Do you want to get a cat and you are asking yourself how a Maine Coon behaves compared to a normal house cat? Or do you already have one of these cats and you want to get another one? This article will show you exactly what the differences are when comparing a Maine Coon vs a regular house cat. And I am not only talking about size here.
One may think that the size is the biggest difference between a regular house cat and a Maine Coon. However the truth is that most Maine Coon cats have a way more friendly character while regular house cats are often grumpy and even aggressive. Most regular house cats are far more independent and just tolerate their owners, while Maine Coon cats show a lot of love for their owner.
Okay so that was the short version of this comparison. However what does that mean in detail? Does that mean that all regular house cats are mean? Can Maine Coon cats and regular house cats live together? Well, since I have a normal house cat and a Maine Coon I can tell you exactly what the difference is in detail and if those two get along with each other. So without further ado, let´s get to the details.
Is Every Cat The Same?
Before you start to hate me, because you have a house cat and you might feel that it is your duty to protect your cat from my evil words – hold on! I am definitely not saying that every regular house cat is a pain. Further I am not saying that every Maine Coon is friendly and is very attached to their owner.
I am just talking about the majority of cats here. There will always be cats that show a totally different behavior. So if you have a normal house cat that is the friendlist creature in the world, congratulations! I am happy for you. My aunt, for example, has a regular house cat. That cat is probably the friendliest and most laid back creature on earth.
So the things I list here are the experiences of many cat owners I know, cat owners in forums, vets and of course my own experiences.
Affection? They Show It In Different Ways!
Our Maine Coon and our normal house cat show their love for us in totally different ways. Well, you have to accept your pet the way it is, but the Maine Coon definitely shows more affection towards us and towards the other cat. Here are the differences:
Maine Coon
Our Maine Coon, Maze, is probably the friendliest fluffball ever. Whenever we come home she is already waiting behind the door, ready to give us some heavy headbutts as a greeting. The same happens when I open the bedroom door in the morning. She charges into the room, gives us headbutts and starts to knead everything for around 15 minutes.
After every nap she takes, the first thing she has to do is coming to us and cuddle or give us headbutts. Very loud purring included, of course. She seems to have the desire of “saying hello” the whole day. She was 5 minutes in another room? She will definitely come to give you a quick headbutt and then leave, just to make sure that you don´t forget that she loves you, haha.
Regular House Cat
Our regular house cat, Gigetta, is totally different. She almost never comes to one of us and if she does, she most probably wants you to feed her. She will show you that by coming to you and whenever you try to ruffle her furr, she will go away and meow loudly. That goes on until you followed her to her feeding dish.
Gigetta – Our regular house cat 
If Gigetta really wants to cuddle, she will meow loudly until one of us comes to her and cuddles her until she has enough.
Who Is The Bigger Lap Cat?
With “lap cat” I do not only mean, which one of our cats likes to sit on our lap more. I also mean, what happens when you have to touch one of our cats? What happens when you have to pick it up and so on and so forth.
Maine Coon
The Maine Coon is known for being dog-like and I can confirm that. A Maine Coon loves to be touched and whenever I pick Maze up, she starts purring. She really seems to enjoy being close to us and she often demands some snuggle time without being too pushy.
Brushing and cleaning a Maine Coon is never a problem. Even if you have to hold her in a certain position that might not be too comfortable, our Maine Coon never showed aggressive behavior.
Maze often falls asleep right next to me or on my girlfriend´s lap after a session of heavy kneading. She definitely wants to be around us.
Regular House Cat
We are not allowed to touch our house cat, Gigetta, unless she invites us to it. If we touch her without permission she shows us that she doesn´t want it by running away (on a good day). When she demands to be pet, we are only allowed to pet her on her head or on her back.
Picking her up is hardly possible. She tries to get away as soon as we try to touch her. If we pick her up, she meows loudly to show us that she hates it. Holding her in certain positions she doesn´t like can end badly for us. I will explain what that means in the next point.
Maze – Our Maine Coon
Aggression?
Before reading this, please note that both cats were raised the same way. Both were raised with a lot of love, both are indoor cats and none of them was ever physically punished.
Maine Coon
Every article that contains information about Maine Coon cats will tell you that these cats are possibly the friendliest cat breed there is. Maine Coon cats almost never show aggression and if they do, most of the times something went wrong when they were raised or there is another problem.
I was never bitten by Maze, nor was I scratched by her. She would never do any harm to us, even if she doesn´t like what we do. For example, holding her in an uncomfortable position to clean her or getting her into the transport box. One time she wanted to make clear that she wants me to let go. She just took my finger in her mouth, but couldn´t get herself to bite me. Haha!
So Maine Coon cats usually are absolutely not aggressive.
Regular House Cat
We have to be very careful when we need to do something that Gigetta does not like. My girlfriend was bitten and scratched by Gigetta many, many times (Luckily I was always quick enough to avoid it). There doesn´t even have to be a reason for it. If she doesn´t want us to be near her anymore, she will give us a slap. If we complain about that, she slaps again.
If we need to hold her, she will meow very loudly and try to bite whenever she gets the opportunity. As you might know, cat bites can be pretty dangerous so this isn´t fun at all.
Maine Coon Vs Regular House Cat
So how do both cats treat each other? Even though most Maine Coon cats are way bigger than a regular house cat, that doesn´t mean that the smaller cat automatically bows down to the Maine Coon. In fact, our house cat bites and scratches our Maine Coon all day when she has a bad day.
It got better though, since our Maine Coon is really patient and she never seems to be mad at Gigetta, for hurting her. She just takes it and always tries to snuggle a little bit with Gigetta.
Gigetta and Maze…being Maze
Our Maine Coon, Maze, never showed aggressive behavior to our other cat. After one year of living together both sleep next to each other. Update: They even started to play with each other and our regular house cat is way more friendly and tolerant with our Maine Coon.
Conclusion
We accept both of our cats the way they are. That´s just what you sign up for when getting a cat. However if you really need a recommendation on if you should getting a Maine Coon or getting a regular house cat, I´d say get a Maine Coon.
I mean, who wants to get scratched and bitten all day? Who wants a cat that almost shows no affection towards its owner? Almost nobody. If you want to get a Maine Coon, make sure that you buy one from a respected breeder. This increases the chances of getting a healthy Maine Coon with a great personality.
Now it is your turn. Maine Coon vs regular house cat. Share your experiences with us in the comment section below! Let´s talk about it
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