Some pet owners keep food down for their cats all of the time. This is because cats seldom eat more than they need at any given time. They eat what their bodies need, and go about their business not returning to the food bowl until they actually need to eat again. This is not advised with Maine Coon Cats. Maine Coon Cats eat more like dogs do until the bowl is empty. Remember that these are large cats, but this does not mean that they should be fat cats. Don’t let them free feed. Instead, you need to feed them three to four times a day. You can feed them at your regular meal time. Place their food bowl and water bowl near the table where you eat, as Maine Coons are very social, and enjoy eating with other animals or people at meal times. Feed them when you eat a meal breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an evening snack (meal) as well.
You should feed your Maine Coon Cat dry food not moist food. Also, if you are feeding the Maine Coon regular cat food, it is important that you speak to your veterinarian about nutritional supplements, such as vitamins. Otherwise, you should order food that is specifically designed for Maine Coon Cats. You can order this special food online, you can ask your veterinarian to order it for you, or ask your local pet store to keep it stocked for you. It does cost more than ordinary cat food but your Maine Coon is not an ordinary cat, now is he? He is worth it, and so is his health. You can buy regular cat treats for your Maine Coon, but make sure that you buy the higher quality treats that have lots of vitamins and minerals in them. At the same time, make sure that you limit those treats so that your Maine Coon doesn’t develop a ‘weighty problem.’
Avoid feeding your Maine Coon ‘people food’ at all costs. Most cats are rather ‘health conscious’ and refuse to eat food cooked for human consumption. However, your Maine Coon may not be that picky. He may actually enjoy those French fries, but just like it isn’t healthy for you it is especially unhealthy for him. Stick with dry cat food, or food designed especially for Maine Coons, and avoid allowing your special cat to eat human food, dog food, or any food other than his own. Your Maine Coon should have constant access to fresh water. Keep a bowl of fresh water down for him at all times. If you fail to do this, it won’t take him long to figure out how to turn on the faucet he’s seen where the water comes from. The problem is that he most likely won’t turn the faucet back off when he is finished drinking. He understands where the water comes from. He has no clue about the cost of water bills or how they get paid and he doesn’t care!
Unless you are preparing for a show, there really isn’t much to grooming your Maine Coon Cat. He takes care of most of it on his own, with numerous spit baths everyday. You will notice that he has no odor, and keeps himself quite tidy more so than many human beings! For the most part, you need to give your Maine Coon a good brushing once a week. First, this will cut down on the amount of cat hair that you have on your furniture, floors, curtains, and clothing. Second, this will cut down on the amount of hairballs that you have to clean up off of the floor and furniture.
If your Maine Coon has not been declawed (a very controversial topic), he will likely need his nails clipped about once a month or so. This will help him not to scratch up your furniture and not to accidentally scratch you, other people, or other animals. You can easily do this yourself, with a pair of clippers specifically designed for cats. These are found in your pet store, in the cat department. However, you can also take him to your veterinarian to have his nails clipped, although this can get expensive. Some pet groomers will also clip his nails. Unless you plan to show your Maine Coon, he never needs a bath in the tub, in most cases, but you may want to give him one anyway, especially to help decrease the instance of fleas and mites. Bathing a cat is not a picnic for you or the cat!
Don’t be fooled. Your Maine Coon may give the appearance of liking water. He may dip his paws in when you are bathing. He will definitely enjoy watching water run. He may even throw his toys in the water and fish them out again for the sheer enjoyment of it. But he will not like a bath at all. Remember that the Maine Coon has water resistant fur. This is designed to protect him in harsh winters, when snow hits the fur and melts. For this reason, you should make sure that you give him a good brushing first. Use warm water, and add about two capfuls of Woolite detergent to the water. This will help the water to penetrate, and make the bath much shorter which is preferred.
Avoid washing his face and ears. Start at the back of the ears, and go down. You don’t want the water in his eyes, mouth, nose, or ears. He can wash his own face, or you can use cat wipes later. The best way to soap him up is to soap the water up first and then pour the soapy water on him and rub. This makes rinsing easier, but still gets him just as clean. Use the tips of your fingers, and gently scrub all the way down to his skin.
If your cat has naturally greasy fur, which is common for Maine Coon Cats, and helps to add to their water resistance, you can use a product called Goop on his fur before you get him wet. Do not allow this to get into his eyes, nose, or mouth! When selecting the product that you will use to bathe the Maine Coon, you can use flea and tick shampoos designed for cats, but this should be followed up with dish soap, such as Dawn. Don’t skip the first soaping, however, with the medicated shampoo!
Throw a few towels into the dryer or place them on an electric towel warmer, before putting the cat into the bath. Have an extra person available to bring the towels to you. He will enjoy being rubbed with the warm towels after you have insulted him with the bath. You can use a blow dryer, after you have mopped up any excess water with the towels. However, the noise of the blow dryer may be something your Maine Coon has to get used to over time. If you use a blow dryer, brush or comb him as you dry him. This is especially recommended if you are preparing for a show, so that his fur doesn’t have a messy appearance.
After his bath, wipe his face with a cat wipe, and also wipe out his ears. You may need cotton swabs and alcohol if the ears are especially dirty inside, but don’t dip down too far! This is a good time to look at his teeth. Most cats keep their teeth very clean, and don’t have any build up if you give them tarter control treats. Just check by pulling the top of his mouth up. Look for chipped or broken teeth and if you find any, bring him into see his veterinarian for treatment. A broken tooth hurts whether you are a cat or a human!
Again, unless you are showing your Maine Coon, very little is required of you in terms of grooming. If this is the case, the only time he should have a bath is when he needs a medicated shampoo for dry skin or for flea and tick treatment. You will, however, need to keep his nails clipped, brush him, check his teeth from time to time, and possibly clean any visible dirt out of his ears on a regular basis. Otherwise, he is perfectly capable of grooming himself. He will not stink, and as far as he is concerned, he does a fabulous job of keeping himself tidy. He is very proud of his beautiful fur, and will work to keep it tangle free and dirt free. If you do bathe him on a regular basis, he may become used to it but the chances are very good that he will never enjoy it. Also, remember that like humans, cats have unique personalities, and are capable of showing emotion. After that bath, you should expect him to pout a bit and possibly even to be angry with you for a little while. You’ll most likely find him under the bed.
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