Maine Coon Growth Chart – What To Know So Maine Coon Could Grow

If you’re looking for a Maine Coon growth chart, you probably have a Maine Coon kitten that you need to take care of. Don’t worry; we got you. We prepared everything you need to know about your Maine Coon developmental stages so you can understand how to take proper care of it. Before we start, let us inform you a little about these magnificent gentle giants.

When comparing Maine Coons with Norwegian Forest cats or Ragdolls, we can see that these big cats are actually much bigger than them; it is no surprise that Maine Coons are the second-largest domestic cat breed.

Maine Coons are known for being very sociable and gracious. They love playtime, and they have extreme intelligence. That means you’ll need to teach them some tricks, but it will be easy since they are willing to do that. However, these cats need a lot of your attention in order to thrive. As they are very sociable, being with other pets and children won’t be a problem for them.

Even though they are of large size and one of the biggest cats, a cat owner must keep track of the Maine Coon growth and weight, and it is easier when you have a Maine Coon growth chart. We will cover the Maine Coon growth stages, and you’ll learn what cat food you need to feed your kitten in order to help her grow healthy.

Maine Coon Growth Chart

So, how big will your Maine Coon get?

Let’s look at the Maine Coon weight chart for the average Maine Coon kitten, both male, and female, up until twelve months of age, and you can use this as a weight calculator.

In this size chart, you can find a male vs female weight comparison:

Maine Coon Growth Stages

Now, let’s take a quick look at the growth stages of kittens from birth to adulthood so that you can better understand what to expect from your Maine Coon kitten.

Neonatal

Birth to two weeks

During this period, your little Maine Coon should have eyes open and walking by the end of the two weeks. This period is crucial since they need to be fed only milk, stimulated by the mother. This period is also of minimal social interaction.

The kitten is not able to groom herself or regulate body temperature. You need to provide high-quality kitten formula, which you can find on Amazon. When you take the kitten into your hands, please be gentle and provide a safe and warm environment.

Early Socialization

Three to eight weeks

Maine Coon should begin to eat solid food during this period while gradually ending milk consumption. This is a sensitive period for social learning, and you need to play with your kitten in order to learn many social skills.

Also, a kitten will develop bowel and bladder function control, so the litter box is starting to be used. This s a fun period since you can learn your kitten for object play. They’re starting to run and climb, and they have the ability to complex learning. You can also notice predatory and scratching behavior.

During this period, you can also expect that the baby teeth will start to grow, and the eye color will change. From now on, a kitten can regulate her body temperature, and she starts to groom herself.

You are expected to provide fresh water on a daily basis and high-quality kitten food. During this period, your Maine Coon should be introduced to a variety of people, including children, women, and men.

Also, expose your kitten to other cat breeds and animals while being supervised. All this will help your kitten overcome a fear of different people and animals and be well-socialized. If your kitten behaves well in those situations and is friendly, you should give her a treat.

Make sure that the litter box your kitten is using has low sides to ensure easy access, and bear in mind that unscented litter is always better. You should also make sure that the kitten has a lot of toys and that you’re exposing her to new things and places. Make her carrier a cozy and loving space.

When it comes to grooming, this is the time when you need to begin tooth brushing. You can check here for the 7 best cat toothpastes. You also need to examine nails, ears, and teeth, use grooming tools, and provide scratching posts.

RELATED: 12 Best Cat Litter Boxes For A Small Apartment

Late Socialization

Nine to sixteen weeks

From nine to sixteenth week, your cat is now eating solid food, learning more social skills, and playing peaks. You can notice social conflict over status. A kitten is now exploring the environment around her, continues to climb, and is losing baby teeth.

You should continue with social education now, you may need to get a larger litter box, and you can get a cat tree as they love to climb.

RELATED: Best Priced Cat Tree With Free Shipping

Adolescence

Seventeen weeks to one year

When your Maine Coon reaches nine months, the growth will slow down. However, Maine Coons grow longer than other cat breeds, and in the first year, you can expect their full size and biggest weight gain.

During this period, cats reach sexual maturity, and in this period, they need to be spayed or neutered. You can notice that social play is smaller than before. In this period, kittens can be subordinate to larger cats, but they can fight for status.

If the cat is not spayed or neutered, spraying can occur. If your cat is allowed outdoor, the cat may wander and not return for longer periods.

During this period, you should start to give your cat high-quality adult food, that is, at six to eight months of age. You can try food toys and food puzzles in order to help her develop better cognitive skills. You should also consider getting a microchip if your Maine Coon cat wanders away or someone steals her.

Bear in mind that female cats can have unwanted kittens if they are not spayed.

Adult

One to six years

During this period, the metabolic rate of the cat slows. If you don’t monitor exercise and diet, a cat can gain weight. Maturity is expected at about 2 to 3 years old, and social play decreases, but it can be continued if you give your cat a proper playmate.

During this time, you should revise the cat's food intake and body condition every 3 to 4 months, trying to encourage your cat to be active. Still, actively reward excellent and friendly behavior. You should also make sure to change toys, so she is not bored and replace essentials like beds and litter boxes.

Annual examinations are a must. Your Maine Coon should get all the vaccines needed. You should watch for weight since obesity can cause many health issues such as liver disease, diabetes, etc. By watching over your Maine Coon weight, you can prevent many health problems.

Make sure that you groom your cat and be prepared. If you have a long-haired Maine Coon, you’ll need to groom more than a short-haired cat.

Adulthood

Seven years and older

And finally, during this period, you can expect your Maine Coon changes appetite habits, and the activity and social interaction may decrease. If your Maine Coon changes appetite, you can check the 9 best tasting cat foods for picky eaters.

In order to take proper care of your cat, you need to monitor the food and water intake and consult with a vet if drastic changes in your cat’s behavior occur. Social interaction is still required.

You should be aware that health problems increase with age, so you need to watch for them.

How To Make A Maine Coon Grow Healthy And Large?

We’ve learned that the Maine Coon growth chart will help you monitor the developmental stages of your cat, but how to make a Maine Coon grow big and healthy?

Let’s begin by saying that you can little affect your Maine Coon cat's growth. No matter how much you want your Maine Coon to be a large cat, there is a 50% 50% chance that they will grow big or won’t.

But, if you want to find out and seize everything you can to have a large cat, let’s see what we can do about it. Gender, parent size, purebred or mixed cat, and genetics are factors that are important for your Maine Coon growth. Now we will see each one in depth.

Gender

Why does gender matter? Let’s put it this way. Even though some female Maine Coons can grow into very large cats, mostly the male Maine Coons will take that part in being larger in size since they have a higher average weight than female Maine Coons.

Parent Size

If you’re buying a Maine Coon kitten, you need to take a look at their bloodline. It is not so specific, but there is a possibility that your kitten’s parents will affect the size of your cat. If they are pretty large, there is a chance that the kitten you’re buying will also be larger in size.

Mixed Or Purebred

When you want to buy a Maine Coon, you should be able to choose between mixed or purebred Maine Coon.

Remember that purebreds of top quality are more expensive, and they have more chances to sport the large size of the Maine Coon breed along with lynx-like tips and friendly disposition.

However, a mixed Maine Coon will sport a few of the Maine Coon traits. Many people buy a mixed Maine Coon and later, frustrated that their Maine Coon didn’t fill their expectations. The reason for that is that their genetics is mixed with other cat breeds, which leads to depending on which cat breed the kitten will look up to.

To put it into perspective, while Maine Coon weighs around 20 pounds, a normal cat weight is approximately 10 pounds. So the mixed Maine Coon may weigh approximately 11 to 13 pounds.

Ancestry

A Maine Coons size also depends on ancestry. If you want to know everything about it, genetic testing is needed. That way, you can see if your Maine Coon kitten will grow into a large cat.

Factors That Affect Your Maine Coon Size

Even though it is primarily up to genetics, gender, and parents’ size, it can depend a bit on the factors such as breeder, neutering, and diet.

Let’s see each one of the factors.

Breeder

The Maine Coon growth chart we’ve listed above is the size chart of the average Maine Coon. However, that can depend on the breeder you choose to take the Maine coon kitten from.

With many breeders, you can find Maine Coons that are not purebred, but the breeder says that there are. As we mentioned earlier, the mixed Maine Coon will not grow as much as the purebred Maine Coon will.

That leads to your Maine Coon kitten not growing as you would like them to grow. That’s why you need to pay attention to your kitten when you first see her. You can notice the difference, but sometimes the look of the mixed Maine Coon can deceive you into thinking that it is purebred.

In order to get a purebred kitten, you need to find a respected and reputable breeder that will gladly show you the medical history of the kitten’s parents and show you the parents in person.

Spaying Or Neutering

A factor that can affect the Maine Coon growth is spaying or neutering. Why is that so? When your cat reaches sexual maturity, instincts start to show up, and they use more energy to find a partner for mating. During this period, your Maine Coon cat won’t grow as it should be growing.

The energy that should be used for growing will attract a mate by marking the territory and meowing.

But, if you spay or neuter your Maine Coon kitten, you’ll see a growth spurt. After the process, the weight and height changes will be noticeable.

Food

Diet will affect the Maine Coon growth for sure. If you feed your Maine Coon cat with high-quality food and portion it in a proper way, there is no way your Maine Coone grows unhealthy and at the wrong size.

It is expected to form a diet for your cat according to the developmental stage your cat is in. The Maine Coon grows slower than other cats, so you need to accommodate the diet just for your Maine Coon.

Until 1 year old, Maine Coon should be fed with a kitten diet because it consists of high-quality dry kibble food. You should also consider feeding your Maine Coon cat with raw meat as the meat contains a lot of protein and not so many carbs. That is good for preventing dental disease and obesity.

Many house cats reach full size much earlier, while the Maine Coon reaches the full size at about 4 to 5 years old. If you’re a new Maine Coon owner, make sure to check the Maine Coon growth chart in order to prevent thinking that your cat is too small.

RELATED: Best Cat Foods Without Fillers

How Long Does It Take Maine Coons To Reach Full Size?

Maine Coons will reach their full size at 4 to 5 years, unlike other cats that will continue to grow up until 2 years old and then stop. The possible reason for Maine Coon large size is its longer growing period.

Since they are slowly maturing, they are not considered adult cats until they reach 5 years old. Their average lifespan is around 12 years.

How Tall Do Maine Coons Get?

As one of the largest domestic cat breeds, Maine Coons can reach 10 to 16 inches in height and in length an impressive 40 inches. Their larger size is one of their most important and recognizable traits.

What Is The Average Weight Of A Maine Coon?

The average Maine Coon cat weighs around 10 to 25 pounds. Female Maine Coons are smaller than males, weighing up to 10 to 15 pounds (4,5 to 6,8 kg), while Maine Coon male cat weighs around 15 to 25 pounds or 6,8 to 11 kg.

However, their rectangular body shape and long coat make their appearance bigger.

The average size of Maine Coon is between 10 to 16 inches and can reach even 40 inches if you include a tail that can be long 14 inches.

Their muscular body is there to support the weight they carry. The legs are wide and of medium length that must be proportional to the body.

As the Maine Coon has a slow growth rate, as we mentioned earlier, you won’t know how big your Maine Coon is until the cat reaches 5 years of age.

What Is The Biggest Maine Coon That Has Been Recorded?

The biggest Maine Coon that has been recorded and holds the Guinness Record for being the largest domesticated cat, Stewie, measured an incredible 48.5 inches in length.

To Wrap Up

I hope our Maine Coon growth chart will help you better understand your cat and how to properly take care of the diet and nutrition.

You have seen that many factors can be a bit influence on your Maine Coon average weight, but the roles that play the most crucial part are gender, genetics, and the parents of the cat.

However, it doesn’t matter if your Maine Coon reaches the largest size ever since they’ll win you over with their friendly nature and loving personality. You won’t have the time to think about how big your cat is.

When you learn essentials about Maine Coons, find out which pattern of the Maine Coon you would like by your side. You can choose between torties, tabby, and solid-colored Maine Coons.

Good luck with finding your new feline friend!

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