My Pomeranian is 2 years old, and I am thinking of buying a Maine Coon. What should I pay attention to? Your experiences and tips are welcome Thanks.
Please check your shelter and rescues before buying. You may find the perfect main coon that way AND save a life. In regards to the cat-dog introductions: Have whoever you get the cat from, clip his/her nails when you pick the cat up AND show you how to do it. Having such a little dog, the cat can hurt the dog unintentionally. Make sure to keep the cat's nails clipped regularly. Provide safe places out of reach of the dog for the cat to get. This could be furniture that dog cannot get on to, or a room closed off with a baby gate. Make sure to keep cat food away from the dog. It's not healthy for dogs and a small dog like yours can get sick from eating it. I disagree about getting the youngest kitten possible. A cat of any age can become friends with a dog. And a very young kitten lacks enough "mama time" to learn how to be a cat - and therefore will have a harder time handling an overbearing dog. Other than that, just give them time to adjust to one another. Unless the seller/shelter/rescue says "no dogs" for the cat, they will settle into a relationship.
UPD: Googled and learned here https://catspurfection.com/norwegian-forest-cat-vs-maine-coon/ that Maine Coons may have serious health issues. Is that true?
Cats are definitely not my specialist subject, but by coincidence there was a beautiful pure white Maine Coon being collected when I picked up my dog from the vet last week. The cat had had to have a hip replacement, and his owner - who had multiple rescues - was telling me how sad it was that the breed suffered from so many health problems.
Just like with purebred dogs, we are seeing more health issues in purebred cats due to small breeding populations. Other than siamese and persians, most cat breeds are very new and have developed from a small community. That severely limits the breeding stock, which in turn creates genetic issues that aren't seen in polycats (the term used for the non-breed identified cat). I honestly would never buy a purebred cat. There just isn't any reason to do so. There are thousands of cats in the shelters and you can find one that meets your personal preference of look and personality.
Exactly the reasons she gave. The explosion in demand has been too sudden, and the gene pool is too restricted.
Hey guys, my daughter dreams about Maine coon. Who can tell me more about these cats? We have a little boxer, can cat and dog stay together?
Maine Coon is a very friendly breed. I am sure it will be okey with the dog. Here is a good article about Maine Coon and other large cat breeds - https://www.catfoodpoint.com/largest-domestic-cat-breeds/, hope it will help. From the my experience with the cats, Maine Coon always went along with the other pets in our family.
It really depends on the individual dog. My childhood boxer was perfect and she was good with every cat. When I adopted a boxer as an adult, that dog was very unsafe with cats - at first. It took about 3 months of serious redirecting for her to stop seeing cats in the house as something to chase. As for the cat breed, I have not seen a major difference in how they are with dogs. Most adjust to a dog in the house if given certain parameters: 1. Always have a "safe room" for the cat. Use a baby gate to keep the dog out of that room. One of my cats isn't a natural jumper, so I use a gate with a small "cat door" in it so the cats can just through it. 2. Keep high spots in other rooms "cat clean" so the cat can jump up for safety/security. 3. Never leave the dog and cat alone together until you are sure the dog has no interest in playing with or chasing the cat. Even if the two "enjoy playing together", don't leave them alone together. It is too easy for play to end up in tragedy. 4. Never let the cat outside with the dog. Outside has different rules than inside for dogs. A dog who would never hurt a cat in the house will often kill a cat outside. 5. Put the dog on a leash when the cat first comes home - letting cat have free rein in the house while the dog is controlled. This helps make it clear to the dog that the cat is not an intruder. I have had cats and dogs in my home for years. Some have gotten along great, some have tolerated each other. Currently, I have two dogs and two cats. One dog is perfectly safe around the cats, the other likes to "play" with them so if not safe to be left alone with the cats. One cat is great with the dogs. The other is more nervous and keeps his distance. If I leave them home alone, I separate them.
I never had any problems with introducing kittens. Introduce slowly, don't just put them in the same house and hope for the best. I personally used dog muzzle collar the first time because my dog tends to be territorial.
I really like toedtoe's advice about the "safe room" for the cat. Good luck, Maine Coon's are a really cool breed. I'd love to see any pictures when you get the kitty!
cats vs dogs, the most historical fight between animals that can exist, if they are both raised since they were children they will get along very well, despite the occasional fight that they are going to have.
