Maine Coon Colors
Silver Maine Coon Cats and Kittens
Silver Maine Coons available now, and everything about the color.
Silver is the color that makes people stop and ask what it is. A silver Maine Coon has a cool, frosted look, with fur that seems to shimmer as the cat moves. Anyone searching for silver Maine Coon kittens for sale will meet two main versions: the silver tabby, with bold dark markings on a pale ground, and the silver shaded, where the dark color sits only on the hair tips.
This page covers what silver is, how the two looks differ, how kittens change, what the associations accept and how to read the unfamiliar terms in listings. To see kittens that are ready to go home, visit the available kittens page.
Silver Maine Coons Available Now
What Makes a Maine Coon Silver?
A silver cat carries the inhibitor gene. It stops the warm yellow-brown pigment from forming along the lower part of each hair, which leaves a clean white or pale base. Add a black or blue top layer and you get silver tabby, shaded silver or smoke, depending on how much dark color reaches down the hair.
The gene is dominant, so a cat needs only one copy to show some silver. That is why silver can pop up in a line quite suddenly, and why two cats that look different can both carry it.
What Does a Silver Tabby Maine Coon Look Like?
The ground color is clear silver, never brassy, and the markings are black. In the classic pattern the sides show bold swirls, and in the mackerel pattern they show narrow, even stripes. Look for the "M" on the forehead, dark rings on the legs and tail, and a dark necklace pattern on the chest.
Nose leather is usually brick red, and paw pads are black. The contrast between black and silver is what makes this look so sharp. Compare it with the warmer brown tabby Maine Coon, which has the same pattern on a golden-brown ground.
What Is a Silver Shaded or Black Silver Shaded Maine Coon?
In a shaded silver the markings have mostly gone. Each hair has a white base and a dark tip, and the dark tipping spreads over the back, flanks, head and tail while the chest, belly and undercoat stay pale. The cat looks as though it has been dusted with black. A heavier tipping makes a "shaded", and a lighter one makes a "shell" or chinchilla, which has only a hint of color at the tip.
Black silver shaded is simply the black version, as opposed to blue silver, where the tips are gray-blue. Black smoke has the same genetics with even more dark on the hair, and the black Maine Coon page explains it.
How Do Silver Maine Coon Kittens Change as They Grow?
More than almost any other color. Silver tabby kittens often look dark and smoky, sometimes with a brownish cast, because the adult coat has not cleared yet. The silver background brightens over the first year. Shaded kittens may look like a tabby for a time, and the stripes fade as the tipping grows.
Eyes begin blue and turn green or gold, with green being especially admired on silvers. Gold and copper are also common, and the final color often does not show until the cat is four to six months old. If you are choosing between a few kittens, ask to see the parents and older relatives, because they show you where a young coat may be heading.
Does the Maine Coon Standard Accept Silver?
Yes. CFA and TICA both accept silver tabby, silver shaded and smoke Maine Coons. Chocolate, lavender and pointed colors are the ones left out. Silver is a well established color in the breed rather than a novelty, and silver cats have been shown for a long time.
You may see "high silver" or "heavily silvered" in ads. This describes a cat whose silver is very clean and bright, with little warm tinge. It is a description of coat quality, not a separate kind of cat. A term like blue silver just names the dilute tip color. If a listing uses a phrase you do not recognize, ask the seller to explain it in plain words and to show photos of the parents in daylight.
Are Silver Maine Coons Healthier or Different in Temperament?
No. Silver is a coat color and has no known link to health, size or personality. A silver Maine Coon needs the same care as any other, and the same questions put to the breeder. For that checklist, see the Maine Coon health guide.
Temperament is the same story as in other colors: the breed tends to be sociable and gentle, but each cat is an individual. The personality guide describes what most owners see.
The honest buying advice is the same for every shade. Ask who the parents are, how the kitten was raised, and what comes home with it. The page on choosing a Maine Coon breeder lists the questions worth asking, and they matter far more than the shine of the coat.
How Do I Keep a Silver Coat Looking Bright?
Brush a few times a week to stop mats and let the pale undercoat show. A tidy coat looks brighter than a matted one. Bathing now and then lifts dull, oily patches. Because silver is the lightest of the tipped colors, it can show stains on the face, so wipe the area under the eyes daily. See the grooming guide for tools and timing, and compare other colors on the colors page.
Diet matters less for silver than it does for black cats, which can rust, but a balanced food still gives the best coat. Keep long hair around the tail and britches trimmed clean, and check the pale belly fur, where mats form first.
Silver Maine Coon Questions
01Is silver a real Maine Coon color?
Yes. Silver tabby, silver shaded and smoke are accepted by CFA and TICA.
02What is the difference between silver tabby and silver shaded?
A silver tabby has clear dark stripes or swirls on a silver ground. A silver shaded has dark tips on pale hairs and few or no markings.
03Is a smoke Maine Coon silver?
Yes. Smoke is a silver with no tabby pattern, and so more of the hair is dark and the pale undercoat shows only when the cat moves.
04Will a silver kitten stay dark?
Often not. Many silver kittens look dark and clear over the first year as the adult coat arrives.
05Are silver Maine Coons more expensive?
The price page explains what is included with every kitten.
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