Your favorite kitty sidekick looks so lonely when you leave for work. You keep your cat indoors all day because you want to keep them safe and free from danger, but you feel guilty. Is it cruel to keep a Maine Coon all alone?
Cats can enjoy feline company and form friendships with other cats. However, it would be best to base your choice on your cat’s personality, life experience, and age. Kittens from the same litter or age are best, as adult cats are less likely to adapt. If you do acquire multiple cats, you should give each equal resources.
Every cat is unique, and there is no one-fits-all answer to the question of keeping one cat or several. However, you need to put your preferences aside and base your decision on your cat’s best interests. Here are some tips for deciding whether Multiple Main Coons are twice as fun or double the trouble.
Contents
- Should I Get Multiple Big Coons? 5 Key Points to Consider
- 9 Ways to Create Harmony Among Multiple Coonie Cats
- 1. A Food and Water Bowl Station for Each Kitty
- 2. Litter Boxes for Each Cat—Plus One
- 3. Up High: Kitty Perches for All
- 4. Alone Time: Private Cat Areas
- 5. A Bed for Each Kitty—Plus One
- 6. Scratching Posts for All: A Post Each to Mark Their Spots
- 7. Divide Your Cat Toys and Playtime Evenly
- 8. Provide Alternative Entry and Exit Points to Avoid Conflict
- 9. Share Your Love and Attention Equally
- When Is the Best Time to Get Another Big Maine Feline?
- Conclusion
Should I Get Multiple Big Coons? 5 Key Points to Consider
Cats are notoriously territorial, marking all their favorite areas with complex scent signatures and even more so in the confines of an indoor-only cat existence. Imagine you came home one day and found a stranger watching TV in your pajamas on your favorite sofa. That’s how your Maine Coon might react when you bring a strange kitty into their territory!
Scientific studies on stress levels of single-cat vs. multiple-cat homes are frustratingly indecisive. Some studies found higher stress levels in multi-cat households, and some found solitary kitties suffering more anxiety than in homes with several cats. You might wonder why these results are so varied.
The answer lies in what scientists are learning—and us cat lovers know: each cat has a unique personality based on genetics and life experience. One cat may love a feline buddy, while others may have none of it. If you are considering one Maine Coon or more, you should consider these following factors.
1. Genetic Heritage
Maine Coons, as almost every domestic cat today, can trace their wild ancestry to the African Wildcat, the Felis lybica. Unlike man’s best friend, the trusty dog, domestic cats are relatively recent guests in our human homes. People began domesticating cats around 10,000 years ago and only started breeding “purebred’ bloodlines as recently as 200 years ago.
Thus, the modern cat is hardly different from their wild ancestors, unlike the dog that humans have been purpose-bred for 40,000 years! So, each domesticated cat mind holds a substantial proportion of their wild cousins, who are solitary predators. Unlike dogs, cats are not pack animals and lack the fundamental evolution of the complex social structures we know and love in our canine sidekicks.
However, the modern cat shows social behavior, as seen in feral cat communities, where cats gather around common food resources. These communities tend to pivot around queens, their kittens, and families with selective association between like-minded cats.
However, this bonding is not collective, as seen in dogs and cats, although forming social groups still exists within the colony as solitary hunters co-exist in a communal space. As solitary creatures, cats have yet to evolve the complex social cues that dogs are so masterful at interpreting. Cats do and will socialize to some degree, but as humans, we need to supervise and cater to multiple cats in our home.
2. Personality
Expert behaviorists and behaviorists tend to classify domestic cats into five distinct personality groups, which echo our human idiosyncrasies. Like us, some cats have bold and confident personalities and get on great with other people and humans—others are introverts and want to be left the hell alone.
Here are the designated personality types of your feline sidekicks ,which may influence their adaptability to a new cat.
- The extravert: These kitties thrive on being in company, are curious, affectionate, and need extra attention. These cats tend to enjoy the company of familiar cats.
- Neurotic: Some cats rank high on the neuroticism scale and mimic the shy and anxious human introverts who prefer their own company.
- The dominant cat: These kitties want it all and often block other cats from resources and chosen areas.
- Impulsive type cats: These cats are highly strung and likely to exhibit erratic behavior in stressful situations
- Agreeable: These friendly kitties deal best with other cats and humans and are most likely to get along with other kitties.
In a recent study, Mila Salonen and colleagues conducted a groundbreaking study of over 5000 cats to isolate breed-specific traits in cats. Lucky for us, she included Maine Coons in the survey. As a breed, Maine Coons show a below-average tendency for aggression against other felines which bodes well for multiple Maine Coons in your home.
3. Cat’s Age/Life Experience
An older Maine Coon who has had little contact with other cats may struggle with a new cat member in the house. While not impossible, introducing an older cat to the novel experience of another cat in the home may be challenging.
Cats with familial bonds, such as littermates and mother and child, share the closest bonds in feral colonies. Likewise, cats raised in multiple-cat homes are more likely to enjoy other cats around them and even pine if left alone.
Likewise, cats who lack early socialization and express an anxious nature are less likely to accept another feline member in the home. So, it’s best to assess your cat’s requirements on a case-to-case basis.
4. Neutered or Unneutered
Intact males and sometimes females exhibit more inter-cat aggression than unneutered males and intact females. If your Maine Coon is intact, a second male might cause territorial aggression and potential fights. While rarer in female cats, your intact female may exhibit greater territorial aggression than a spayed female.
5. Space and Resources
As behaviorists and biologists unlock the complex domestic cat mind, their unique needs have come to light. Unlike the ever-social dog, even familiar cats who enjoy each other’s company need their own spaces and resource areas to be happy and thrive. If you intend to house two or several Maine Coons you need to set up your living space so that each cat is free to avoid or interact with their cat company.
These arrangements take time and effort. So, if your lifestyle is super busy and your hours erratic—you may have to consider whether multiple cats (or even a solitary cat) are the best choice. To have a happy cat home, you need routine, attention, time, and financial resources for the multiple responsibilities of having a cat.
At the heart of a happy human-cat home is the arrangement of resources that deserves a closer look.
9 Ways to Create Harmony Among Multiple Coonie Cats
Most cats will do their best to avoid conflict. We can observe this in suburban cat communities where cats seem to timeshare neighborhood areas to avoid each other when left to roam outside. However, the availability of resources is the key to understanding domestic cat behavior when introducing a second (or third) cat into your household.
Cats tend to gravitate towards crucial areas with access to their chosen resources.
When cats share a home, these are the areas they frequent, and they also have areas they avoid, which other cats choose as their territory. This division of territories is vital to avoid conflict with other cats within the home.
The more cats you intend to bring into your home, the more key areas you need to map into your chosen space. The standard agreement amongst feline behaviorists is one resource station per cat and one extra for a happy multiple-cat home. Each core area should include the following elements.
1. A Food and Water Bowl Station for Each Kitty
Besides nursing queens, cats, unlike dogs, do not naturally share their feeding resources with other social group members. Thus, the critical feeding areas are the most significant potential conflict in multiple cat households.
If you have a single feeding and resource area, you place cats in competition with one another, so each designated kitty area should have a dedicated food bowl and a bowl of fresh water.
Cats prefer to avoid drinking near their litter or food, possibly due to an instinctive drive to protect their water from contamination. So be sure to pace your kitty’s water bowl some distance from their food.
2. Litter Boxes for Each Cat—Plus One
Cats confidently use their litter box when they feel safe, and you place the box away from their food and feeding areas. Like humans, they prefer private places away from doorways, windows, and high-traffic regions to do their business. If you place your litter box in the wrong spot, your cat may resist using the box and suffer from psychological and physical stress symptoms.
Most cats prefer fine, clumping substrates, but you can experiment and offer your Maine Coon their preferred litter type.
3. Up High: Kitty Perches for All
An essential resource for a happy cat is to mimic their wild heritage and survey their territory from an elevated perch, like a proud mini leopard. Indoor cats especially thrive in vertical spaces when the ground level is cramped. These areas can include cupboards or elevated areas, but it is also a great idea to have cat shelves with dual access points to avoid cats confronting each other on their perches,
4. Alone Time: Private Cat Areas
Cats tend to choose their private areas for time out. These areas are especially important for indoor-only cats who share their space with other cats or pets. These areas include under-bed areas, cupboards, and a variety of obscure and out-of-the-way hidey holes, which your cats tend to prefer. Make these areas even more secure by providing each cat with comfy bedding and familiar smells.
5. A Bed for Each Kitty—Plus One
A good clue to placing your kitty bed is where you will often find your kitty snoozing. If your cats compete for a single spot, it may be an excellent time to place another similar snooze area nearby to avoid conflict. Cats may be hostile on an owner’s master bed, so it is best to encourage your cats to find other sleeping areas nearby.
6. Scratching Posts for All: A Post Each to Mark Their Spots
Cats are all about territory; their scratch areas are essential visual and scent markers to communicate a cat’s identity and key living areas. They also allow your cats to stretch and shed their claw sheaths to keep their paw blades sharp and ready for the hunt.
Each cat should have their designated post, which your Maine Coon will often communicate to you by shredding the next best thing in the area of their choosing (think couch!) Each post should have the following features:
- Provide both vertical and horizontal surfaces that are tall enough for a full stretch
- The cat’s preferred scratching surface, such as sisal, cardboard, or rope
- Stable bases that do not move or wobble when scratching occurs
- Strategic placement in core areas and entry and exit thoroughfares
7. Divide Your Cat Toys and Playtime Evenly
Introverted cats may not be confident enough to play in front of a more dominant cat, so personality is vital in allocating toys and play space. You may have to assign different play times with cats who tend to escalate from play to aggression. Vertical seating and climbing areas may avoid play tension, as does allocating different play areas.
8. Provide Alternative Entry and Exit Points to Avoid Conflict
Particular cat personalities, such as the dominant type, tend to block exit and entry points as a form of dominance, so these are critical areas of potential conflict. You can bypass these potential hot spots by spending time and effort providing multiple options to access key areas in your home. These dual entry-exit points should include the following:
- Vertical surfaces should have two access avenues to avoid one cat cornering another a cat
- Provide double passage to areas that cats enjoy, such as windows or areas of flat roofs (where applicable)
- Two points of access from front and back doors (if your cat is indoor/outdoor)
Now that the house map is sorted out perfectly for a harmonious multi-cat home let’s explore the most crucial resource. And that is you!
Cats form unique bonds with their humans and may suffer if you introduce another cat and lessen their play and cuddle time as a result. Cats thrive on routine, and when this changes, they begin to stress, which may cause inappropriate behavior such as aggression.
If you regularly indulge in cuddles or play with a solitary cat, you should continue these routines without including your new kitty. Find your cat’s favorite activity and let them have it all to themselves, and find a new activity to create a new routine with your new cat.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t try to include group play, which can be a bonding experience in multiple cat homes. Assessing your cat’s personality is vital to monitoring their preferences and body language. Some cats are just happier one-on-one—so indulge that preference.
When Is the Best Time to Get Another Big Maine Feline?
When Your Cat Has Lost a Companion
When your cat grew up with a companion, they might have passed away or moved out due to circumstances like divorce. Cats used to company can mourn when left all on their own. Cats can experience grief and, like humans, become listless, withdrawn, and lose their appetites. Another Maine coon may provide calm and comfort, although it will still take time and effort to introduce a new cat successfully.
When You Maine Coon Is Still a Kitten
Kittens learn to socialize in a critical period of 2-7 weeks as a kitten, affecting their reaction to humans and other cats. These cats may display antisocial behavior later if deprived of these experiences. Though this pivotal age is crucial, cats can still learn social behaviors if they have positive experiences for up to two years. Littermates make great companions, as do kittens of the same age from different queens.
Adult introductions are trickier, and first impressions are critical. Most cats experiencing bad first meetings won’t ever be friends, however much you try, so focus on a perfect introduction.
You can learn about the process in my article about introducing your cat to new members of the household: “Can Maine Coons and Dogs Be Raised Together? And How?” Although the article is about new dogs in the home, the introduction steps are identical to introducing a new cat.
Here is the indomitable Jackson Galaxy with some great advice on how to introduce a new cat to your home:
How Many Cats Are Too Much?
Some experts suggest that six cats is the cut-off for the number of cats in a household and more than that, it may infringe on your cat’s right to live comfortably and free from stress. However, the number may be smaller for indoor apartment cats or owners who can’t devote time and attention to several cats.
Conclusion
Bringing more cats into your home is tempting, as many desperate kitties are pining away in shelters. However, you have to determine whether your cat’s nature suits a companion or whether to keep your Maine Coon as an only cat. You can always make up for it in time, love, and a superbly enriched cat environment.
