Did you know that many of the cat breeds that we see nowadays are mostly crossed hybrids between other breeds? Indeed, genetic mutations and crossbreeds between different felines throughout history have resulted in the cats that we frequently see to this date.
Maine Coon is a breed of cat which has a body style that is very distinctive. They are a type of American Longhair cats and are actually quite easy to identify. Their bodies are usually large, about 40 inches or more, and they are shaped as rectangles. Their tails are also long: they can measure up to 16 inches in length. Moreover, their paws are also quite big and covered by fur, as are their ears, which tend to have hair on their tips.
Despite this, there are many cats which are very similar to Maine Coon ones but are not purebred. As we have mentioned above, many cats are a mix of different breeds, and that’s what occasionally happens with cats which appear to be Maine Coon. Do you want to know how to tell if your cat is a Maine Coon mix? We will tell you all about it in this article!
Their bodies are not as large
One of the signs that can tell you if your cat is a Maine Coon mix has to do with the size of its body. As we described, the Maine Coons are very large animals, with a high body mass and long tails. But there’s a slight difference with cats which are Miane Coon mix. In these cases, the size of the bodies of the cats is not as big as the ones of purebred Maine Coon cats. So, if you want to know whether your cat is a Maine Coon mix, looking at the overall size of its body is a good place to start.
Their coats are thinner
Another feature that is very characteristic of Maine Coon cats is their soft, long and silky coats of fur. This is especially notorious in the fur around their necks, which is fluffy and prominent, like the mane of a lion. Does your cat have this type of fur around its neck? If you find that it doesn’t, then this can be a sign that your cat is a Maine Coon mix, and not a purebred.
Differences in their ears and heads
When looking at the features of the ears and the heads of the Maine Coon cats, one can be able to tell if the cat is or is not a purebred Maine Coon. If the cat is a purebred, the ears will usually be quite large, not very pointy, and located more in the area of the top of their heads, rather than on the sides of it.
As happens with the body size, the overall size of the head of the cat is also a feature that distinguishes purebred Maine Coons from mixed breeds. In this sense, a mixed-breed Maine Coon cat will have a smaller head than a purebred.
Regarding their noses, it’s common to notice that purebreds have straight noses, while Maine Coon mixed-breeds tend to have more flat noses.
Look at the eyes
A very easy way of telling whether your cat is a purebred Maine Coon or a mixed-breed is by looking at its eyes. Purebred Maine Coon cats have eyes which are quite large, wide and kind of oblique-shaped. When they are kittens, the color of the eyes is blue, but this changes as they grow up.
Particularities of the tails
The tails of the purebred Maine Coon cats are large, bushy and prominent. They tend to narrow down a bit when going towards the tip. In fact, the tails of these cats are so bushy that they tend to be compared with the tails of raccoons! In this sense, taking a look at the tail of your cat is a very effective way to tell if it is a purebred Maine Coon or if it’s actually a Maine Coon mix.
The size of the paws
A very distinctive feature of Maine Coon cats is their large paws. Even when they are young, tiny kittens, the size of their paws is something that calls the attention of many people. So, if you want to tell whether your cat could be a purebred Maine Coon or a mixed-breed cat, you should definitely take a look at its paws.
Do you find that the paws are not so big or even quite small? Then this can be a sign that your cat is a Maine Coon mix. Moreover, if the cat is purebred you’ll also surely notice some fur and hair coming out of the paws.
The size of the paws and the hair in them is something that comes from way back for the Maine Coon cats. Their paws helped them to survive in the extremely cold weather of the area of Maine, United States, which is where Maine Coon cats are originally from.
Does your cat grow fast?
If you find that your cat grows quite fast, then it is very possible that it might not be a purebred Maine Coon cat. This is because the growth rate of Maine Coon cats is actually considerably low, when compared to the growth rate of most cats
Maine Coon purebreds don’t reach their full size until they are between 3 to 5 years old. When comparing this to the growth rate of standard cats, you can notice that this is a slow growth rate. Most of the cats reach their peak size at the moment when they are around 2 years old. As you can notice, it takes a bit more for Maine Coon purebreds to reach their full development.
In conclusion, there are many different features and characteristics which you can pay attention to if you want to tell whether your cat is a Maine Coon mix or a purebred Maine Coon cat. Were you able to tell whether your cat is a Maine Coon mix or a purebred? Let us know in the comments below!
