31.05.2022
Is bigger better? Maine Coon size questions answered!
Maine Coons are big cats. Even compared to other large cat breedsâsuch as Bengals, Norwegian Forest cats, Ragdolls, or Siberiansâadult Maine Coons can appear larger than life. Other breedsâSiamese, Sphynx, or British Shorthairsâcan seem tiny in comparison.
Many factors can influence the size your Maine Coon will reach, including genes, diet, and amount of exercise.
The most important questions are whether you can cope with such a large cat and when you should take steps to limit your Maine Coonâs sideways spread.
Want the big picture on Maine Coon size? Read on and get all the info you need!
Maine Coon cat size by ageâwhat you should expect
While most cat breeds are fully grown by between 12 and 18 months, Maine Coons can continue to mature up to the age of 4 years.
Most of the growth after 18 months consists of building muscle mass, and your Maine Coonâs energy requirements will continue to be high.
Approximately, Maine Coons should reach the following weight milestones as they grow up:
Age |
Male kitten weight |
Female kitten weight |
Birth |
90â170 g |
90â150 g |
1 week |
190â290 g |
160 to 260 g |
2 weeks |
290â430 g |
280â410 g |
3 weeks |
430â600 g |
410â550 g |
1 month |
620â820 g |
550â740 g |
2 months |
1.1â1.6 kg |
1â1.4 kg |
3 months |
1.7â2.4 kg |
1.5â2.3 kg |
4 months |
2.9â3.8 kg |
2.5â3.5 kg |
5 months |
3.3â5.5 kg |
2.7â4.2 kg |
6 months |
3.4â6 kg |
3.1â4.3 kg |
7 months |
4.1â6.5 kg |
3.3â4.6 kg |
8 months |
4.4â6.9 kg |
3.7â5 kg |
9 months |
5â7 kg |
4.1â5.2 kg |
10 months |
5.1â7.8 kg |
4â5.5 kg |
11 months |
5.5â8 kg |
4.3â6 kg |
12 months |
5.8â9 kg |
4.5â6.5 kg |
Every cat is an individual, though, and Maine Coons are known for going through growth spurts.
If your cat doesnât hit all of the milestones, there is no cause for alarm, as long as you donât notice any signs of:
âWhaddya mean, my headâs too big? Just waitâŠâ
Source: thabisfotowelt
Maine Coon kitten sizeâhow much food do they need?
Growing up, Maine Coon kittens need vast amounts of energy.
Maine Coons need between 50 and 75 calories per kilogram of body weight to feed their growth and maintain health, so the typical calorie chart looks like this:
Kitten weight (in kg) |
Minimum calorie intake |
Maximum calorie intake |
0.5 |
24 kcal |
35 kcal |
0.9 |
48 kcal |
70 kcal |
1.4 |
72 kcal |
105 kcal |
1.8 |
96 kcal |
140 kcal |
2.3 |
120 kcal |
175 kcal |
2.7 |
144 kcal |
210 kcal |
3.2 |
168 kcal |
245 kcal |
3.6 |
192 kcal |
280 kcal |
4.1 |
216 kcal |
315 kcal |
4.5 |
240 kcal |
350 kcal |
5.0 |
264 kcal |
385 kcal |
5.4 |
288 kcal |
420 kcal |
5.9 |
312 kcal |
455 kcal |
6.4 |
336 kcal |
490 kcal |
In truth, you should never stop feeding a kitten, even if they have already reached their maximum daily calorie intake.
If youâre getting screamed at and headbutted or clawed, donât hesitate to refill the food bowlâletting your kitten go hungry isnât healthy and doesnât help anybody.
âIf I can get up here, I havenât got a weight problem, k?â
Source: Pixabay
Is the average Maine Coon size a health risk?
Maine Coons are designed to be large and muscular. Their size only becomes a problem when it doesnât stop increasing.
Among the most common health issues in Maine Coons, two stand out as being directly related to the size of a cat, namely:
- Hip dysplasia
- Obesity
Hip dysplasia
Although most cases of hip dysplasia are linked to a Maine Coonâs DNA, the problem can be made significantly worse by lifestyle or diet choices that can affect the hip joint.
Hip dysplasia refers to the malformation of the ball-and-socket hip joint in both cats and dogs. The socket can become flattened or ineffective by:
- Too much calcium being deposited during a kittenâs growth
- An excess of vitamin A in a kittenâs diet, which leads to skeletal malformations
- The joint being eroded by having to carry too much weight
- Joint damage due to reduced bone density in older cats
- Cartilage erosion in later life leading to the joint bones rubbing together without cushioning
Hip dysplasia causes both acute and chronic pain and can render a Maine Coon immobile if left untreated.
Obesity
Maine Coons are usually fairly active, enjoying the outdoor life and robust games with their human families and other pets. These activities demand energy, and highly energetic Maine Coons will have a voracious appetite. Too much food can wreck the delicate balance between activity and energy requirements, though.
If your Maine Coon reaches a point where itâs time to slow down and live a more relaxed life, eating the same amount as before can rapidly lead to your feline ballooning. Long-term weight gain leads to obesity, which can bring numerous knock-on health issues, including:
- Pancreatitis and diabetes
- Digestive issues, such as diarrhoea, food sensitivity, and problems with nutrient absorption
- Heart weaknessâparticularly as Maine Coons are susceptible to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Managing your Maine Coonâs weight is an absolute priority after they have reached full size.
âDonât you DARE say âdietâ in my presence!â
Source: Pixabay
How can you keep Maine Coon weight under control?
The easiest way to keep your Maine Coon at the correct size is to pay careful attention to their diet.
As an active outdoor cat, your Maine Coon will probably hunt and catch prey in your garden. This means they may regularly eat:
- Mice or small rodents (alive or already dead)
- BirdsÂ
- Snails, slugs, or frogs
- Insects, like moths or grasshoppers
- The contents of rubbish bins
- Grass, garden refuse, or plants
These are all part of a catâs natural diet, based on the fact that cats are obligate carnivores.
This should give you an indication of what healthy nutrition for your Maine Coon should consist of. Your Maine Coon needs to eat:
- Animal protein
- Animal fat
Animal protein
Animal proteinâas only contained in meat or fishâis made up of amino acids, such as taurine or arginine, essential to help your feline:
- Gain energy
- Build muscle
- Maintain healthy skin and coat
- Keep organs functioning efficiently
While some Maine Coon parents may favour a vegetarian or vegan diet, the truth is that cats cannot get the nutrients they need from plant protein sources.
You can verify this by looking at the biological values (BVs) of various protein sourcesâthe BV being a measure of the efficiency with which cats can metabolise the amino acids they need:
Protein type |
BV |
Animal protein: |
88%â98% |
Vegetable protein: |
45%â68% |
Even the worst animal protein source scores considerably higher than soya, the highest-scoring plant protein.
Animal fat
Animal fat delivers the essential fatty acids your Maine Coon needs to maintain cell structural integrity. As a bonus, it tastes irresistible to all cats.
Any food that contains a good proportion of animal fat should be wolfed down, which is important as the healthiest food in the world is useless if left uneaten.
What food your Maine Coon should avoid
Foods to avoid are ones containing:
- CarbohydratesâCarbs provide fast-release energy but are quickly stored as fatty cells if left unused. They can also cause lethargy as cats experience a crash after the initial sugar rush, as well as lead to type 2 diabetes
- Undefined meat sourcesâAny product that advertises âmeat (minimum 4% xxx flavour variant)â as its first ingredient is being deliberately cagey about exactly what has gone into the food. This can expose your cat to food allergies, tummy upsets, and refusal to eat food if the formula changes
- Artificial additives, flavour enhancers, or colourantsâAnything that needs to be added to cat food to make it complete and balanced indicates that the basic formula is insufficient for your Maine Coon. Artificial additives can also cause allergic reactions and digestive problems
To stay a healthy size, your Maine Coon needs a high-protein diet made up of the best ingredients. Whatever your choice of foodâwet, dry, raw, semi-moist, or homemadeâyou should look for the following values:
Nutrient group |
Ideal percentage |
Animal protein |
At least 50% |
Animal fat |
Up to 20% |
Carbs |
Less than 3% |
Keep your Maine Coon lean and mean (ok, friendly) with Untamed!
Image (c) UntamedÂ
Untamed helps you manage the weight of a Maine Coon cat
Untamed is the perfect way to make sure your Maine Coon stays the size that nature intended!
Thanks to the highest-quality ingredients and a phenomenal taste, your Maine Coon will love getting stuck into our delicious recipes and feel the health benefits in no time.
Untamed tinsâwhether your Maine Coon plumps for Chocka Chicken, Tuck-in Tuna, Full-on Fishy, or any of our other productsâstand out with their:
- High levels of meat or fishâUntamed contains twice the amount of animal protein than you normally get in commercial cat food, meaning that your Maine Coon gets all the energy and healthy amino acids combined with a taste to go wild for
- Vet-approved formulasâEach recipe has been honed by our vets to offer the best hypoallergenic food your cat can get. Your Maine Coon will benefit from reduced shedding and need for grooming, improved urinary tract health, stronger muscles, and a better-functioning digestive system
- Untamed is good for the environment, too! We want our planet to stay as healthy as your cat, so we are committed to:
- Sustainable, cruelty-free, and ethical suppliers
- 100% recyclable packaging
- A carbon-neutral supply chain
With all this goodness on offer, you need to try Untamed today!
Get Untamed and stop your fully grown Maine Coon from growing any more!
The road to a slim, healthy, and energetic Maine Coon couldnât be easier. All you have to do to get Untamed cat food delivered to your door is:
- Tell us about your Maine Coon
- Select the recipes you think your cat will love
- Order your first trial pack
Your cat food trial pack will arrive within a day, and you can expect monthly deliveries if your cat loves our products (and weâre sure they will!). Our job is to keep you stocked up so that the cupboard is never bare.
If your Maine Coon could talk, they would echo what our other happy Untamed cats sayâthe Untamed effect should be:
Timeline |
What Untamed can do |
After a week |
|
In 2 months |
|
After 4 months |
|
For life |
|