This article will cover the average Maine Coon lifespan. If you own or planning to own this cat breed, you must know how long do they live. We will help you to find out & also share some tips on how you can extend their lifespan.
Maine Coon cats are a lovely, quirky, amiable, and beautiful addition to the household. Their enormous muscled body, exquisite fur, and square muzzle make them one of the most popular domesticated cats in the world.
Staying concerned about your feline companion is a natural behavior for any caring cat owner. So, we often come across Maine Coon cat owners asking about the average lifespan of Maine Coon cats.
If your cat does not have any genetic disease, expect it to live for a long time.
In this article, we are going to discuss the average life expectancy of Maine Coon cats, and we will recommend some of the best ways by which you can prolong the lifespan.
What is the average lifespan of Maine Coon cats?
What is the average life expectancy of a Maine Coon cat? The average lifespan of Maine Coon cats is about 12.5 years. Their age expectancy can be calculated by their health.
In short, you can expect them to live anywhere in the range of 10 years to 15 years.
Several factors determine the actual life expectancy. If your cat does not have any problem in the genetic coding, you should expect a natural lifespan.
It is imperative to say that you need to take proper care of the cat to make sure that your cat lives a healthy life.
There are a few modifications that you can bring to the cat’s lifestyle so that it lives up to its full potential.
We will discuss the ways by which you can make sure that your Maine Coon lives longer in the following section.
Ways to keep your Maine Coon cat healthy and live longer:
You can always keep your Maine coon cat healthy and live longer with adequate care, diet, nutrition, and a proper health balance.
However, you can ask the breeder whether its parents had any genetic disorder.
These ailments are not treatable, and ensuring a proper lineage is the only way out of this.
If your cat does not have these problems, you can use the following methods to make sure that your cat has a healthy lifestyle.
Ways to increase the life expectancy of your Maine coon:
1. Healthy, Balanced Diet:
Like humans, cats need all the nutrients to have a healthy lifestyle. You can fix the diet so that it receives all the necessary nourishment in the appropriate amounts.
They are a hungry breed and you should include protein-rich sources in the regime, as cats need a significant amount of proteins. Vitamins are also imperative for a functional and healthy metabolic system.
If you have any doubts regarding the essential diets of the Maine Coon cats, you can visit a nutrition expert or veterinary clinic.
2. Regular Exercise:
Exercise primarily serves three purposes. Firstly, it helps in keeping the weight of the cat in a desirable range.
The healthy weight limit of a Maine Coon cat is 35lbs. However, you can aim below that number, so that it does not become overweight.
The average life expectancy of an obese cat is considerably less than a regular weight cat. Secondly, exercise increases the blood flow in every part of their body.
It ensures that you are stimulating the cat at all times. Lastly, it keeps the cat happy and playful. An active and happy Maine Coon will live for a longer time.
3. Vaccinations:
Always make sure that your cat is up-to-date with the vaccination schedule. There are several diseases that you can entirely avoid by vaccinating your cat. These are the ailments that you should be careful of:
- Herpes
- Rabies
- Feline Leukemia
- Feline Distemper
- Calici
4. Health Checkup:
A yearly health checkup can help you in catching any underlying disease early on and start the treatment as soon as possible.
Veterinarians will perform a series of health checkups like checking weight, teeth, legs, and general health. You can also choose to give booster medication to your Maine Coon.
5. Teeth Maintenance:
Maine Coon cats can develop gingivitis or similar diseases that can hamper the eating regime of the cat.
Feline gingivitis can make the gum weak, and cats can lose teeth because of it. Failing to maintain a healthy diet is crucial for prolonged life.
6. Cat-safe Environment:
You can also make the house cat-friendly. Make sure that the cat does not have access to any place which could result in a fall.
You can make the balcony doors cat-proof so that they cannot climb the ledge of the balcony. You can also ensure that there are no accessible, enclosed places in the household. Your active Maine Coon can get itself into unfortunate circumstances.
Maine Coons are great indoor cats. However, if your cat likes to roam outside, cut off any access to roads.
7. Be Attentive to your cat:
You can look for any behavioral changes in the cat. Most of the time, cats show behavioral changes for a reason.
If your home went through a change, you might see that the cat is having anxiety problems.
Unusual behavior can also be a sign of underlying ailments. You should take the cat to a veterinary clinic if you suspect any problem with the cat.
8. Cat-safe Shampoo:
Grooming is an integral part of owning a Maine Coon cat. Make sure that the shampoo you are using is entirely cat-safe.
Cats lick their fur after the bathing regime. If the shampoo has any harmful chemicals, the cat might ingest them, and it can fall ill.
9. Cat food:
Always stick to nutritious cat food as the source of nourishment. You should avoid feeding human food to them, as it leads to obesity.
Maintaining a healthy regime is crucial for the health of the cat. If you feed it from your plate, it could ingest concentrated sugar, chicken bones, or other harmful ingredients.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Maine Coon Cats’ Life Span:
The question of whether you should keep your Maine Coon cat indoors or outdoors has bugged the Maine Coon owners for ages. While you might think that this playful cat breed belongs in the lap of nature, you are probably disregarding the potential dangers of having an outdoor life.
According to statistics, indoor cats live a healthier and longer life span. It is true because of the number of dangers that can come to your doorstep when you are away somewhere else. So, the pros of keeping your cat indoors outweigh the cons by a long shot.
Here is a list of potential dangers that you should keep in mind if you are considering making your Maine Coon an outdoor cat:
- Maine Coons can jump out of the backyard and run away. When 40% of all cat deaths happen due to car accidents, you should be worried about that.
- There could be other animals in the neighborhood that can hurt your Maine Coon.
- The cases of outdoor Maine Coon cats running away is not rare. Even if they are safe, animal shelters could pick them.
- Many toxic and dangerous plants out there can cause diseases or potential death to the cat.
- Contracting parasites or fleas are also one of the threats to keeping your cat outdoors.
- They could be the result of ill-intentioned human beings.
The reasons stated above should give you an idea about all the dangers that can come to your cat once you leave them outside. So, it is safe to say that indoor cats are more likely to live longer than outdoor cats. In a confined environment, the cat is much safer than when they are out in the open.
We cannot guarantee that an indoor cat would most definitely live longer than an outdoor Maine Coon cat. However, the increased risk puts the outdoor Maine Coon cat at a disadvantage.
If you are wondering about the common misconceptions that an indoor cat doesn’t stay happy indoors, it is not true. You can keep them happy while keeping them completely indoors.
Purchasing a cat tree and setting it up near a window will keep them busy for hours. Playing with them every day also is an amazing way to keep them happy.
How Long Do Indoor Maine Coon Cats Live?
Indoor Maine coon cats can live for about 15 years.
That’s because they don’t go outside a lot and prevent themself from getting infected.
Do Maine Coons Live Longer Than Other Cats?
Maine coons do live a bit longer than some other breed cats as they tend to be a healthier and hardy breed.
While the Maine Coon cats can live for an average of 12-15 years, other cats can live a longer life. The lifespan of Maine Coon cats is quite comparable with any other cat breed in the world.
If we have to compare the average lifespan of the Maine Coon cat with other cat breeds, the following table should help you make the comparison. Before we go to the table, you should know that these lifespans are just average cat lifespans, and the actual lifespan can be quite more.
For example, we are saying that the average lifespan of a Maine Coon cat is 12-15 years. However, we have seen many Maine Coons who have lived for more than 20 years. So, consider this list as one of those statistical portrayals of the lifespan, and it is most likely to be different on a case-by-case basis.
Cat Breeds Average Lifespan
Maine Coon 10-15 years
Ragdoll 12-16 years
Siberian Cat 10-19 years
Norwegian Forest Cats 13 - 16 years
British Shorthair 15-20 years
Bengal Cat 14-15 years
American Bobtail 12-15 years
Turkish Van 12-17 years
Pixie-Bob 12-15 years
How Old Is The Oldest Maine Coon Cat?
The oldest Maine Coon cat, Rubble, had lived a long life of 31 years in the United Kingdom. When she reached 31 years, the feline became the longest living feline in the world. Before that, the oldest cat was a 30-year-old Siamese cat, Scooter, in Texas.
It is quite fascinating to think that the human equivalent of 30 cat years is almost 150 years. The cat was in very good condition until pretty late in the 30s. Then the Maine Coon got thinner and died of old age.
This incredible story proves that, in actuality, the Maine Coon cats can live for much longer than the average lifespan of the cat. If you can take care of the cat in perfect conditions and not develop any neurological problem, the cat is highly likely to live for a long time.
Conclusion:
Maine Coon cats are susceptible to a variety of genetic disorders. You should be aware of the following ailments that restrict a cat from having a healthy life:
- Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy(HCM)
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy(SMA)
- Hip Dysplasia(HD) [ 1]
- Polycystic Kidney Disease(PKD)
You can avoid these incurable diseases by making sure that the parents of your cat do not have these problems.
Choosing a reputed breeder should help you in this case. After that, it solely depends on your care and love for the cat. If you take appropriate care of the cat, it should live for at least 15 years or more.
Other Maine Coon Related Resources:
Hi There, AJ Oren here. I am the founder of this amazing pet blog & a passionate writer who loves helping pet owners to learn more about their pets through my articles. I am also the content manager of this blog. I have experience in pet training and behavior, sheltering, and currently working for a veterinary clinic.