“Maine Coon Cost per Pound - Is my Maine Coon bred according to standard?”
Lately there has been such an obsession, a huge hype really, around “how big will my Maine Coon get?” and “will my Maine Coon weigh 30-35 pounds when fully mature?”. It has almost become a competition of whose Maine Coon’s weight is more at a certain age.
Here’s some helpful and educational information around this topic.
There are several different cat registries and organizations, one of them being TICA (The International Cat Association”) who have written standards for each cat breed.
TICA’s breed standard states that “Maine Coon male cats at full maturity can average 13-18 pounds. Maine Coon female cats average 9-13 pounds. Overall, the Maine Coon should appear as a large, natural, yet uncommonly attractive cat”. https://tica.org
Of course, these are guidelines, and many neutered males can weigh around 20-25 pounds, spayed females 12-18 pounds at full maturity, which is between 3-5 years of age, as Maine Coons are a slow maturing breed. This means that they should grow slowly and put on weigh slowly!
Often, photos of Maine Coons on the internet are manipulated and/or photoshopped or held at an angle that makes them look much bigger than they really are.
It is important to keep in mind that the standards written by cat organizations are set to avoid extreme breeding practices, meaning extreme weights, extreme features and extreme temperaments.
The “weight hype” as of late can lead to Maine Coons being overweight which could cause joint issues later in their lives. There has been a lot of posts about broken hips and femurs in Maine Coons lately as well. You may want to ask yourself why?
We all love big Maine Coons! It is important to recognize that size and body shape depends on their genetic bloodlines. A cat who is part of a breeding program (a cat that is whole/not spayed or neutered) likely will not reach its full weight until desexed, due to hormones and restlessness during mating season. Often the lack of coat, due to hormonal changes, will make a Maine Coon look smaller. A spayed/neutered pet Maine Coon will almost always look much bigger and can be several pounds heavier.
What people need to put more focus on should be:
Is my Maine Coon healthy? Emphasis should always be put on health, not size!
Is my Maine Coon bred according to breed standard?
Does my Maine Coon have a healthy diet, low in additives and preservatives? Remember cats are carnivorous and their diet should not include unnecessary carbohydrates.
Does my Maine Coon have a wonderful, friendly, easy going and gentle personality?
Does the breeder where I adopted my Maine Coon from do all the necessary gold standard testing for heart (heart echocardiogram performed by a veterinarian cardiologist and/or specialist), kidneys (ultrasound) and hips (hip x-rays) of their cats who are part of their breeding program? While DNA testing is a useful tool in a breeding program, it is definitely not enough!