Maine Coons are freedom-loving and independent animals, which is why many people believe that they cannot be trained. This is not entirely true - the standard process of education and training applied to dogs simply does not suit Maine Coons. These cats are smart, sociable and have a stable psyche, so all that is required from the owner is to find the right approach to raising a pet.
Education at home
Maine Coons are not unteachable animals, but in order for a small kitten to grow up to be an obedient pet, it needs to be raised from an early age. The breeders in the nursery are also involved in training the litter box and scratching post, where the kitten begins to socialize. After the Maine Coon moves to a new home, the owner needs to clearly define the boundaries of what is permitted for the pet and patiently explain to him the rules of behavior.
What is allowed to a kitten will also be allowed to an adult animal: it is almost impossible to wean an adult Maine Coon from anything.
The easiest way to find a common language with your pet is to use the method of prohibitions and rewards. With correct behavior on the part of the owner, raising a Maine Coon becomes not a routine, but an exciting activity.
Common problems
The main problems that you may encounter when raising a Maine Coon and how to solve them:
- The cat goes to the toilet in the wrong place - sit the pet next to a puddle, sternly say “No!”, and then take him to the litter box.
- The Maine Coon climbs into places where it is forbidden, for example, on a table - spray water into it from a spray bottle. This action is unpleasant for the cat; it will serve as a kind of stop signal.
- The pet scratches the furniture, ruins the curtains with its claws - use a spray bottle, sternly say “No!”
Also often noted is the tendency of Maine Coons to chew on wires, which can be not only unpleasant, but also dangerous due to the risk of a short circuit. If it is impossible to hide the wiring, you should spray it with citrus juice - this smell is unpleasant for cats.
The largest breed
Cats of this breed stop growing and gaining weight at the age of three - during this period it grows to its maximum size. Males can weigh between nine and twelve kilograms. Neutered cats weigh from thirteen to sixteen kilograms. Cats range from seven to ten kilograms. At the withers, the height of this breed is from twenty-five to forty centimeters, the length of the body from the nose to the end of the tail is up to one hundred centimeters. The longest length recorded in the history of the breed - a meter and twenty-three centimeters - was a cat named Stewie, who lived in the American state of Nevada. In second place is a record holder from Australia named Omar - his weight was fourteen kilograms and his length was one hundred and twenty centimeters.
Training and communication
Maine Coons are freedom-loving and independent, so you should not expect unquestioning obedience from them. However, this breed can be taught some commands and, more importantly, proper behavior around the house. First of all, it is necessary for the pet to remember its name and associate it with something pleasant, after which more intensive training should begin.
The most suitable way for Maine Coons to learn and consolidate skills is through play.
You need to take a closer look at your pet and understand what he likes - every cat has favorite activities and individual inclinations.
It is with the development of these talents and inclinations that it is worth starting, consolidating successes with affection and delicacies. One of the characteristics of Maine Coons is hunting for various objects. They love to carry toys in their teeth and often bring them to their owner’s feet, hinting at a desire to play. This trait can be developed and your pet can be taught to fetch thrown objects on command.
Another common command for training Maine Coons is to give the paw. To do this, you first need to carefully lift the paw of a sitting cat, making sure to accompany your actions with the command “Give me your paw” and treating the animal with a treat. Then you should extend your palm, repeat the command and reward the pet if it is completed. If the cat does not respond to the command, the training should be repeated from the beginning, gradually strengthening the skill.
History of the Maine Coon breed
The appearance of Maine Coons is somewhat reminiscent of that of a forest cat - this fact could give reason to assume that the ancestors of modern American Maine Coons were brought to the continent by the Vikings in the second century. However, felinologists are inclined to a different version of the origin of Maine Coons - they believe that these cats are the descendants of animals that sailors took to sea as rat exterminators. And when European ships landed on the shores of America, the cats came onto land, adapted, dispersed throughout the state, and then throughout the country.
Farmers noticed the cats, which were distinguished by their appearance, and began to take them into their farms to exterminate rodents. This breed was first introduced in 1885 at a farmer's fair in Maine, and then it was brought to Boston and New York. Such cats quickly became popular in all corners of the country. In the 1950s, the American Club of Fans of this breed appeared, and eighteen years later the Breeders' Association began its work. Breed standards were established in 1976, and five years later there were already more than two hundred nurseries in the world.
This is prohibited
It will not be possible to avoid absolutely all problems when raising a pet, since each Maine Coon is unique, and it is impossible to foresee everything in advance. It is important to know the basic principles of behavior in case of problems and adhere to them:
- The use of physical force is prohibited. You cannot hit a kitten with your hand or any other object; this will lead to the fact that it will not only grow up to be a fearful cat with an unstable psyche, but will also begin to see its owner as an enemy.
- You cannot punish for something that was done a long time ago. If the consequences of a pet’s prank were not detected immediately, then there is no point in scolding him a few hours later - he will not understand what caused the owner’s dissatisfaction.
- Praise more than punish. The kitten should be praised and encouraged even for the most insignificant successes, but scolded only for serious offenses.
It is important for Maine Coons to understand and feel that the owner is, first of all, a friend. In this case, cats try their best to please the owner.
Aggression in kittens
An affectionate and gentle creature eventually turns into a restless teenager. Small animals learn about the world by testing things out. During the first month, a Maine Coon grows up with its mother and brothers and sisters. They play, biting each other, catching the tail, and the cat teaches them how to hunt and how to stand up for themselves.
When a change of teeth occurs, the owner is guaranteed to have damaged things and barely noticeable wounds. You can teach him to chew special toys, give him small natural sinews, and treats. Then the kitten switches attention, and the process of education begins.
Most often, children's feet suffer from playing. Not everyone goes through this when they grow up, because character and temperament are passed on from their parents. Hyperactivity is a sign of good health and proper development. The kitten learns to interact, tries different forms of communication. He repeats the pattern of behavior in the pride, attacks from secluded places, supposedly tracking down prey.
The older Maine Coon calms down, but puberty brings back excitement and elements of aggression. Castration saves you from possible consequences, since hormones do not give the desired effect. Cats usually outgrow them; a mature individual rarely bites, mainly when he is playing or is sick.
To wean yourself from this habit, experts recommend:
- Do not use arms, legs, or other parts of the body in the game.
- Provide your pet with a variety of toys made from fur, veins, and feathers.
- Punish by lightly shaking the scruff of the neck, as a mother cat does.
- Do not limit the baby's activity.
- Take kittens from the breeders' home after 3 months so that the kitten can communicate correctly with peers and people.
- Balance your diet.
A lack of calcium, for example, disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses. Sunlight promotes the production of vitamin D, which is responsible for growth, bones and cartilage. A kitten with a lack of trace elements will develop health problems, which will affect their behavior.
Temperament and aggressive behavior
The type of Maine Coon's temperament determines exactly how it will react to external stimuli. Among the representatives of this breed, sanguine and phlegmatic people are most often found. Both types have no problems with adaptation; they easily get used to new places and people. Inexperienced breeders find it a little more difficult to deal with choleric cats due to their hyperactivity and frequent mood swings.
A kitten is born with a certain temperament, which cannot be changed, but any cat can be trained to behave correctly.
Aggressive behavior can occur in the following situations:
- Disease. Often, when cats are ill, they do not hide in a secluded place, but try to show the owner that they feel bad and often do this by showing aggression.
- A game . Harmless games of kittens, during which they bite each other or the owner, over time can become a bad habit, which is why the Maine Coon will prove its leadership or achieve what it wants by behaving aggressively.
- Fear . A frightened animal seeks first of all to protect itself, and in such a situation, aggression and attack are the only suitable behavior options for a cat.
Also, representatives of this breed are prone to aggression when irritated, in case of violation of the boundaries of their territory and when clarifying relationships between several individuals.
Hisses
Hissing is most often a protective reaction of a cat to an external stimulus. Thus, a cornered animal, feeling threatened by a person or frightened by something, prepares to defend itself by hissing to warn of a possible attack. You should leave the Maine Coon alone and give him time to calm down and come to his senses. Later, you need to analyze the animal’s behavior, understand what provoked such a reaction and, if possible, get rid of the irritants.
Bites
Most often, the Maine Coon bites during the change of teeth and during puberty. In some individuals this habit goes away as they grow older, in others it does not. Therefore, before buying a kitten, you should find out about its parents and their temperament in order to have an idea of \u200b\u200bheredity and avoid buying an inadequate animal.
To wean your Maine Coon from biting, you need to:
- Buy your pet special treats that he can and should chew on.
- It is easy to shake the cat by holding it by the withers.
- Allowing the kitten to play as much as he wants, wasting his energy reserves.
- Ignore the Maine Coon for 20-30 minutes after the punishment.
You cannot hurt or injure your pet; all methods used must only affect the cat psychologically.
It is also important to ensure that the Maine Coon’s diet is balanced – a lack of vitamins and microelements leads to health problems, which also affects behavior.
Scratched
The only thing that a Maine Coon can and should scratch is a scratching post; if it is not there, the cat will find another object on which to sharpen its claws.
If a Maine Coon scratches its owner, it must be stopped immediately, letting him know who is the leader in the house.
First of all, you need to make it a rule that you can play with a kitten only with the help of sticks, strings and other toys, and not with your hands and feet. In cases where scratching is not the result of play, but a manifestation of aggression, you should punish the Maine Coon by spraying water on it, lightly hitting it on the nose, or pressing it to the floor or sofa until it calms down.
Meows constantly
Meowing is the Maine Coon's way of attracting the attention of its owner. In this way, the cat informs the owner about his desires or fears, attracts his attention, or simply communicates.
If your Maine Coon meows constantly, you need to:
- Make sure your pet is healthy and fed. If you suspect any disease, you need to contact a veterinarian, and if the cat is hungry, feed it, possibly increasing the portion size, and provide constant access to clean drinking water.
- Ignore. Often the animal simply sees a connection between meowing and the owner’s immediate reaction to it, so it uses this technique to attract attention. If the Maine Coon is healthy and well-fed, you should simply stop reacting to his meowing.
- Punish. Physical punishment is not acceptable, but you can spray the cat with warm water from a spray bottle or blow on his face.
To prevent night meowing, you need to play with your Maine Coon before going to bed, giving him the opportunity to get rid of accumulated energy, and feed him. All this will help your pet calm down and get ready for rest and sleep.
You should not hit a cat or yell at it - this will frighten the animal and cause other behavior problems.
What should I do to wean myself off?
To wean your coon from biting, maintaining the following rules will help:
- Do not use body parts in games.
- Provide the animal with a sufficient number of toys.
- Punish for biting and scratching.
- Allow dynamic entertainment.
- Adopt a kitten from a breeder from 12 weeks of age;
- Provide a balanced diet.
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Raising a cat
An experienced cat breeder carefully selects the animal, taking an interest in its ancestors and habitat.
An adult cat is capable of making his own rules. Often this only happens at the beginning. With a neutered Maine Coon or kitten, such nuances are excluded. If a coon attacks, you need to punish him: lightly hit him, shake him by the withers, or press him to the floor. It's important not to overdo it. After this, aggressive pets are not given attention for 30 minutes. Biting games are ignored. If there is excessive activity and there are no contraindications, the veterinarian offers a mild sedative so that the adult uncastrated cat does not bite the newly arrived kitten. Therefore, before adaptation, it is important to pay due attention to cats. If you suppress impulses of aggression and gradually accustom cats, the Maine Coon will not be able to bite the baby.
