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What can you all tell me about Maine Coons, yes I have read info on line, but am looking for "real/first hand" info/accounts, especially since I am looking at a older one
Various things I have read say they generally are good with dogs - hoping this is true
Little background, recently lost a 21 yr old cat to kidney failure. He and my 8 yr old English Mastiff were buddies and it's become very clear that he is missing the companionship.
Cat I am going to be looking at is a 10/11 yr old male Maine Coon. Owners are having to get rid of him due to extensive work travel and feel it is in the cats best interest to be in a home where people are home on a regular basis.
I don't have a ton of personal experience with Maine Coons, but my father-in-law had one - however, we all decided that she was not a typical Maine Coon personality-wise - she liked him and only him and the rest of us were chopped liver. That's not typically Maine Coon behavior.
However, cat breed aside, what is the cat's personality? Has he been adaptable to new things such as visitors and such? One hurdle you're over is that your dog is used to having a feline around, so that wouldn't be new-n-different. Of course a new cat would be new-n-different.
If it was me in your shoes I'd probably be dusting off the carrier and would be on my way to get the kitty and bring him home, and then do the typical how-to-introduce-a-cat-to-a-new-home routine. It might take some adjustment time for everyone, but the end result would be much-needed companionship for the cat, for you, and for your Mastiff.
I have a Maine Coon at the moment and we have had 3 in the past. Friendly and loyal....they are almost dog like. They become very attached and usually like to be in the same room you are in. Not all are lap cats and they usually prefer to just be near you or next you. Emma, our Maine is a bit of a lap cat on her terms. They can grow very large. Teddy, a previous Maine Coon we owned was close to 20 pounds. Gentle Giants they are called. They are my favorite breed and I cant say enough about them. They normally chirp instead of meowing , that is a trait they usually have. We adopted Teddy, the 20 pound Maine Coon, back in 2009 and he was 7 when we got him. He was rescued from horrible living conditions and he was the sweetest cat ever. He died suddenly in 2012 from heart issues and my wife and I are still upset about that one. Emma and Teddy loved each other. I say go for it......Maine Coons are very awesome cats. You won't be disappointed. Is it a mix or a pure bred Coon?
What can you all tell me about Maine Coons, yes I have read info on line, but am looking for "real/first hand" info/accounts, especially since I am looking at a older one
Various things I have read say they generally are good with dogs - hoping this is true
Little background, recently lost a 21 yr old cat to kidney failure. He and my 8 yr old English Mastiff were buddies and it's become very clear that he is missing the companionship.
Cat I am going to be looking at is a 10/11 yr old male Maine Coon. Owners are having to get rid of him due to extensive work travel and feel it is in the cats best interest to be in a home where people are home on a regular basis.
I've had 3 in my lifetime, none purebred, but find they are quite different from 'regular cats.' While I love cats, Maine Coons are much better- in my opinion, anyway. Instead of being aloof like other cats I've had, their personalities and behaviors are kinda like little children.
One characteristic you might be interested in: they like to play in water.
We also have a Maine Coon. Have had him for 8 years now. Very relaxed and very laid bqack. Gets along with everybody and everything including other cats, horses dogs and other people. Have never seen anything ruffle him.
But he only has too speeds--Resting or supersonic rocket. Expect to see what acts like a stuffed toy most of the time, but will suddenly take off like an F-15 and leave a sonic boom. that lasts about five minutes and he returns to "Stuffed Teddy Bear Mode"
I had a Maine Coon mix I got as a kitten. If I had a younger pet population, he would have been a good fit. But my elderly dogs and my other elderly cat did not like him and would not engage with him. The other cat actively hated him. He was bored and destructive so I rehomed him with a friend who had a bunch of other young cats, and he settled right in.
Update: Went and saw the cat this past week, even though he seemed pretty laid back and cool I passed on him. Turns out he has never been around dogs, does not play nice with other cats, and since he is being left alone a lot it leaving unwanted "gifts" on the current owners bed and furniture. Even with those traits I called the vet, turns out we both use the same one, to get their thoughts, since they know both animals. Their thoughts were that the cat really should be a only animal, based on their interactions with him over the years, so I passed. the search continues....
glad you checked with your vet. while most Maine Coons are gregarious and get along with everybody, there are exceptions and it does sound like that one is a loner and wants to own only one people.
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