Can Maine Coon Cats Have Short Hair? Maine Coon cats are quite distinctive. They are the largest of the domestic breeds (on average), and have a magnificent mane of hair, a fluffy tail, and lots of fur! But can Maine Coon cats have short hair?
Short answer: No. Purebred Maine Coon cats always have medium to long hair. But a mixed Maine Coon might have short hair, depending on the breed. In this case, they tend to have short hair or at least patches of short hair. But a purebred Maine Coon cat never has short hair. Sorry to disappoint!
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Why Don’t Maine Coon Cats Have Short Hair?
The coat of a Maine Coon cat is probably one of the most distinctive things about it, aside from its sheer size. Maine Coons developed a thick, long layer of fur in order to survive the harsh winters of Maine and it’s although this breed may be descended from other forest cats which also have shaggy long fur.
At first glance, a Maine Coon looks very shaggy, but the fur is actually quite smooth and silky. They always look a little unkempt though – ready to face the wilds! Purebred Maine Coons always have medium to long-length of fur with an uneven appearance and a smooth touch.
The length of a Maine Coon cat’s fur isn’t uniform though. Their bellies usually have shorter fur in order to prevent them from dragging in the snow.
Their mane and tail have much longer hair. All of this is geared to helping the cat maintain its body temperature and manage freezing climates. The fur also protects them from sunburns in the summer, so it’s important not to shave them unless the matting is so severe that you have no other choice.
Caring for a Maine Coon Cat’s Coat
Regular grooming is very important to keep such long fur healthy and mat-free. A Maine Coon cat should be brushed at least twice a week, though it may require daily care for a cat that doesn’t have a very healthy coat.
Most Maine Coons don’t need to be bathed but getting them used to the idea at a young age can make life easier later.
Unless your cat has severe mats, clipping and shaving aren’t usually required. Remember that the long coat of this cat helps them to regulate their body temperature and stay healthy.
But if your cat is severely matted or having skin problems, you may have to do some careful clipping and shaving to help your animal get healthy again.
A Maine Coon takes a long time to grow back a coat that has been shaved, so it could be argued that you will temporarily have a short hair Maine Coon while their coat comes back in!
Short Haired Part Maine Coon Cats
About the only way you would see a short-haired Maine Coon cat (Aside from one that had been shaved or badly trimmed), is if it is only part Maine Coon.
Mixed breed cats are of course very common and Maine Coon can certainly get thrown into the mix, meaning that you could have a larger cat with many Maine Coon features (or temperament), but short hair.
Common mixed in breeds include:
- British Shorthair
- American Shorthair
- Siamese/Oriental
- Persian
- Ragdoll
- Birman
In particular, the British or American Shorthairs mixed in with Maine Coons would probably give you the closest to a short-hair Maine Coon, though of course, it won’t be purebred.
Other Reasons For a Short Hair Maine Coon Cat
Sadly, a healthy, purebred Maine Coon cat will not have short hair, so if you have a short-haired one, there are a few reasons why and none of them are going to be very good.
The first reason is that you simply don’t have a purebred Maine Coon cat. This isn’t a bad thing of course, but if you paid a lot of money for a purebred Maine Coon, you might be rather miffed. But a part Maine Coon often has many of the attributes of a purebred one, so they are certainly still fun to have around!
The second reason is poor health. Maine Coon cats require plenty of quality, high-protein food. If they aren’t getting that, their coat will show signs of malnutrition, including excessive shedding, faded coloring, and loss of hair.
If your cat is showing this, it’s important to talk to a vet about how best to feed them so that their coat grows in properly and to head off other health problems.
The third reason for thinning can be over-grooming. Cats that are stressed, ill, or anxious can groom themselves too much as a way to self-soothe. This can lead cats to lose hair. Older cats can start to shed a bit too much as well or groom too much, so talk to your vet.
Conclusion
If you do see advertisements for short-haired Maine Coon cats, you’re not getting a purebred Maine Coon, you’re getting a part breed. There is no such thing as a short-haired Maine Coon cat – they are always medium to long-haired cats.
If you do have a purebred Maine Coon with short hair, you either have one that was shaved at some point in the recent past or one that is having problems with their nutrition, so make sure to talk to your vet if you have any concerns.
Pam is a self-confessed cat lover and has experience of working with cats and owning cats for as long as she can remember. This website is where she gets to share her knowledge and interact with other cat lovers.