Maine Coons

[Leta]

My beloved cat Miles died two weeks ago. My other kitty, Nan, has been grieving his loss very hard. So I decided to get another cat to, hopefully, help her cope. (We just had the two cats, so Nan had no other kitty companion.)

We needed an adult cat, preferably fixed, good with dogs, kids, and other cats. We got KiKi, a 5yo male Maine Coon.

I've had feral, alley, Russian Blue, Persian, Himalayan and Ragdoll cats before, but never a Maine Coon. He is beautiful, cool, very friendly, and huge. He is coping very well with 3yo DD and our 70# dog, but is acting afraid of DH, DS 6 mos, and Nan (which is hilarious, since she's literally about 1/3 his size). Any comparisons with other breeds? Any suggestions to help him adjust to his new home (he's only been here about 48 hours)? Anything I should know?

I did some reading and asked the vet about Maine Coons before we got KiKi, and pretty much all I got out of it was, "They're the best cats ever! Don't overfeed!"

[Aeress]

Oh shoot, my post deleted.

Yes, they are great cats! We have two, male and female. Very affectionate, snuggly and sweeet. My male is a bit dominating but very good natured. He would talk to us, play fetch- not as much as he is over 10 years old- but can still be very playful.

[Gray's Mommy]

We've only had 1 maine coon & he was the most laid back cat ever...with adults. Kids moved too fast for him & I think that scared him a bit. He ended up passing away from diabetes complications several years later.

I just loved that cat

[Jackies Ladybug]

he will adjust fine, just leave him be as much as possible so he can get aclimated.
you will love him and i have a feeling you will be looking for other maine coons later, this is a keeper breed for sure! i love my big boy!
once he settles in and knows his place in the family i doubt he will have any fear issues.

[amber913]

It's important to have a safe spot for the new cat--a place away from other animals and children. Under a bed is the usual spot, so just make sure there's a place for him. Other than that, give him time and space. Tell the kids to do the same. He'll get comfortable on his own. It's hard to wait for a new animal to come out of their shell, i know! But they do it in their own time.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Yes, give him kid and dog free spots. Give him a place protected by baby gates that is all his own. Remember to supervise kitty's interactions with the kids, so the kids can learn proper behavior around him so he can feel more comfortable. Sorry for your recent loss of Miles.

[_betsy_]

Love our Maine Coon. He's truly a gentle giant. He's socially awkward with our two other cats, though - I don't think he realizes he's a cat, and though we've had the same cats living together for 7 years now, he doesn't "get" that the other male is the alpha cat - not that he tries to *be* the top kitty, just that he doesn't seem to understand that there *is* such a thing in the social order. Friendly, happy, loves the kids. Great cat.