# Maine Coons

> Films made by people who live with one: what the day to day is actually like, how big they really get, and what that coat costs you in time.

## About

Most of these are filmed by the households that own the cat — a kitten growing through its first year, an ordinary afternoon, and the grooming a long double coat needs whether or not anybody feels like doing it.

Between them they answer what people actually ask before getting one. Not what the breed standard says, but what it is like to keep a cat this size in a normal house.

## What we do

- **Weight** — Males commonly six to eight kilos, females rather less | Size
- **Full size** — They keep filling out until three or four, later than most breeds | Growth
- **The coat** — Semi-long and double, and it mats behind the legs and under the arms | Grooming
- **Brushing** — Two or three times a week, and more when they are dropping coat | Routine
- **Temperament** — Sociable and talkative, and inclined to follow you room to room | Character
- **Screening** — Ask a breeder about HCM and hip dysplasia — both run in the breed | Health

## Common questions

- **Do they really get that big?** Males commonly reach six to eight kilos and keep filling out until three or four. The size is real, though a camera held low helps it along.
- **How much grooming is it, honestly?** Two or three brushes a week for most of the year, more while they are dropping coat. Mats form behind the legs and under the arms, where it is easy not to look.
- **Are they alright with dogs and other cats?** Generally yes. The breed is known for being sociable rather than territorial, which is why so many of these films have a dog wandering through them.
- **What should I ask a breeder?** Whether both parents have been screened for HCM, the heart condition that runs in the breed, and for hip dysplasia.

## Contact

- Website: https://indy.garage.co.nz