Maine Coon Cat Breed Standard: Comprehensive Guide to Physical Traits and Colors

The Maine Coon Cat, often referred to as the “gentle giant” of the cat world, is renowned for its impressive size, robust build, and amiable disposition. Originating from Maine, USA, this breed was initially a working cat, naturally adapted to endure harsh climates. A distinctive feature is its luxurious, shaggy coat. The Maine Coon presents a well-proportioned and balanced appearance, where no single characteristic is exaggerated, emphasizing quality over mere size. Known for its essentially amiable temperament, the Maine Coon has seamlessly adapted to various environments, becoming a beloved companion globally. This comprehensive guide delves into the specifics of the Maine Coon breed standard, outlining the physical attributes and diverse color variations that define this magnificent feline.

General Standard

The Maine Coon cat embodies the essence of a sturdy and rugged working cat, well-equipped to withstand challenging climates. Its defining trait is a distinctive, flowing, shaggy coat. A hallmark of the breed is its balanced and harmonious appearance, ensuring no single feature overshadows the overall aesthetic. While size is notable, it should never compromise the cat’s inherent quality and proportions. Maine Coons are celebrated for their adaptable and amiable nature, thriving in diverse living situations and making them excellent companions.

Head

Head Shape

The head of a Maine Coon is medium in width and possesses a length slightly exceeding its width, marked by a distinctly square muzzle. Breed standards acknowledge the development of broader heads in mature male cats. High cheekbones are a prominent feature, contributing to the breed’s distinctive facial structure.

Muzzle and Chin

The muzzle and chin of the Maine Coon are visibly square, with the muzzle being medium in length and exhibiting a blunt end when viewed from the side. While it may appear rectangular, it should not taper or come to a point. The muzzle’s dimensions should be proportionate to the head, maintaining a balanced and pleasing appearance. A strong, firm chin that aligns with the upper lip and nose is essential. In profile, the chin should display observable depth, ideally forming a 90-degree angle, contributing to the breed’s characteristic squareness. A receding or shallow chin that slopes from the jawline to the lip is considered less desirable.

Profile

The Maine Coon’s profile should be in proportion to the overall head length and exhibit a gentle concavity when viewed from the side. Ideally, the profile should appear smooth, free from pronounced bumps or humps. A straight profile from the brow line to the nose tip is not acceptable, nor should the profile display any abrupt “break” or “stop”.

Ears

Shape: Maine Coon ears are large, well-furnished with tufts of hair, broad at the base, and taper to a pointed tip.
Set: Positioned approximately one ear-width apart at the base, set upright and not flared outwards.

Eyes

Maine Coon eyes are large, expressive, and wide-set, exhibiting an open oval shape. They are set slightly obliquely, slanting towards the outer base of the ear, contributing to the breed’s alert and intelligent expression.

Body

Neck

The neck of a Maine Coon is medium in length, supporting the substantial head and contributing to the cat’s overall balanced proportions.

Body Shape

Maine Coons are characterized by a muscular and broad-chested body. Their size ranges from medium to large, with females typically being smaller than males. The body should be elongated, with all components in proportion to create a balanced, rectangular appearance. No part of the anatomy should be so exaggerated as to suggest weakness. It’s important to note that Maine Coons are slow to mature, reaching their full size and physique over several years.

Legs and Feet

Legs are substantial, wide-set, and of medium length, proportionate to the body. The forelegs are straight, and the hind legs are straight when viewed from behind. Paws are large, round, and well-tufted with fur between the toes and pads. Maine Coons have five toes on each front paw and four on each back paw.

Tail

The tail is long, wide at the base, and tapers to the tip. The fur on the tail is long and flowing, often described as resembling a plume, adding to the breed’s majestic appearance.

Coat

The Maine Coon coat is heavy and shaggy, designed to provide insulation and protection. It is notably shorter on the shoulders and gradually lengthens along the stomach and britches (rear legs). A frontal ruff, or chest mane, is desirable, enhancing the breed’s rugged look. The coat’s texture is silky and smooth, falling gracefully.

Penalties: A coat that is short overall or evenly length across the body is considered a fault.

Color

Eye Color

Eye color in Maine Coons can vary and includes shades of green, gold, green-gold, or copper. White Maine Coons and those with white markings may have blue or odd eyes (one blue, one of another permissible color).

Maine Coon Color Variations

Maine Coons exhibit a wide array of colors and patterns. These are broadly categorized, each with specific standards:

Solid Color Class

White: Pure, glistening white across the entire coat. Nose leather and paw pads are pink.
Black: Dense, coal black color, from the roots to the tips of the fur. It should be free from any rust tinge on the tips or smokiness in the undercoat. Nose leather is black, and paw pads are black or brown.
Blue: A consistent, level tone of blue from nose to tail tip, sound to the roots. Nose leather and paw pads are blue.
Red: A deep, rich, clear, and brilliant red, without shading, markings, or ticking. Lips and chin should be the same color as the coat. Nose leather and paw pads are brick red.
Cream: A uniform shade of buff cream, without any markings, sound to the roots. Nose leather and paw pads are pink.

Tabby Patterns

Tabby patterns in Maine Coons are diverse and clearly defined:

Classic Tabby Pattern: Markings are dense, clearly defined, and broad. Legs are evenly barred, and the tail is evenly ringed. Multiple unbroken necklaces are present on the neck and upper chest. The forehead features frown marks forming a distinct “M.” An unbroken line extends from the outer corner of each eye. Swirls are visible on the cheeks. Vertical lines on the back of the head extend to shoulder markings, shaped like a butterfly with clearly outlined upper and lower wings containing dots. Back markings include a vertical line down the spine from the butterfly to the tail, flanked by parallel stripes, all well-separated by ground color stripes. Each side has a large solid blotch encircled by one or more unbroken rings, ideally symmetrical. Double vertical rows of “buttons” are present on the chest and stomach.
Mackerel Tabby Pattern: Markings are dense, clearly defined, and consist of narrow pencillings throughout. Legs are evenly barred with narrow bracelets meeting the body markings. The tail is barred. Distinct necklaces encircle the neck and chest, resembling chains. The head is barred with an “M” on the forehead. Unbroken lines extend back from the eyes, and lines run down the head to meet the shoulders. Spine lines merge to form a narrow saddle, with narrow pencillings around the body.
Ticked Tabby Pattern: Features pronounced ticking over the body, showing darkening along the dorsal crest when viewed from above, but otherwise free from distinct spots, stripes, or blotches. Body hairs are ticked with various shades of the marking and ground colors. Full tabby markings are present on the face and legs, and lighter underparts may also show tabby markings.

Brown Tabby Color Class

Brown Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Ground color is a brilliant coppery brown with dense black markings. The back of the legs is black from paw to heel. White trim around the lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather and paw pads are ideally black or brown.

Brown Patched Tabby Color Class

Brown Patched Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Ground color is a brilliant coppery brown with dense black markings and patches of red. Nose leather and paw pads are ideally brown, black, or brick red.

Silver Tabby Color Class

Silver Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Ground color is a pale, clear silver with dense black markings. White trim around the lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather is ideally brick red, and paw pads are ideally black.

Silver Patched Tabby Color Class

Silver Patched Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Ground color is a pale, clear silver with dense black markings and patches of red and/or cream. White trim around the lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather is ideally brick red, and paw pads are ideally black and/or pink.

Red Tabby Color Class

Red Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Ground color is red with deep, rich red markings. White trim around the lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather and paw pads are ideally brick red.

All Other Tabby Colors Class

This class includes a variety of tabby colors:

Blue-Silver Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Pale, clear silver ground color with deep blue markings that provide good contrast. White trim around lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather is ideally old rose, and paw pads are ideally rose.
Blue-Silver Patched Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Pale, clear silver ground color with deep blue markings and patches of cream. The undercoat is white. White trim around lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather is ideally old rose, and paw pads are ideally rose and/or pink.
Blue Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Pale bluish ivory ground color with very deep blue markings that offer good contrast. Warm fawn overtones or a patina may be present overall. White trim around lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather is ideally old rose, and paw pads are ideally rose.
Blue Patched Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Pale bluish ivory ground color with very deep blue markings and patches of cream. Warm fawn overtones or a patina may be present overall. White trim around lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather is ideally old rose, and paw pads are ideally rose and/or pink.
Cream Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Very pale cream ground color with buff or cream markings that are sufficiently darker to provide contrast but remain within the dilute range. White trim around lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather and paw pads are ideally pink.
Cream Silver Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Off-white ground color with cream markings. The undercoat is white. Lips and chin are the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Nose leather and paw pads are ideally pink.
Cameo Tabby (classic, mackerel, ticked): Off-white ground color with red markings. White trim around lip and chin is permissible. Nose leather and paw pads are ideally rose.

Brown Tabby & White Color Class (including Vans)

Brown Tabby & White (classic, mackerel, ticked): Coloration is as defined for brown tabby, with or without white on the face. White markings must be present on the bib, belly, and all four paws.

Brown Patched Tabby & White Color Class (including Vans)

Brown Patched Tabby & White (classic, mackerel, ticked): Ground color is coppery brown with dense black markings and red patches. White markings are distributed as described in brown tabby with white. The color is as described for patched tabby (torbie), with or without white on the face. White markings must include the bib, belly, and all four paws.

Silver Tabby & White Color Class (including Vans)

Silver Tabby & White (classic, mackerel, ticked): Coloration is as defined for silver tabby, with or without white on the face. White markings must be present on the bib, belly, and all four feet.

Silver Patched Tabby & White Color Class (including Vans)

Silver Patched Tabby & White (classic, mackerel, ticked): Coloration is as described for silver patched tabby (torbie), with or without white on the face. White markings must be present on the bib, belly, and all four feet.

Red Tabby & White Color Class (including Vans)

Red Tabby & White (classic, mackerel, ticked): Coloration is as defined for red tabby, with or without white on the face. White markings must be present on the bib, belly, and all four feet.

All Other Tabby & White Colors Color Class (including Vans)

Tabby & White (classic, mackerel, ticked): Coloration is as defined for tabby, with or without white on the face. White markings must be present on the bib, belly, and all four paws. Acceptable colors include blue, blue-silver, cream, cream-silver, and cameo.
Patched Tabby & White (classic, mackerel, ticked): Coloration is as described for patched tabby (torbie), with or without white on the face. White markings must be present on the bib, belly, and all four paws. Acceptable colors are blue patched and blue-silver patched.

Bi-Color Color Class (including Vans)

Black & White: A combination of black and white, with or without white on the face. White markings must include the bib, belly, and all four paws.
Blue & White: A combination of blue and white, with or without white on the face. White markings must include the bib, belly, and all four paws.
Red & White: A combination of red and white, with or without white on the face. White markings must include the bib, belly, and all four paws.
Cream & White: A combination of cream and white, with or without white on the face. White markings must include the bib, belly, and all four paws.

Parti-Color Class

Tortoiseshell: Black with patches of red or softly intermingled areas of red on both the body and extremities. Multiple shades of red are acceptable.
Blue-Cream: Blue with patches of cream or softly intermingled areas of cream on both the body and extremities.

Parti-Color & White Color Class

Calico (including vans): White with unbrindled patches of black and red. White is predominant on the underparts.
Dilute Calico (including vans): White with unbrindled patches of blue and cream. White is predominant on the underparts.
Tortoiseshell & White: Coloration is as defined for tortoiseshell, with or without white on the face. White markings must include the bib, belly, and all four paws.
Blue-Cream & White: Coloration is as defined for blue-cream, with or without white on the face. White markings must include the bib, belly, and all four paws.

Shaded & Smoke Color Class

Chinchilla Silver: White undercoat with black tipping sufficiently covering the back, flanks, head, and tail to give a sparkling silver appearance. Legs may have slight shading. Chin, ear tufts, stomach, and chest are pure white. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose are outlined in black. Nose leather is brick red, and paw pads are black.
Shaded Silver: White undercoat with a mantle of black tipping shading down the sides, face, and tail, from dark at the ridge to white on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Legs should match the face tone. The overall effect is much darker than a chinchilla. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose are outlined in black. Nose leather is brick red, and paw pads are black.
Chinchilla Blue Silver: White undercoat with blue tipping sufficiently covering the back, flanks, head, and tail for a sparkling silver appearance. Legs may have slight shading. Chin, ear tufts, stomach, and chest are pure white. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose are outlined in blue. Nose leather and paw pads are ideally rose.
Shaded Blue Silver: White undercoat with a mantle of blue tipping shading down the sides, face, and tail, from dark at the ridge to white on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Legs should match the face tone. The overall effect is much darker than a blue chinchilla. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose are outlined in blue. Nose leather and paw pads are ideally rose.
Shell Cameo (Red Chinchilla): White undercoat with red tipping on the back, flanks, head, and tail to give a sparkling appearance. Face and legs may have very slight shading. Chin, ear tufts, stomach, and chest are white. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads are rose.
Shaded Cameo (Red Shaded): White undercoat with a mantle of red tipping shading down the sides, face, and tail. Face and legs may have deeper shading than the body. Chin, ear furnishings, stomach, and chest (ruff) are white. The overall effect is much redder than shell cameo. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads are rose.
Shell Cream (Cream Chinchilla): White undercoat with light cream tipping on the back, flanks, head, and tail. Face and legs may have very slight shading. Chin, ear furnishings, stomach, and chest (ruff) are white. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads are rose.
Shaded Cream: White undercoat with a mantle of cream shading down the sides, face, and tail. Face and legs may have deeper shading than the body. Chin, ear furnishings, stomach, and chest (ruff) are white. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads are rose.
Shell Tortoiseshell: White undercoat with light tipping of black and shades of red on the back, flanks, and tail. Face and legs may have light shading. Chin, ear furnishings, stomach, and chest (ruff) may range from white to very lightly tipped. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads range from rose to black, and may also be patched.
Shaded Tortoiseshell: White undercoat with a mantle of black and red shading down the sides, face, and tail. Face and legs may have deeper shading than the rest of the body. Chin, ear furnishings, stomach, and chest (ruff) may range from white to lightly tipped. The overall effect is much darker than shell tortoiseshell. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads range from rose to black, and may also be patched.
Shell Blue-Cream: White undercoat with light tipping of blue and shades of cream on the back, flanks, and tail. Face and legs may have light shading. Chin, ear furnishings, stomach, and chest (ruff) may range from white to very lightly tipped. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads range from rose to blue, and may also be patched.
Shaded Blue-Cream: White undercoat with a mantle of blue and cream shading down the sides, face, and tail. Face and legs may have deeper shading than the rest of the body. Chin, ear furnishings, stomach, and chest (ruff) may range from white to lightly tipped. The overall effect is much darker than shell blue-cream. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads range from rose to blue, and may also be patched.
Black Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with black. The cat appears black in repose, but the white undercoat is evident in motion. Points and mask are black with a narrow band of white at the base of hairs next to the skin, visible when fur is parted. Light silver frill and ear tufts. Nose leather and paw pads are black.
Blue Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with blue. The cat appears blue in repose, but the white undercoat is evident in motion. Points and mask are blue with a narrow band of white hairs at the base of the skin, visible when fur is parted. White frill and ear tufts. Nose leather and paw pads are blue.
Cameo Smoke (Red Smoke): White undercoat deeply tipped with red. The cat appears red in repose, but the white undercoat is evident in motion. Points and mask are red with a narrow band of white at the base of hairs next to the skin, visible when fur is parted. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads are rose.
Cream Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with cream. The cat appears cream in repose, but the white undercoat is evident in motion. Points and mask are cream with a narrow band of white at the base of hairs next to the skin, visible when fur is parted. Nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads are ideally pink.
Tortie Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with black with patches of red or softly intermingled areas of red on both the body and extremities. Multiple shades of red are acceptable. The cat appears tortoiseshell in repose, but the white undercoat is evident in motion. Face and ears have a tortoiseshell pattern with a narrow band of white at the base of hairs next to the skin, visible when fur is parted. White ruff and ear tufts. A blaze of red or cream on the face is desirable.
Blue-Cream Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with blue, with clearly defined patches of cream as in the blue-cream pattern. The cat appears blue-cream in repose, but the white undercoat is evident in motion. Face and ears have a blue-cream pattern with a narrow band of white at the base of hairs next to the skin, visible when fur is parted. White ruff and ear tufts. A blaze of cream on the face is desirable.

Shaded/Smoke & White Color Class (including Vans)

This class includes various shaded and smoke colors combined with white markings, following the same white marking distribution as described in tabby and white patterns. Note that tortie & white and blue-cream & white colors do not exhibit the van pattern. Examples include Chinchilla Silver & White, Shaded Silver & White, Shell Cameo & White, and various smoke & white combinations.

Calico Smoke & Dilute Calico Smoke

Calico Smoke: White with unbrindled patches of black and shades of red. Black and red patches have a white undercoat. White predominates on the underparts.
Dilute Calico Smoke: White with unbrindled patches of blue and shades of cream. Blue and cream patches have a white undercoat. White predominates on the underparts.

Other Maine Coon Cat Color Class (OMCC)

OMCC (Other Maine Coon Cat Colors): Encompasses any other colors not previously listed, excluding those indicating hybridization, such as chocolate, lavender, the Himalayan pattern, or these combinations with white. Cats listed as AOV are to be registered and shown under the AOV color class.

Disqualifications

Certain traits are considered disqualifications in Maine Coons, including:

Delicate bone structure.
Undershot chin: lower jaw incisors overlapping or projecting beyond upper jaw incisors when the mouth is closed.
Crossed eyes.
Kinked tail.
Incorrect number of toes.
White buttons, lockets, or spots (except where white markings are part of the color description).
Evidence of hybridization resulting in chocolate, lavender, or Himalayan pattern colors.

Conclusion

The Maine Coon cat stands as a testament to natural adaptation and gentle temperament combined with an impressive physical presence. Understanding the breed standard is crucial for breeders, exhibitors, and enthusiasts alike, ensuring the preservation of this remarkable breed’s unique characteristics and amiable nature for generations to come. The Maine Coon, with its variety of colors and patterns, robust build, and distinctive features, remains a beloved and iconic cat breed worldwide.