12 Facts About Maine Coons

Thanks to their sizeable bodies and sociable natures, Maine Coons are known as the “gentle giants” of cats. Here are 12 facts about one of the world’s largest domesticated felines.

1. Maine Coons are massive animals.

There’s a reason why some people have mistaken pet Maine Coons for bobcats—they’re huge. Maine Coons tip the scales at anywhere from 9 to 16 pounds (female) and 13 to 18 pounds (male). Some people like to say Maine Coons are the biggest cat breed, but they actually fall somewhere between Norwegian Forest Cats, which weigh up to 16 pounds, and Ragdolls, which can weigh up to 20 pounds.

2. Maine Coons have colorful origin stories.

As their name suggests, Maine Coon cats are native to the Pine Tree State. Thanks to their brown coats and bushy tails, one popular (but scientifically unsound) explanation for the breed's origin is that it resulted from semi-wild domesticated cats mating with raccoons. Another theory is that Maine Coons are descendants of six pet cats that Queen Marie Antoinette shipped to Wiscasset, Maine, as she was planning her escape from France during the French Revolution.

A less intriguing—but more plausible—story is that the furry kitties originated from short-haired domestic cats breeding with longhaired cats, which may have been brought to America by the Vikings or European sailors who docked in New England during the 1700s. Since genetic testing indicates that Maine Coons are actually a descendent of both the Norwegian Forest Cat and a mysterious extinct domestic breed, the Vikings are likely responsible.

3. Maine Coons are "dressed" for winter.

Maine Coons evolved to survive harsh winters by developing characteristics like large, tufted paws that serve as built-in “snowshoes” and a thick, bushy tail they can wrap around their bodies when they're cold.

Their crowning feature is a dense, water-repellant coat that’s longer on the stomach, ruff, and flanks. These shaggy sections keep a Maine Coon’s lower body warm when it sits on or walks across ice or snow. The fur grows shorter on the shoulders, allowing the kitties to romp through the woods without getting snared by tree branches or bushes.

4. Not all Maine Coon cats are brown.

Maine Coons are often thought to be synonymous with their brown, raccoon-like coats. They actually come in all kinds of colors and patterns, including smoke, cream, cameo, mackerel, and tortoiseshell. But Maine Coon owners don't breed cats with lilac, chocolate, or Seal Point Siamese coloring—the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) disqualifies against these colors, since they indicate hybridization [PDF].

5. Maine Coons won America's first popular juried cat exhibit.

One of America’s first well-known cat shows was held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden in 1895. There, a brown tabby Maine Coon cat named Cosie won the event’s “Best Cat” award. Today, the silver collar and medal Cosey won at the event are on display at the CFA headquarters in Alliance, Ohio.

For a long time after, Maine Coons were the country’s most coveted breed until Persian cats came into vogue. After that, cat fanciers stopped breeding the prize-winning Maine Coon. The cat became so scarce that some sources say it was thought to be extinct in the 1950s. Aficionados joined forces to rescue the fluffy feline from obscurity, forming the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association in 1968. In 1976, Maine Coons were accepted for championship status by the CFA.

6. Maine coons are popular in Maine—and everywhere else.

The Maine Coon was made the official state cat of Maine in 1985—but they're also beloved by cat lovers across America. In 2021, Maine Coons were the second most popular breed in the U.S., according to CFA registration statistics. They're also prized in Japan and Europe.

7. A Maine Coon starred in the Harry Potter movies.

A female Maine Coon named Pebbles was one of three kitties to play Argus Filch’s pet feline, Mrs. Norris, in the Harry Potter films. Pebbles was a neutered mama cat that animal trainers "discovered" in a cattery in southwest England. She reportedly wasn’t as responsive to complex training as the film's other cat actors, but she was great at walking across the set and stopping on command. Remember those shots of Mrs. Norris pacing the halls of Hogwarts? That’s Pebbles.

8. A Maine Coon was cloned commercially.

In 2004, a Maine Coon named Little Nicky became the first pet animal to be cloned commercially. After Little Nicky died at the age of 17, his Dallas-area owner, Julie (who declined to give her full name to media outlets), saved his tissue in a gene bank. She paid $50,000 to have the California-based Genetic Savings & Clone, Inc.—a controversial company dedicated to dog and cat cloning—transplant Little Nicky's DNA into an egg cell. A surrogate mother cat carried the embryo, and gave birth to a kitten that was similar in appearance and temperament to Julie's prized kitty.

According to newspaper interviews, Julie was a happy customer. However, she won't be commissioning a Little Nicky III anytime soon. Genetic Savings & Clone, Inc.—which made global headlines for producing the first cloned cat, CC, in 2001—closed in 2006, reportedly for financial reasons.

9. A Maine Coon is the world's longest domestic cat ...

In 2018, a Maine Coon named Barivel was crowned the world’s longest domestic living cat. He measures an impressive 47.3 inches long.

He’s not the first of his breed to hold such a record. Stewie, an 8-year-old Maine Coon, held the Guinness World Record for world's longest domestic cat before his death from cancer in 2013. When fully stretched out, Stewie measured 48.5 inches from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail bone.

10. ... and was the world's oldest cat.

Technically, Corduroy—the feline who once helds the Guinness World Record for world's oldest living cat—was only half-Maine Coon. However, Corduroy's 27-year lifespan put his purebred counterparts to shame.

11. Maine Coons love water.

Maybe it's due to their dense, moisture-repellant coats, but for some reason, most Maine Coons love water. While other cats will steer clear of a full bathtub, a Maine Coon will likely jump into it.

12. Some Maine Coons have six toes.

Move over, Hemingway’s cats—Maine Coons sometimes also have six toes [PDF]. Early in the breed’s development, Maine Coons were often polydactyls, meaning they were born with extra appendages on their paws. Some experts estimate that as many as 40 percent of early Maine Coons had this characteristic. It stemmed from a genetic mutation, which some people say helped the cats use their paws as “natural snowshoes” during snowy Maine winters.

Thanks to the rise of cat fanciers' associations, which disqualified polydactyls from competing in the purebred class, the trait was eventually viewed as undesirable. Owners ceased breeding polydactyl Maine Coons, and 6-toed kitties gradually declined in number. However, some non-purebred litters still yield Maine Coons with extra digits.

A version of this story originally ran in 2016; it has been updated for 2022.