If your Maine Coon was born with small hair, then there is no need for you to worry about it. Short haired Maine Coon don’t differ much from long-haired Maine Coon. Short Haired Maine Coon has a beautiful square shape of the head with slightly longer snouts than other cats. They have big ears rounded at the tips with bits of fur.
Their unique face shape and the high cheekbones gives them a unique look. The face of this cat is slightly longer than other felines. Another amazing characteristic of this breed is its size. Short-haired Manie Coon easy to maintain and requires less grooming. Today in this article, we will study in detail about short haired Maine Coon.
What Is Maine Coon
Maine Coon is known for their long and luxurious fur. These cats originate from Maine in New England. They have been around since the 19th century and popular as farm cats. They are known for their big size. Maine Coon holds the record of longest cat in the world. They are affectionate and can adjust to any type of environment such as a small apartment, big house or even outside home. They have floppy ears, big rounded paws and thick and bushy tails. They have a black spot on their coat. The long and shaggy coats of Maine Coon help them withstand cold weather.
It’s thought that Maine Coon cats descended from other breeds such as Norwegian or Siberian cats. Some believe that they were brought in by the settlers, especially Vikings.
Can A Short Haired Maine Coon
Yes, Maine Coon have a short-hair, although it’s less common. The Short haired Maine Coon are referred to as “Smooth Maine Coon”. They may lack the long iconic long fur of the breed, but they often retain many of the Maine Coon characteristics such as large legs, bushy tails, tufted ears and friendly personality.
If you are looking for Short haired Maine Coon, you might need to do some research to find breeders who specialize in producing them. Before adopting the Short haired Maine Coon, it’s a good idea to consider the cat’s personality and compatibility with your lifestyle.
Appearance of Short Haired Maine Coon
Short haired Maine Coon not only have unique physical appearance but also have a loveable personality. They exhibit the same traits that you see in the Maine Coon. They are playful and affectionate and make an excellent pet for families including young children. Common colors of Short haired Maine Coon are blue, red, black, white, silver, and brown. Their coat patterns are separate from the coat colors. The most accepted coat patterns of Short haired Maine Coon are classic, mackerel, spotted/ticked, solid, and torbie.
Grooming Requirements For Short Haired Maine Coon
Short haired Maine Coon require less grooming than long-haired Maine Coon, they still benefit from day-to-day care.
Regular brushing is necessary to keep your feline healthy and active. Brush your feline at least 3 to 4 times a week. When brushing, it’s important to start from the belly and then brush their tail, neck and head. Buy the best brush like Furbliss.
Bathe your Short haired Maine Coon with a high quality cats shampoo (Hepper’s Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo). Bathe your cat after every 3 to 5 weeks. After a bath, dry their coat immediately, it helps to avoid your cat from skin irritation. Keep in mind, not use human shampoo because it can cause poor reactions.
Trim their nails on time, if you feel that they are big. Because with big nails they don’t walk comfortably on the floor. Regularly check their ears, if they are dirty clean it. Because dirty ears can cause ear infection in your loving feline.
Other Ways To Maintain A Maine Coon Fur
Along with frequent grooming session, they also need;
- Hairball control
- Well–balanced meals
Hairball Control
Short haired Maine Coon are not immune to gastrointestinal discomfort caused by hair accumulation. It’s important to preempt the potential hindrance ensuring the feline gets;
Moisture : Moisture assists digestion and can help to break down hairballs. Short haired Maine Coon are fascinated with water, so getting them to drink should not be difficult. Cats should drink 100 ml of fluids per 2 kilos of their body weight.
Fiber : A fiber is great for hairball control in Short haired Maine Coon. The soluble fiber in certain fruits and veggies such as cucumbers, pumpkins and broccoli strengthen the feline’s stomach.
Exercise : Regular exercise is good to a cat’s stomach, especially when it comes to bowel mobility. Short haired Maine Coon are playful by nature, so proper exercise is beneficial for their gastrointestinal health.
Well-balanced Meals
Cat’s bodies are reflected in their skin and coat. By poor nutrition cats fur becomes dull and dry. Short haired Maine Coon need a balanced diet;
Animal Protein : Cats require animal protein to maintain a healthy and lustrous coat. They are obligate carnivores, they can not harness valuable nutrition such as taurine.
Fatty Acids : To nourish the feline’s skin, the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in poultry (chicken and duck), fish ( salmon, tuna and sardine) and seafood (shrimp and prawns) is essential.
Training Of Short Haired Maine Coon
Common training methods for your Short haired Maine Coon are given below;
- Only use the cat tree or scratching post.
- When interacting with people and other animals, keep your claws retracted.
- Eliminate only in the litter box.
- Biting is for toys only.
- Games and agility tricks.
- Common commands include come here, play a game, roll over, leap, high-five, sit, stay, and so on.
- Familiarity with the grooming process.
- Stay off of furniture and counters.
- Familiarity with bathing.
- Riding calmly in the car.
Personality Of Short Haired Maine Coon
Short haired Maine Coon have an affectionate personality and are very playful and friendly. They like to keep themselves busy around the people, which makes them excellent pet for those families who like to share their home with such an enormous pet. Short haired Maine Coon are known for their delightful quiet chirping sound they make. They are playful by nature and enjoy playing with the children. When they are irritated from something, they can show aggression. Otherwise they have a loving and friendly nature.
Health issues Of Short Haired Maine Coon
Short haired Maine Coon are prone to many health issues. Some are there health problems that affect their physical appearance and internal body structure are given below;
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Dihydropyrimidinase deficiency
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Hip dysplasia
- Stomatitis
- Lethargy
As a responsible owner, you need to keep an eye on your feline’s activities. If you see the symptoms of any of these diseases then immediate contact with the vet for the healthy and happy life of your loving feline.
CONCLUSION
If you are thinking of getting the Short-haired Maine Coon cat, it might be quite a challenge for you. Because they are not purebred of their own. Purebred Maine Coon does not have short hair. Purebred Maine Coon have long luxurious coats that give them a lion look. They may lack the iconic long fur of the breed, but they often retain many of the Maine Coon characteristics such as large legs, bushy tails, tufted ears and friendly personality.
Short-haired Maine Coon come in different colors and patterns such as blue, red, black, white, silver, and brown, classic, mackerel, spotted/ticked, solid, and torbie. Short-haired Maine Coon are friendly towards humans, as well as other animals. They require regular exercise to stay in good health. They don’t require a lot of grooming. Just daily care is enough. Short-haired Maine Coon have many health issues such as lethargy, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, obesity, heart disease, spinal muscular atrophy, stomatitis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polycystic kidney disease.
FAQs
Can Maine Coon be short-haired?
Yes, due to genetic variation Maine Coon can be short hair. Short-haired Maine Coon possess their own unique charm and require less grooming.
Is a Short-haired Maine Coon indoor cat?
Short-haired Maine Coon can be both indoor or outdoor cats, depending on their living arrangement.
What is the personality of the Short-haired Maine Coon cats?
Short-haired Maine Coon cats are friendly, playful and affectionate.