Maine Coon Cat Varieties

Maine Coon cats are marked by their large size. Prized for their gregarious manner, they are known as the gentle giants of domestic cats. Males weigh between 13 and 18 pounds. Because they are so large, Maine Coons are the one domestic breed of cat that can suffer from hip dysplasia, a disorder usually found in large dogs. They are marked by their shaggy coat and tufts of fur in their ears and toes. The coat, which protects them from cold New England winters, can come in a wide variety of colors. There are only a few varieties of coats that prevent Maine Coon cats from participating in cat shows.

  1. Tabby

    • Maine Coon Cats come in all varieties of tabby color coats with the distinctive stripes of darker fur wrapping around the cat's shoulders, chest, body and legs. Tabby coats in Maine Coons include classic markings, such as brown classic, red classic and blue classic with mackerel. Ticked tabby coats, which often lack the dark stripes all over the body, also show up in Maine Coons. Breeding associations will recognize tabby Maine Coons even if they have white mixed in its coat or mostly white coats with some tabby markings.

    Solid Colors

    • Solid-colored Maine Coon cats may be black, white, blue or cream. If these cats are to participate in a cat show, they cannot have any white around their chins or lips. These are disqualifiers in all major cat shows.

    Bicolors

    • Bicolored Maine Coon cats come in two shades: white plus another solid color. These other colors include black, red, cream and blue. The two colors should be in large patches if the cat is a show cat. If the cat has buttons or small spots of colors rather than large patches, it will not qualify to show.

    Multicolors

    • Maine Coon cats can display several different colors in their coats. A tortoiseshell coat has red, brown and black shades. A calico coat has red and black shades in it. Both tortoiseshell and calico Maine Coons also can have large swaths of white in them.

    Other Shades

    • Other coats found in Maine Coon cats include smoke, which involves shades of blue and black that combine for a smoky appearance. A Maine Coon with a smoke coat could have patches of white in its fur. Other smoke coats can have elements of red or brown to them.