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Maine Coon: Breed Guide for UK Owners
The Maine Coon is one of the largest breeds the GCCF recognises: a friendly, playful, semi-longhaired cat that can weigh up to 9kg and takes up to four years to finish growing. It needs regular grooming, sturdy furniture and a breeder who DNA tests for HCM.
| Maine Coon at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Weight | About 4.5 to 9kg; males are much bigger than females |
| Lifespan | About 9 to 15 years |
| Coat | Undercoat under a glossy, water-resistant top coat; longer on the belly, breeches and tail |
| Temperament | Gentle, playful, sociable with people, cats and dogs; quiet chirping voice |
| Health checks to ask for | HCM DNA test (and heart scans), hip X-rays, SMA DNA test |
| Kitten price | Registered kittens mostly £1,000 to £1,850 (September 2026) |
Size, lifespan and health notes from the GCCF Maine Coon breed profile.
How big do Maine Coons get?
Adult Maine Coons usually weigh 4.5 to 9kg, and big males reach 8 to 9kg, roughly twice the weight of an average domestic cat.
They are also long: the Guinness record for the longest domestic cat went to a Maine Coon measuring about 1.2m from nose to tail tip. Growth is slow. The GCCF says the breed can take up to four years to mature, so a one-year-old is still filling out.
Size changes what you buy. Standard litter trays and carriers are too small for an adult male, and most cat trees wobble under one. Look for a tree with a wide, heavy base and platforms a big cat can lie on; the cat tree guide and the carrier guide both cover large cats.
Are Maine Coons friendly?
Yes, Maine Coons are one of the friendliest breeds: gentle, playful and keen to be involved in whatever the family is doing.
The GCCF calls them the "gentle giant" and says they bond well with another cat or the family dog. Many follow their owners from room to room without being lap cats, partly because they are simply too big for most laps. They keep their playfulness for life, so daily games with a wand toy or puzzle feeder matter. Their voice is a soft chirp or trill rather than a loud meow, though they can yowl at dinner time.
They do not like long days alone. If the house is empty all day, two cats cope better than one.
Is a Maine Coon a good first cat?
A Maine Coon can be a good first cat if you have the space, the budget for a large cat and time to groom it; the temperament is easy, the size and coat are the work.
Food, litter, furniture and insurance all cost more for a cat twice the normal size, and the coat needs combing several times a week. If that sounds like too much, the British Shorthair is calmer and far easier to groom. For what a first cat needs in general, see the new cat owner guide.
Can Maine Coons go outside in the UK?
Maine Coons can go outside, as the breed started as a working farm cat, but many UK owners keep them indoors or in a secure garden because of roads and theft.
A friendly, valuable, conspicuous cat is an easy target. Indoor Maine Coons need space to move, heavy climbing furniture and regular play, or they put on weight. A catio is a good compromise. See indoor vs outdoor cats for the trade-offs.
Do Maine Coons shed a lot?
Yes, Maine Coons shed a lot, most of all in spring, when they drop the thick undercoat.
Comb a few times a week, and daily during the spring moult, working through the undercoat before it mats behind the ears, under the legs and on the breeches. A wide-toothed stainless steel comb and a large slicker brush cover most of the job; start handling paws and belly while the cat is a kitten, because a 9kg cat that hates grooming is hard work. Check the large ears regularly too. The cat brush guide compares tools for long coats.
They are not hypoallergenic. Like every cat they produce Fel d 1, the allergen in saliva and skin, and a long coat spreads it around the house.
Do Maine Coons have health issues?
Maine Coons are generally healthy, but the breed has two main inherited problems, the heart disease HCM and hip dysplasia, plus a muscle disease, SMA, that breeders can test for.
| Condition | What it does | Check |
|---|---|---|
| HCM | Thickened heart muscle; can lead to heart failure | DNA test for the Maine Coon variant, plus heart scans on breeding cats |
| Hip dysplasia | Badly formed hip joints, causing stiffness and arthritis | Hip X-rays on breeding cats; no simple DNA test |
| Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) | Loss of spinal nerve cells, causing weak back legs from a few months old | DNA test on both parents |
A clear HCM DNA test lowers the risk but does not rule the disease out, because a cat can develop HCM without that variant, so scans still matter. Sources: GCCF Maine Coon profile (HCM, hips); Fyfe et al., Genome Research 2006 (SMA, an inherited, juvenile-onset condition). Keep a Maine Coon lean, as the GCCF notes the breed tends to put on weight, which is hard on the hips.
How long do Maine Coons live?
Maine Coons usually live about 9 to 15 years, according to the GCCF, which is a little shorter than many smaller breeds.
Weight control and early treatment of heart or joint problems give a Maine Coon the best chance of reaching the top of that range. Yearly vet checks are worth keeping up from middle age.
What a Maine Coon costs
GCCF or TICA registered Maine Coon kittens on Pets4Homes were mostly £1,000 to £1,850 when we checked on 28 September 2026, with a few up to about £2,300.
Unregistered kittens and crosses were listed from about £550. A kitten at the low end without registration or HCM and SMA results is not a bargain. See the kitten with its mother, never pay the full price before a visit, and expect a waiting list with a good breeder. Everyday costs are higher than for an average cat; the baseline is in how much a cat costs in the UK.
Prices checked September 2026.