Maine Coons are known to be some of the biggest domestic cats there are. The cats are native to Maine, where they had to face brutally cold winters, helping them develop into a rugged breed that’s fit for any cold climate. The longest cat on record is a Maine Coon, which has been a trend for many years. When the longest cat in the world dies, the next king crowned is almost always another Maine Coon.
But how big are these gentle giants compared to other house cats? In reality, some Maine Coons are smaller than other house cats! But that’s not necessarily the norm. Many of these cats are pretty sizable. So, let’s look at the average size of Coons and other cats, as well as some of the largest cats on record, so we can see how these felines stack up against other fur balls.
Maine Coon Cat Average Weight
Though Maine Coons are known for their above-average size, they’re not always massive cats. Male Maine Coons are generally between 12 and 18 pounds when fully grown. You might have heard that the felines can reach massive weights of up to 35 pounds. That is pretty rare, though not impossible. Generally, a Coon of that size is overweight.
When it comes to females, they’re not as heavy. On average, female Maine Coons weigh between 8 and 12 pounds. Again, they can get much heavier, but on average, they tend to fall between these weights.
Maine Coon Cats Size Comparison
So, how heavy is a regular house cat? Well, some of them are heavier than smaller Maine Coon specimens. The average male cat weighs 9–10 pounds. Since male Maine Coons are 12–18 pounds on average, they have a distinct weight advantage.
But things change a bit when we look at the average female cat, which generally weighs 8–9 pounds. Remember, the average female Coon weighs 8–12 pounds, which means that the largest female cats are about the same weight as some of the smaller Maine Coon females. In fact, the largest female Coons are even heavier than the largest of the average normal male cats, showing just how sizable this breed is.
Maine Coon Size
Of course, weight isn’t the only metric we can use to compare Coons and other cats. The longest Maine Coon on record was an amazing 48.5 inches from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. That’s pretty impressive but much larger than the average Coon, which is why that cat made it into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Since tails can vary significantly in length, let’s only discuss the length of cats from their nose to the base of their tail, which can be considered their true body length. Both male and female Coons share the same average length of 19-30 inches.
Regular House Cat Size
But what about the average house cat? Well, they are significantly smaller, averaging 15–20 inches in length for males and females. This means that even the shortest Maine Coons are about the same length as the longest normal cats, a clear indicator of this breed’s massive size.
Comparing Regular & Maine Coon Tails
In the last metric, we omitted tails since they can vary so drastically in size. But that doesn’t mean we should skip them altogether. On the contrary. The tail shows another distinct difference between Maine Coons and other cat breeds.
On average, male and female Coons have tails that are 12–18 inches in length. That’s a large variance, but an 18-inch tail added onto a 30-inch body makes for a world-record cat. In any other breed, that would be simply unheard of.
The average normal cat has a tail length of just 10 inches. Of course, this is proportional to their body lengths of 15–20 inches. But a 10-inch tail is 2 inches shorter than the smallest of average Maine Coon tails. At the top end of the spectrum, a Maine Coon can have a tail that’s nearly twice as long as a regular cat. When you add that to the already sizable difference in body length, you end with Maine Coons that completely dwarf other breeds.
How Big Do Maine Coon Cats Get?
So, to wrap it up, how big do Maine Coon cats get? You can expect male Maine Coons (at a healthy size) to be between 12–18 pounds, with an average length of 19-30 inches. Female Maine Coons (at a healthy size) weigh between 8–12 pounds but roughly the same average length.
Conclusion: Average Maine Coon Size
There’s a reason why almost every Guinness World Record Holder for the world’s longest cat has been a Maine Coon. They are seriously sizable creatures and one of the largest breeds of domestic cats in the world. But they’re known as the gentle giants of the cat world because of their incredibly loving nature. So, don’t let their large size fool you. These cats have hearts as big as their massive brains, which is why so many people are endeared to them.
You might also be interested in:Â
Featured Image Credit: Sergey Ginak, Shutterstock
