Is Maine Coon an indoor cat or not? Choose the perfect environment for your feline friend

05.05.2022

Maine Coons are natural explorers. They’re also quite large and super energetic, so it’s only natural to wonder—is the Maine Coon an indoor cat, or are they better suited for the outside world?

Letting your cat outside can be beneficial, but it also carries various risks (e.g. your cat could get hurt, stolen, or eat something toxic). Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Keep reading to discover whether you should keep your friendly gentle giant inside or let them roam free.

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Are Maine Coon cats indoor cats?

While Maine Coons can be kept inside, taking care of the vigorous and energetic feline indoors can be challenging because they used to be farm cats who spent most (if not all) their time outdoors. Coons prefer having the freedom to explore new surroundings.

Oh boy, I guess it’s time for a nap again—time surely flies when you’re living horizontally.

Source: Romain Chollet

Here are some benefits and downsides of keeping your feline friend indoors:

Benefits

Downsides

• You’ll have peace of mind knowing your cat is safe
• You won’t have to deal with your cat bringing dead animals, such as birds, mice, slugs, and frogs, to your doorstep (they can carry various parasites that could compromise the health of the entire household)
• The house will be cleaner as you won’t have to deal with mud stains every time they go outside
• The chances of your cat catching a disease, eating something toxic, or being hurt in traffic are lower
• Cats who stay indoors are easier to groom

• Your cat will need a lot more attention and stimulation
• You’ll need to change their environment frequently to keep them active and interested
• The litter box requires regular cleaning
• Cats living indoors shouldn’t be left alone for too long, which can be challenging if you have a busy schedule
• Maine Coons who spend too much time inside can become lethargic and easily agitated
• Your feline companion might become obese if they don’t get enough exercise

Can Maine Coon cats go outside?

While Maine Coon cats love the great outdoors, many owners prefer to keep them inside. Unlike most other domestic felines, gentle giants have the constant urge to explore.

The outdoors presents a challenge and sense of adventure that indoor life never could. Like Norwegian Forest cats, Abyssinians, and Bengals, Maine Coons would be happy to visit their home for a quick meal and spend the rest of the day outside.

I could explore all day long, but home is where the heart is—with you, hooman!

Source: Lara Celine

The pros and cons of letting your feline friend spend time outdoors are as follows:

Benefits

Risks

• Your feline companion will have a more active lifestyle, which will help them stay fit
• They can follow their instincts (explore different smells, sights, tastes, etc.)
• They’ll feel relaxed and won’t feel trapped
• You probably won’t have to have a litter box at home
• Your furniture will be cat-hair-free

• Your cat could get hurt in traffic or have an unpleasant encounter with other animals (dogs, foxes, etc.)
• They might end up chasing adventure too far and getting lost or stolen (if you opt to let your cat roam free, consider a safety collar or a microchip)
• Your feline companion could bring home different diseases (from other animals) or consume bad food and toxic substances

How to keep your Maine Coon happy and healthy indoors? Can they get the best of both worlds?

Keeping a Maine Coon happy and energetic indoors might be challenging, but it’s not impossible.

Oh, it’s the noisy neighbour with the pretty Persian again.

Source: Yurii Stupen

Here are some tips you might find useful:

• Bring some elements of wilderness indoors—If your cat has a go-to cat tower or tree, set it close to the windows so that they can enjoy some sunshine during playtime
• Make sure your Maine Coon has their separate space—Since they’re large and like to stay active, Maine Coons need to be able to move freely. If you can, designate an area in your home (or an entire room) for them
• Provide cat toys, scratching posts, and climbing shelves—Make sure your Maine Coon has enough entertainment at home so they don’t feel depressed or lethargic
• Play with your cat to ensure they’re active—Besides usual playtime (fetch, wand teasers, laser pointers, etc.), you can also increase their activity by making them work for food with the help of food puzzles
• Let them go outside every once in a while—Find a safe way for your feline to enjoy the outside world a few times a week (either in your garden or by taking them for a walk)

How to keep your cat safe outdoors

Although you can train your Maine Coon to be obedient, you cannot control all the risks that come with playing outside. Some ways to keep your cat safe are:

• Keep an eye on your Maine Coon at all times
• Find a safe outdoor space for your cat and make sure it’s free of harmful chemicals, rodents, and other dangers (this is easier if you have a garden)
• Provide high-quality nutrition, so your cat doesn’t feel the need to hunt. Cats are natural hunters, and if their nutritional requirements aren’t met, they will go after mice, slugs, birds, and other small animals. If you make sure their regular meals mimic their natural feeding habits and provide all the necessary nutrients, they most likely won’t have to compensate by chasing prey

How to meet your Maine Coon’s nutritional needs

Offering your cat the right amounts of food that’s high-quality and delicious will prevent them from wandering off in search of other options.

No matter which type of food you go for—wet, dry, homemade, raw, or a mix—it must contain the right amounts of:

1. Animal protein
2. Animal fat

Animal protein

The proteins derived from meat and fish are imperative for your Maine Coon’s well-being. There are no vegan cats since felines are hardwired carnivores that struggle with digesting plant proteins.

To survive and function normally, cats need animal proteins to get all the necessary amino acids, such as taurine. Amino acids are crucial for maintaining heart muscle function and a healthy immune system.

Look for ingredients such as chicken, salmon, and tuna. Pork, bacon, beef, and liver are excellent natural taste enhancers but shouldn’t be the basis of your Coon’s diet because they are too fatty. Never go for food high in vegetable proteins derived from soya, sweetcorn, carrots, peas, etc.

Animal fat

Your Maine Coon’s diet should include animal fat but not more than 20%. This nutrient is a fantastic secondary energy source. It also promotes:

• Transport of nutrients across cell membranes
• Cat’s inflammatory response
• Coat and skin health

Besides having great health benefits, fat also makes cat food yummy—felines go wild for the taste of animal fat! If your cat is picky and refuses to eat wet food, choose products with a healthy amount of animal fat to ensure it’s tasty enough for your feline.

What about carbs?

Because of their ancestral feeding pattern, felines are metabolically adapted to a protein-based diet, and carbs don’t play a significant role in it.

Cats lack the enzymes to process carbs, which makes them unable to get their energy from this nutrient efficiently. Carbs shouldn’t make up more than 3% of your Maine Coon’s daily food intake. By limiting the amount of the nutrient, you’ll help your feline avoid metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, pancreatitis, obesity, etc.

Is Untamed the right choice for your Maine Coon?

Untamed cat food will keep your Maine Coon satiated and happy, so they don’t feel the need to look for food outside.

Each tin of Untamed is made with human-grade ingredients that satisfy your cat’s nutritional needs while also being super tasty. Our meals support your feline’s health regardless of their life stage. Untamed is suitable for:

• Kittens who must grow strong and at a steady pace
• Adult felines who need to maintain a healthy weight and avoid diseases that often come with a sedentary lifestyle (e.g. hyperthyroidism and diabetes)
• Older cats who lose appetite and muscle tone quickly

Untamed follows these principles while making the perfect meals for your Maine Coon cat:

1. Exclusively animal proteins
2. Vet-formulated recipes
3. Ethically-produced food

Exclusively animal proteins

Untamed offers twice as much protein as the industry standard. Thanks to our high protein content, your cat will have enough energy to play and explore!

Your feline should consume only the highest quality animal proteins found in Untamed recipes.

Image (c) Untamed

We use only human-grade whole meat because we want your cat to get the best of the best. Whether you go for Tuck-in Tuna, Full-on Fishy, or Chocka Chicken, your feline companion will enjoy premium quality ingredients that taste delicious.

Vet-formulated recipes

Untamed recipes are developed and approved by veterinarians. Each meal contains the right amount of nutrients cats need to stay healthy. Our meals are complete, balanced, and free from all known allergens that could cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and other gastrointestinal problems.

Although they’re not as sensitive as Siberian and Siamese cats, Maine Coons can get food allergies.

To ensure our meals are easy on your cat’s tummy, Untamed uses only top-notch ingredients. We steer clear of known allergens, artificial taste enhancers, and harsh preservatives. Untamed also offers two single-source-protein options for extremely sensitive Coons—Chocka Chicken and Tuck-in Tuna in Jelly.

Ethically produced food

While your cat’s well-being is our number one priority, we also care about the planet, so we:

• Source our meat and fish from cruelty-free and dolphin-friendly suppliers
• Use 100% recyclable packaging
• Run carbon-neutral operations

Try Untamed today and witness your cat thrive!

How can you get Untamed?

Ordering tailored cat food online is super easy with Untamed! All you need to do is:

1. Share some details about your Maine Coon
2. Choose the perfect meal plan
3. Order your tailor-made trial pack with a single click

Start with a trial pack, then get your cat’s favourite meals delivered monthly. We provide one of the most flexible cat food delivery systems around—you can change or cancel your order anytime.

Satisfied Maine Coon parents report the following results after switching their felines to Untamed cat food:

Timeline

What Untamed can achieve

1 week

• Ideal hydration
• Optimised digestion
• Less mess in the litter tray

2 months

• Pronounced muscles
• Less shedding and fewer hairballs
• Even energy levels

4 months

• Stronger bones
• Seamless digestion

For life

• Natural weight control
• Improved immune system

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor