is a natural breed, meaning it evolved from cats found naturally, rather than being a cross between two established breeds. They were "designed" to endure the rigors of the northeastern winter, with thick shaggy coats for warmth, tufted paws that act like snowshoes, and hair that grows in long wisps over the ear opening to act like a baffle to winter winds.

INDOORS ONLY!

This does not mean however that you should ever let your cat out of doors! Many people are under the misimpression that a Maine Coon cannot be happy living strictly inside, and that is utterly untrue. The purebred pampered kitty you're taking home may share all the physical attributes of their wild cousins, but he was bred and raised in the house, not the barn! Our modern world is not friendly to cats that wander freely out of doors; there are vehicles, wild and sometimes rabid or vicious animals, human neighbors that can be hateful and abusive. You may say, "where I live, there isn't much traffic", but it only takes one vehicle - and these cats have no experience with protecting themselves. Whether you've adopted a stray from a shelter or are laying out the money for a pedigreed animal, the only safe and humane life for them is strictly inside the safety of your home!

CAT TREE

To give your Maine Coon kitten plenty of exercise as well as a place to scratch and stretch you'll want to buy them a cat tree. (see Notes on Declawing on how to train) I recommend getting one from a local cat show, as the ones you find in the pet retail stores are of a lesser quality, and a Maine Coon can destroy one of those in a short time! Private dealers are also happy to custom make your tree to match your decor, at no extra charge.

When you bring the tree into the house, the cat will automatically know it belongs to them. You'll want to find one with sisal or tight carpet or a rough natural bark for scratching that extends 3-4' from the ground, so when your Maine Coon reaches adult size he can stretch full length and flex his claws.

PLAY TIME

Another important element in exercising your kitten is playtime with you, the adopted "parent". Maine Coons are very playful and remain kitten-like in this aspect for many years. My kits personal favorite is a wand with a mouse, a fuzzy toy or pretty much anything on the end that I'll carry around and wave for them to chase and jump at. Heck, they're happy to chase just the string, so don't throw out those wand toys after the toy gets chewed off! (Mind you, any toys with string are for supervised play only.) Try to reserve some time each day for playing with your kitten; it will be relaxing and enjoyable for both of you, and it will strengthen the bond between you as well.
 

They will also appreciate some toys to bat around while you're busy working to support them. Look for toys that have no string-like pieces that can be pulled or chewed off - long thin strips of ANYTHING can get wrapped in a cat's intestine and cause severe illness or death. I recommend little rabbit fur mice (the natural suede tail will get eaten, but the cat's system is designed to digest this material!) plastic bat balls, sturdily sewn toys or tightly woven yarn toys. I buy them in bulk, and sometimes find time and space to make some toys myself, so you can buy from me if you'd like! Toys you can buy online for Cats and Dogs :-)

Of course bottle caps are always a favorite and readily available.

LITTER BOX

You will of course also need a litter box. While the kitten is younger an average size is acceptable, but the big boys need an extra large pan! Some MC people use the large under-bed storage boxes you buy at Wal-Mart. I personally prefer a hooded box, to contain the mad scratching of some of my kitties.

As for litter, I prefer using wood pellets or the newer "crystals" or "pearls" . The white crystaline stuff is fantastic at containing odors, and it's the only thing I use in my stud boys' room (their urine has a stronger odor than, well, anything!) I like using regular wood stove pellets for the other boxes throughout the house, and in summer I'll add a dash of the crystals to keep the moisture down. The wood type does tend to track pretty badly, but the price is unbeatable, and I do find the hard wood pellets (for wood stove use) doesn't track as badly as the pine pellets used specifically for cat litter.

Avoid clay based litters, as the dust from these can cause respiratory problems for your cats and for you.

FOOD AND WATER

Your kitty requires fresh water available at all times. I highly recommend a decorative fountain with a pump that constantly circulates - I bought one for myself and it quickly became the cats' favorite drinking spot! If you want to stick with a bowl, get one in metal or ceramic, which is easier to clean, and wash it and change the water once or twice a day. The Drinkwell Fountain is also a nice option and comes with a reservoir for less refill frequency. If you use any type of fountain with a motor, be sure you monitor the water level so the fountain doesn't burn out.

A word of warning about Maine Coons and water - they like to play with it! You may find a "dead" toy floating in their bowl one day, or occasionally sit on the toilet seat to find it covered with water from kitties fishing in there! They may also like to roll around in the tub or sink after you used them and they'll be fascinated with any process involving the faucets in your house.

To keep them in tip-top condition you'll want to feed your cat a premium dry cat food. Iams is readily available in grocery stores now, and I can also recommend Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Science Diet, or Nutro-Max. The difference between these premium foods and your basic grocery store brand is the ingredients: If you read the package and the first ingredient listed is Corn, don't buy it! Cats are naturally carnivores and their diet should include primarily protein and a large amount of natural fat, and a minimum of carbohydrates. The extra money you'll pay for the food will make itself up in healthier cats (meaning less vet bills), and smaller litter box deposits, meaning less litter to buy! Also to keep your cats health at its peak, feed them canned food at least three times weekly. There are nutrients found in canned food that help the cats digestive and elimination systems, that cannot be produced in a dry food.

KITTEN PROOFING THE HOUSE!

First rule: keep nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, on any surface that is breakable and valued. There is no surface they can't reach! As your Maine Coon grows it will get too big to jump terribly high, but they remain agile and playful for many years.
Watch your trashcans. The bathroom trashcan is a particular favorite, but any can that is low and tippable will get their attention. Dangerous items that will be mistaken as "toys" should be disposed of in a covered or contained trash receptacle. There are other items you may not think of that must be kept out of reach, in a drawer or cabinet.

The following items are absolute No-No's!

Dental Floss
String, threads, ribbon, etc
Twisty ties
Q-tips
Food scraps, particularly bones
Cigarette butts
Plastic wrapping
Plastic bags
Any bag with a handle (cat may get caught in the handle and run around blind, resulting in dangerous accidents)
Small metal or hard plastic objects, particularly those with
sharp edges
All Sewing supplies (I have one cat who is fascinated with pins
and needles - even tacks on a bulletin board - she'll pull
them out with her teeth and carry them around!)
Any and all chemicals
Gardening supplies

Other things to be aware of around the house are:
Fringe on rugs, furniture or lamps - may be irresistible to kitties, and if they swallow one, it can wrap up in their intestine. I have fringed rugs, which they don't seem to bother, but anything hanging will be toooo tempting!
Hanging threads
Electrical cords
Electrical outlets (don't place litter boxes or water bowls too closely to them)

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