Maine Coon Guide

How to Groom a Maine Coon Cat

Learning how to groom a Maine Coon cat is mostly learning where the coat tangles and how to keep ahead of it. The coat is long, silky and water-shedding, and it looks after itself better than most long coats, but it still needs a comb a few times a week and a quick check of the trouble spots.

This guide covers the routine we would give a new owner: what to buy, how to comb, how to deal with mats, when baths make sense, how to handle nails and the shedding seasons, and why shaving a Maine Coon is usually a mistake. If you are still deciding whether the breed suits you, our guide to what a Maine Coon is is a good place to start.

Do Maine Coon cats need a lot of grooming?

Less than most people expect, but more than a short-haired cat. The coat is shaggy rather than fluffy: shorter on the head and shoulders, longer along the back and sides, with a full ruff at the chest, feathering on the legs and thick britches on the hind legs. The texture is fairly silky, and that texture is the reason it tangles less than a Persian or a Ragdoll coat.

For most adult cats a thorough comb two or three times a week keeps the coat in good shape. Kittens and cats in a heavy shed may need a short session every day. The time you spend is small, and it is easier when the cat has been handled since it was a kitten.

What tools do you need to groom a Maine Coon?

You do not need much. Buy a few good tools once rather than a drawer of gadgets.

A stainless steel comb with both wide and fine teeth. This is the most important tool, because it reaches the skin and tells you the truth about the coat. A brush can glide over a mat that a comb will catch.
A slicker brush. Useful for the surface coat and for fluffing the ruff after combing. Use a gentle hand, since the pins can scratch skin.
An undercoat rake or a de-shedding comb. Helpful in heavy shedding months, used lightly.
Blunt-tipped scissors. For snipping out a small knot, never for cutting close to the skin.
Cat nail clippers, a soft toothbrush or finger brush, and cat-safe toothpaste.

How often should you brush a Maine Coon?

Plan on two or three combing sessions a week for an adult, ten minutes each. Work in sections and go down to the skin: part the coat with your fingers, comb a small patch, then move on. Follow the lie of the fur, not against it.

These are the places that tangle first, so check them every time:

Behind the ears
Under the front legs, in the armpits
The belly and the inside of the back legs
The britches, the long fur at the back of the thighs
Around the base of the tail

Keep sessions short and calm, stop before the cat is tired of it, and finish with a treat or a meal. Cats that are rushed learn to hate the comb. Cats that get ten pleasant minutes learn to ask for it.

How do you get mats out of a Maine Coon?

Catch them small. A new tangle feels like a slightly stiff patch of fur, and it often loosens if you hold the base of the clump against the skin with one hand, so the cat feels no pull, and pick it apart from the tip with the wide teeth of the comb. A little cornstarch or a cat-safe detangling spray can help it slide.

If a mat is tight to the skin, do not pull. Hold it away from the body and snip across it, or ask a groomer or your vet to do it. Skin under a mat is thin and easy to cut, and a cat that has been hurt once will not forgive the scissors. Mats that cover a large area, or that make the skin red or sore, are a job for a professional.

If your cat keeps matting despite regular combing, there is usually a reason: a coat change, a cat that is overweight and cannot reach itself, or a cat with a sore mouth or joints that has stopped grooming.

Do Maine Coons need baths?

Not often. A healthy Maine Coon keeps itself clean, and the coat is designed to shed dirt and rain. Many owners bathe an adult a few times a year, or never. Over-bathing strips the natural oils, and a coat that is dry or too soft with shampoo can actually tangle more.

A bath makes sense if the cat has rolled in something, has a greasy or smelly coat, or has soiled fur at the back end that wipes will not fix. When you do it:

Comb the coat out completely first. Water turns small tangles into tight mats.
Use a shampoo made for cats and rinse until the water runs clear.
Use a towel, then a low-heat dryer if the cat tolerates it. The coat is thick and a damp one can stay wet next to the skin for hours.
Comb again once it is dry.

Many Maine Coons are more curious about water than other cats, which makes bath time easier, but not every cat is the same. Our guide to Maine Coons and water covers that side of the breed. For kittens, start with a damp cloth and a warm room, and keep the first experience short.

How do you trim a Maine Coon's nails, ears and teeth?

Nails. Trim every two to three weeks. Press the paw gently so the claw extends, and clip only the clear tip, well before the pink quick. If you are nervous, do one paw a day. Start when the cat is a kitten and the habit lasts for life.

Paw fur. Maine Coons have tufts of fur between the toes. Trimming the fur that sticks out past the pad, with blunt scissors, is common and can help a cat keep traction on hard floors and keep litter out of the toes. This is a tidy-up, not a shave.

Ears. Look inside weekly. A little wax is normal. Dark crumbly debris, a smell or constant head shaking is a reason to call your vet. Do not push cotton swabs into the canal.

Teeth. Brush a few times a week if you can, daily if the cat allows it. Dental disease is common in cats of every breed, and it is much easier to prevent than to treat. Our Maine Coon health guide covers more on what to watch for.

When do Maine Coons shed, and how do you handle it?

Maine Coons shed all year, with the heaviest shed usually in spring, when the winter coat comes out, and a second, smaller one in fall. Indoor cats living in a steady temperature can shed more evenly through the year, so the seasons are less clear. During a heavy shed, a few short sessions a week with the comb and an undercoat rake will keep loose fur off your sofa and out of the cat's stomach.

Kittens have a soft, fluffy coat that changes to the adult coat in the first year or so, and the change can be the point where mats suddenly appear. If your young cat seems to be tangling for the first time between about six months and a year, that is often why. Daily combing for a few weeks gets you through it.

Shedding does not make the breed allergy-friendly. If allergies are a worry, read our guide to Maine Coons and allergies before you commit.

Should you shave or give a Maine Coon a lion cut?

In almost every case, no. A Maine Coon's coat is not a heavy winter blanket that can be swapped for a light one. It is a working system that helps insulate the cat from heat as well as cold and protects the skin from sun and scratches. Shaving it does not make a cat noticeably cooler, and the coat that grows back can be patchy, uneven or different in texture. A shaved cat can also sunburn, and a cat that feels exposed may behave differently.

There are real exceptions. A vet or professional groomer may shave a severely matted cat, shave an area for surgery or treat a skin problem. Do it for a medical or welfare reason, and use a professional rather than home clippers. If a mat is the reason, regular combing is how you avoid the problem next time.

Can you learn to groom a Maine Coon at home, or do you need a groomer?

Nearly everything here can be done at home, and it should be, because the daily and weekly work is what prevents trouble. A professional groomer is useful for a seasonal tidy-up, for a bath if you are unsure, or for a difficult mat, and some owners book a visit every few months.

If you are bringing a kitten home, build the habits in the first weeks. Handle the paws, ears, mouth and belly every day, comb for a minute at a time, and reward the cat. Our available Maine Coon kittens page shows who is looking for a home, and a kitten raised around people and household noise is much easier to groom. For what a kitten costs and what is included, see our Maine Coon price page.

Quick Answers

What is the best brush for a Maine Coon?

A stainless steel comb with wide and fine teeth does the real work, followed by a slicker brush for the surface. Add an undercoat rake in heavy shedding months. A comb tells you about mats near the skin that a brush can skip over.

Can you trim a Maine Coon's paws?

You can trim the tufts that stick out past the pads with blunt scissors, which helps with traction and litter. Keep to the fur beyond the pad and never cut close to the skin or between the toes. Ask your vet to show you the first time.

How often should you bathe a Maine Coon kitten?

Rarely. A healthy kitten needs a bath only if it is dirty or has soiled fur that wipes will not clean. Use a damp cloth first, a warm room, kitten-safe shampoo and a short session.

Do Maine Coon cats get matted fur?

Yes, mostly in the armpits, behind the ears, on the belly and in the britches. Regular combing down to the skin prevents most mats, and a cat that mats suddenly may be overweight, in pain or changing its coat.

Does a Maine Coon need a haircut in the summer?

No. The coat helps insulate against heat, and shaving can cause sunburn and uneven regrowth. Comb out the loose undercoat, provide shade and fresh water, and talk to your vet if the cat seems overheated.

Is it okay to groom a Maine Coon yourself?

Yes, and it is the best way to notice lumps, fleas, sore spots and weight changes early. A groomer is a useful backup for a stubborn mat or a bath, not a replacement for weekly combing.