Why does a Maine Coon kitten have no ear tufts and will they appear?

Maine Coons know how to make an impression with their appearance - gigantic size, beautiful hair, tufted ears, powerful paws, dressed in “pants.”
At first glance, it may seem that these domestic lynxes require special living conditions. In fact, caring for a Maine Coon is not difficult if you know the habits of these animals and follow simple rules. The coon should not be kept in a small apartment - it is a large, active cat that requires living space, if only due to its rather large size. Animals of this breed are not cheap to keep, primarily due to the cost of food - Maine Coons require more of it than ordinary cats, but in general they are unpretentious, have good health and an easy-going character, which is important when caring for them.

Why are there no tassels on the ears?

People who want to become Maine Coon breeders are afraid to buy kittens without brushes, believing that they will be given a “damage” and not without reason, given the price for one baby. The bottom line is that the lack of sharp woolly ear tips is common in the breed. It is considered more of a norm than a deviation, and cats with an “anomaly” are allowed into exhibitions and competitions.

It is impossible to determine in advance whether Maine Coons have brushes. Genetics are designed in such a way that even mom and dad with tassels will not give a 100% chance of such a kitten appearing.

Features of the structure of the ears

The Maine Coon is rightfully considered unique among domestic cats; its head anatomy is similar to its wild relatives - the lynx. Wide, open, triangle-shaped ears with a cluster of hair at the tip are the hallmark of the Coon. The space between the ears does not exceed the length of the base of the ear, the shells are recessed. The surface of the internal cavity is delicate and pinkish, protected by a copious layer of thick hair. The structure of the muscles allows the ears to be sharply pressed to the head. The upper edge of the auricle begins slightly above the outer corner of the eye or at its level. A scruff grows around the head.

Does everyone have brushes?

Whether tassels will appear on your pet’s ears also depends on the diet, which must contain meat.

The genetics of the species suggests deviations from the norm, and the rules of competitions allow participation without brushes, equating both in determining authenticity. The absence of tufts on the ears of a Maine Coon in the first months of life does not mean that the kitten will not grow the treasured hair growths. This is facilitated by regular balanced nutrition according to all the rules of care and, of course, meat.

When do tassels appear?

Kittens of this breed acquire tassels for 5-6 months. life, there have been cases of delays of up to 9-10 months. This is due to the genetic characteristics of the parents and the ancestral line. Absence is possible due to a family member in the older generations. It is impossible to determine in advance which kitten will grow up and whether tassels will appear. New breeders are afraid to take on an animal without the hallmarks of a “real” breed.

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An important feature of the breed

There are other breeds with tassels, such as Norwegian forest cats and pixie bobs. But a large part of the Maine Coon’s charm lies precisely in its large ears, decorated in a lynx style.

Even when choosing a kitten, it is recommended to pay attention to its ears, which is often understood unambiguously: if there are tassels, it’s a coon; if not, it’s a mixed breed or a mongrel kitten. In fact, they are not a mandatory attribute for Maine Coons. The breed standards state their desirability, but an animal with small tassels will in no case be disqualified. They are not a mandatory sign of a purebred animal, but they certainly make the coon more spectacular and “wild.”

Maine Coon kittens have ear tufts that are not very thick; over time, they grow back and become “lynx-like.” You should not expect that the kitten will instantly become the owner of lush hands - they grow slowly. The tassels of Maine Coons of the European type (extreme types) are often longer than those of the “Americans,” but extreme types are, in principle, larger than aboriginal coons, in addition, long tassels on the ears are “cultivated” by fans of “Europeans.”

How to comb

Maine Coons have long coats that require special care. For this procedure you will need one or two combs with sparse and fine teeth. The tips of the teeth should be blunt and not sharp. It is also advisable to have a comb with long, sparse and rounded teeth, as well as a massage brush. You can use it to brush your cat before shows. The massage brush should also be used during the shedding period.

First, combing is carried out with a comb with sparse teeth, then with fine teeth. You need to comb in the direction of the fur. For convenience, you can divide the wool into partings. It is not recommended to scratch the neck area, hind legs and tail with a fine comb, as the hair there takes a long time to recover.

Long, thick fur sometimes develops tangles. They usually cluster on the chest, belly, hind legs, behind the ears and in the lower neck area. The tangles cause anxiety for the cat. They tighten the skin when wool is wrapped around the tangle. It must be divided into several parts and combed out. If this cannot be done, then you can carefully cut it off with nail scissors or tweezers. To do this, pull the tangle towards you and cut off the hairs directly under it.

It is better to brush your Maine Coon no more than four to five days. Brushing prevents severe hair loss and massages the hair. It is advisable to train your pet from an early age.

Does size matter?

You can find all sorts of tips for adding tassels to your coon ears. The most popular of them:

1. thin out with tweezers at a certain molting period;
2. trim the ends with scissors;
3. lubricate the hairline with castor, burdock or olive oil, or even medicinal ointment or eyelash growth product.

Most often, such manipulations do not lead to anything other than stress for the animal, because the size of the hands depends only on the genetics of the Maine Coon. It happens that a kitten has large tassels, but when he grows up, they remain medium in size, or even small. It's all about the individual characteristics of each animal. It is often advised to take vitamins to improve the condition of the coat - maybe the Maine Coon's brushes will not become giant, but this will not harm the health of the pet.

Many coon fans fell in love with this breed because of its lynx ears, but even a brushless Maine Coon never ceases to be a charming animal, which is loved not for the decoration on its ears, but simply for the fact that it exists.

Prevention is the key to health

Caring for a Maine Coon primarily involves caring for the pet’s health. Coons, like cats of other breeds, must be vaccinated once a year against rabies, calcivirosis, panleukopenia and rhinotracheitis, and also periodically treated against ticks, fleas and helminths. Even if the animal does not leave the house, parasite larvae can be carried on the soles of shoes, and if the cat is taken to the country or it often participates in exhibitions, vaccination and deworming are vital for it.

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Maine Coons need vitamins for a healthy, beautiful coat, strong bones and teeth, and to maintain immunity. It is especially important that your pet receive vitamin supplements during growth, pregnancy, or illness. Special vitamin complexes for cats have been developed and can be purchased at veterinary pharmacies.

Feeding your cat pills is a problem for many Maine Coon owners. Animals spit out the medicine, and if it is mixed with a treat, they manage to eat the food and bypass the tablet. In this case, the medicine is turned into powder and combined with liquid food. If this does not help, there is only one way out - put the tablet in the cat’s mouth, on the root of the tongue, close its jaws with your hand and hold them until the animal swallows the medicine.

In addition, clean semi-long-haired Maine Coons need a special paste for removing hair. While licking itself, the Maine Coon swallows fur, it gets into the stomach, rolls into hair balls there and causes discomfort to the animal, leading to constipation, coughing, and even intestinal obstruction. The paste helps solve this problem, especially during shedding. It can be mixed with food, or it can be given to the cat separately.

Nutrition - what and how to feed?

Proper feeding of Maine Coons is an important part of a cat’s healthy life. It is important to choose the right food and water containers for your pet.

It is necessary to take into account the fact that in the wild, the ancestors of cats, before drinking, try to clear the surface of the water from debris, fallen leaves, and twigs. At the same time, water is sprayed in different directions. Pets have retained this reflex. The Maine Coon may even knock over a bowl of water or move it along the floor. Therefore, the drinking container should be moderately heavy or fixed to the floor so that it does not move and cannot tip over.

The food bowl should be kept away from the water container. Otherwise, splashes that get into the food bowl can ruin the food. If the cat stays at home without its owners for a long time, it is better to purchase a water bottle. Water should always be fresh and clean.

Feeding Maine Coons has its own rules:

• You only need to feed your cat dry food of premium quality. It contains the necessary vitamins and various nutritional supplements that are important for the health and normal development of Maine Coons. Can be combined with canned food;
• if you feed with natural food, then the basis of the diet (at least 80%) should be meat and dairy products, vegetables and grains;
• If the cat's diet consists exclusively of natural products, it is necessary to regularly give vitamins;
• with a mixed diet, dry food should be the basis, and natural food should be additional.

What natural products can you feed your Maine Coon:

• meat: poultry, beef (raw and cooked), rabbit, lean lamb, chicken livers and hearts.
• vegetables: carrots, beets, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, tomatoes;
• hard cheese;
• eggs: yolk once or twice a week, boiled or raw;
• boiled sea fish, seaweed and other seafood;
• cereals, bran;
• fermented milk products: cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk (milk can only be given to kittens under 3 months of age);
• cereals: three to four times a week as an addition to boiled meat;
• sprouted grains: wheat and oats.

Important! It is prohibited to add salt, sugar, or spices to cat food.

It is strictly forbidden to give your pet beef and chicken bones, fatty pork, duck, goose, smoked meat products, sausages, sugar, potatoes, legumes, and chocolate.

Cats need to eat fresh greens periodically. To prevent your pet from being drawn to dusty, dirty grass during a walk, you need to sow grass seeds (wheat, oats) in a low, wide container (box) at home and allow the cat to eat the young sprouts.

If a cat is allergic to any of the food or products, the allergen should be removed from the diet.

Cat food should not be hot or cold. It should be at room temperature. Kittens need to grind their food. The kitten should eat at least 5 times a day. This principle must be maintained for up to 2 months. From six months onwards, the frequency of feedings is reduced to three times a day, and eight-month-old cats should be switched to two meals a day.

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Do all Maine Coons have ear tufts?

According to the breed standard, tassels are desirable, but not required. Due to the misconception that all members of this breed have tufted ears similar to those of a lynx, many owners are surprised when they see that this is not the case. A Maine Coon without ear tufts is no longer different from its brothers ; it is also playful and affectionate, large in size, and purrs like a tractor.

The fact is that ear tufts are not the main natural characteristic of the breed, although these are the only domestic cats that can develop them. Their absence is not considered a “marriage”.

The Maine Coon's ear has a wide base and a pointed tip. Kittens can be picked up from the nursery at the age of 3.5 months, and at this age it will be clearly visible whether the animal has tassels at the ends of its ears or not. Although it also happens that tassels suddenly appear at the age of 10 months . This can be facilitated by a good pedigree and proper care of the animal. Feeding meat, high-quality feed and regular consumption of vitamins helps representatives of this breed grow good hair.

Pet health - maintenance and care

Caring for a pet primarily involves paying attention to its health. To prevent your cat from getting sick and live a full life, it is necessary to take preventive measures. A domestic cat can catch the disease not only on a walk, but also at home. Infection or parasites may be brought in by shoes.

Prevention:

• once a year you need to be vaccinated against rabies, panleukopenia, calcivirosis, rhinotracheitis, chlamydia, infectious peritonitis, trichophytosis and microsporia (ringworm);
• treat wool with flea and tick preparations;
• take anthelmintics.

What causes ear hair to shed?

If your Maine Coon's ears are peeling, there may be different reasons for this:

• Seasonal shedding;
• Hormonal changes in the body;
• Allergy;
• Lichen.

The first two points are normal. The fact is that Maine Coon shedding begins from the head. The average lifespan of a hair is approximately 25 days. Dead hairs fall off after maturation. To prevent them from becoming tangled and stuck in the thick undercoat, it is necessary to periodically comb the coat. Such molting in a Maine Coon can last more than a month.

Seasonal molting is necessary for animals in order to independently regulate heat exchange. Its onset directly depends on the natural climate. Hormonal stress in a cat can be caused by pregnancy , during the period of estrus and feeding the offspring. After this, the coat itself is restored to normal thickness.

A Maine Coon's ears can also peel if the animal suffers from an allergy to some product. It is very important to determine which one and quickly eliminate it from your pet’s diet.

There have been cases when a cat was allergic even to chicken meat. To restore the animal's health, doctors may recommend giving it some antihistamines.

If a hard, gray crust forms on bald areas of the skin, this may be a sign of microsporia - lichen infection. In this case, you can’t hesitate; you definitely need to show the animal to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Bathing a raccoon cat

Bathing is an important part of Maine Coon care. Like all cats, representatives of this breed are not too fond of water treatments that involve getting their fur wet, although they enjoy playing with water. Coons are washed once every few months; urgent bathing is recommended if the pet is dirty or shedding (washing speeds up the shedding process - dead hairs are easier to remove). You should definitely bathe the animal before the exhibition.

For water procedures, you need shampoos (washing and tinting), conditioner, sponge, towel, hair dryer, as well as hair styling products (gels, creams, powders).

Bathing a Maine Coon goes like this:

• Fill a sink or small basin with warm water (not lower than +38°C). You can put a terry towel on the bottom so that the paws do not move apart and the cat does not get nervous.
• Holding the Maine Coon by the scruff of the neck, moisten the fur with a sponge and gently rub shampoo intended for long-haired cats into it, from the back to the tail.
• The cat should never be rubbed, otherwise the fur will become matted.
• Wash your hair without shampoo, do not allow detergent to get into the animal’s mouth, eyes and ears.
• You need to wash your Maine Coon's fur under a weak shower, from head to tail. Be sure to remove all the shampoo to make the coat squeak, otherwise skin irritation may occur. In addition, if the wool is poorly washed, it appears unkempt.
• Apply a special conditioner to the cat's fur, then rinse it thoroughly.
• Dry the animal with a towel, maybe a paper towel, so that the long fur does not get tangled from wiping.
• Wrap the Maine Coon in a large towel and take it to a warm, draft-free room.
• Dry the fur with a hairdryer (if the cat can tolerate the sound of it).
• Brush the cat. Pay special attention to the belly and “pants”, where the fur tends to curl in ringlets; it is advisable not to comb the tail at all, and comb the collar from bottom to top for fullness.

Description of the breed

Maine Coon are beautiful and quite large cats, with very well developed muscles. The weight of an adult animal can reach 12 kg , but there have been cases when a cat weighed even 18 kg. These massive cats, despite their size, are very well built, they are graceful and agile.

The body of these animals is elongated, powerful, and proportional. The chest is wide, the muzzle is sharp. Strong, rounded paws set wide apart. Such cats have an unusual coat with a water-repellent undercoat and a long tail. The Maine Coon has different coat color options:

Shades not available:

• Cynamonaceae;
• Chocolate;
• Lilac;
• faun and pointed drawings.

Eyes, ears, teeth and claws - these are my documents

It is advisable to regularly inspect your Maine Coon's teeth to ensure that tartar does not form. If your cat eats dry food, you can brush its teeth once every two months; if it eats natural food, you can brush its teeth at least once a month. Coonam's teeth are cleaned with a special paste for cats using a children's toothbrush.

Caring for the eyes of a healthy cat is usually limited to daily wiping with a piece of cotton wool. If discharge appears, you can wipe your eyes with tea or a weak solution of boric acid.

The inside of a large weasel ear should be pink, clean, and free of black coating. If wax builds up, it can be gently removed with a cotton swab and Vaseline.

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If the Maine Coon is not supposed to be present at the exhibition today or tomorrow, it is better not to touch the claws - he will take care of their length himself using a scratching post. But if the claws have grown a lot, they can be trimmed with a special nail clipper or tweezers, very carefully, cutting off only the tip, strictly across, otherwise you can hit a blood vessel.

Particular care must be taken in shortening pigmented claws - the blood vessels are not visible through them, in addition, it should be remembered that the claws on the front paws are longer than on the hind paws. It is better to carry out the procedure together - one person holds the cat, and the other shortens the claws. After this cosmetic operation, you can polish the claws with a nail file. If an animal breaks a claw, it must be trimmed: a broken end can injure the cat's paw.

Maine Coon ear structure

Maine Coons have rather large, widely spaced triangular ears. The space between the ears of Maine Coons is equal to the base of the ear, but with age it may increase slightly. In young, unformed cats, narrower ear set is acceptable.

The upper edge of the ear in a purebred animal should begin slightly above the outer corner of the eye or at its level. If you draw lines along the outer edges of your Maine Coon's ears, they will be parallel.

A breed defect is considered:

• The distance between the ears is too large;
• Ears “falling apart” beyond the contours of the head;
• Straight line of the eye (upper);
• Round muzzle;
• Small stature of the animal.

The thick undercoat that covers the inside of the ear sticks out 1-2 cm beyond it. The size and thickness of a Maine Coon’s tassels can be any size.