Recommendations for the maintenance of Maine Coon

It is difficult to confuse this handsome man with any other breed - long hair, slanting eyes and elongated ears do not allow us to consider a Maine Coon an ordinary cat. Such obvious differences of some cat-lovers bring to a dead end - you never know, suddenly such a miracle of nature requires a slightly different care than ordinary domestic baleen four-legs. To dispel all doubts, briefly go through all the features of care for such an animal.

Such a pet has not in vain become in recent decades very popular around the world - it is not only beautiful, but also has a pleasant character. Sweetness and kindness - these are the main characteristics that any Maine Coon responds to, and such a cat is also very calm and reasonable. The animal, unlike most of its relatives, is unlikely to spoil the master's furniture, will not make noise in the middle of the night and will not climb into a place from which it will not be able to descend by itself later. Consequently, Maine Coon does not give reason to be offended, and therefore the owner will not offend him.

For this breed any kind of hostility is completely uncharacteristic, its representatives are kind, like dogs. This, by the way, concerns not only people, but also other animals. These animals love the owner, and therefore often try to be closer to him, although they don’t crawl into the soul. A faithful predator is also a good training dog, which additionally resembles dogs.

Proper nutrition of a pet is the main guarantee of its good health. In this case, the Maine Coon has some features that are only incidentally related to feeding, which must also be taken into account.

For example, in the wild, the ancestors of the Maine Coon always cleared the surface of the water from debris before drinking. It is unlikely that there will be fallen leaves and branches in the drinking bowl, but the reflex will not go away - the beast will still carry in it with its paw. To avoid an everlasting puddle around the drinker, listen to the advice: either choose a heavy model or secure the drinker securely. And also do not place the drinker near the food - water splash can sometimes spoil the food.

Of the dry maine coon feeds, only the premium class is suitable - it has everything necessary for a pet, but canned food can only act as a bonus. If you decide to feed your cat with natural products, emphasis should be placed on meat and dairy products, as well as cereal porridge and vegetables, while in the diet you need to separately enter vitamins.

In general, a pet can be fed almost all of the above products, but there are some unwanted types of food. For starters, sugar, salt and any other spices are completely superfluous things on the cat menu. In addition, the beast will not master even the bird's bones, or they simply will not go to his advantage. Fat meat like pork, goose and duck meat, Maine Coons do not give, as well as most processed meat products - smoked meat, sausages and so on. Chocolate will also be harmful (due to the presence of sugar), as well as legumes and even potatoes.

Greenery is necessary for the cat, but dusty vegetation from the street can do more harm than good. Plant some wheat and oats at home, and let the cat feed on sprouts of its own accord.

Some cats also have an allergy to certain products, if such a phenomenon is noted - remove the allergen from the diet. Do not feed the animal cold or hot food - it should be at an average room temperature. For babies pre-chop food.

In general, representatives of this breed are not too demanding to care at home, but if you want your pet to always be as healthy and beautiful as possible, you will have to keep it at least in the minimum order. The necessary procedures are not so difficult, but you need to get used to the fact that the correct maintenance of an animal requires their strict regularity.

Maine-coons are good because they have almost no problems with dental plaque, but still the baby’s oral cavity needs to be examined at least twice a month. Any violation of the correct shape of the teeth is a reason to contact the veterinary clinic so that the experts correct the bite. As a prevention of such problems, feed the kitten with dry food and buy special toys for him so that he can nibble them. A pet is unlikely to be appreciated, but for its benefit it is necessary to brush its teeth every day with a soft brush with a specially produced paste.

A cat cannot rub its eyes on its own, therefore dirt and mucus can accumulate in their corners. This is not a sign of the disease, but such accumulations can be the cause of them, because you should periodically remove them - for this they use a cotton swab, which is dipped in weak tea

Like a person, Maine Coon can accumulate sulfur in the ears, because the ear should be periodically inspected and cleaned with cotton pads - this is less unpleasant for a cat than a wand. The accessory is pre-moistened with special drops, which are sold in veterinary pharmacies - they are also useful for dealing with ear mites.

Too long claws cause inconvenience to the animal, because you either take care and look for a solution, or run into problems with the integrity of the furniture. Kogtetochka or special pillow for claws - things are useful, but they do not eliminate the need to shorten excessively long claws. Removal is performed with special round scissors, while pigmented claws are removed carefully, cutting off only the edges.

Long hair of cats of this breed requires constant care. Some owners use two or three different combs with different length and thickness of teeth for more comfortable combing. Hair removal is first carried out with a less dense device, this allows you to collect the bulk of the hair without getting stuck in the total mass, after which the procedure is repeated with a comb with more frequent teeth to collect the remnants. If the strands are too thick, it is possible to separate them with partings, but it is not recommended to touch the zones of the tail, neck and hind legs.

Dumping lumps of wool need to try to unravel and comb out all the excess, if it does not work out - just carefully cut the knot. At the same time, it is not necessary to take a great interest in combing - they will give a beneficial effect only if they are held no more than once every four to five days.

In addition, the predator is very clean, but licking it alone will not be enough. In order not to seriously injure the animal with an unpleasant procedure, bathing is carried out no more than once every two or three weeks - it is good not only in terms of hygiene, but also has a beneficial effect on the growth of wool. In veterinary pharmacies, you can buy special cat shampoos and bathing gels.

Bathe the beast 4 hours after eating. You do not need to rub your pet - only in vain you will tangle thick wool. The optimal washing pattern is to plant in shallow water and rinse with a shower.

A Maine Coon is a fairly “correct” animal, but not all important responsibilities will be accepted immediately. This is not only and not so much about going to the toilet in the right place, as about the general rules of behavior in the apartment and the habit of not very pleasant sanitary and hygienic things like bathing or combing. All this is included in the concept of raising a pet.

The meaning of the above procedures for a cat is incomprehensible, and they are unpleasant, so do not be surprised if a good-natured animal suddenly resists and even bites. Children should be accustomed to the procedures from childhood, ideally - when he is tired after the game, then he is more relaxed. Start with a short imitation of an unpleasant activity — for example, at first just turn on the hairdryer in the presence of the baby, when he eats so that he gets used to the sound, then move him closer without aiming at the pet, then later direct the air at the cat for just a few seconds, and only gradually increase the duration at the end.

It is very easy to train a Maine Coon, but you need to understand the behavior of these animals, since they naturally do not understand the verbal commands. First of all, forget about any physical punishments such as beating or even poking your nose - the beast will not understand why you are doing this, and will simply consider you not to be a very good person. Experts advise every time to punish a child for misconduct, but using the method of "remote punishment", for example, by firing at him with a spray of water. This should be done immediately on the fact of misconduct, then the pet will develop a negative association with the action for which he is punished, but he will not perceive you as the executor of punishment.

Any training involves not only the stick, but also the carrot, and the emphasis should be placed on the latter. Every correct action performed by a cat should be rewarded with a pet's favorite delicacy - this will help develop positive habits. With the right approach, a representative of this breed can not only be habituated to the tray, but also taught many different tricks.

Training to the tray, by the way, is quite simple, and does not take much time - the beast will quickly understand what's what. Usually, the kitten wants to go to the toilet immediately after eating - watch him and catch the moment when he begins to show anxiety, then immediately grab and put in the tray. Perhaps Maine-Coon will not immediately understand what is happening and will want to run away, because the trainer's task is not to let the beast go until he does all his work.

If the female has gone mating and has become pregnant, it can be determined after about 3 weeks, as the cat's nipples increase markedly and acquire a well-marked pink hue. During pregnancy, contact with other animals is contraindicated to the cat, since they can transmit to the weakened organism some dangerous infection. Prohibited and various vaccinations, as well as deworming.

In general, pregnancy lasts about 65 days, but, as in the case of a person, deviations from the norm are possible. Experts note that when carrying less than 60 days, kittens usually do not survive. A typical complication of pregnancy is toxicosis.

If you really are worried about the health of your pet, about 15 days before giving birth, arrange a comfortable nest for it, lining it with clean rags. After two months, that is, a few days before delivery, keep a constant observation of the animal.

Ready to give birth to a cat begins to rush or looking for a secluded corner. Carefully lay the animal in the equipped nest and give birth. Please note that kittens are born in a bubble of film that you need to tear near the baby's mouth. Cut the umbilical cord at a distance of 2 cm from the calf, but do not tie it; instead, gently wipe the face with a clean cloth and make sure that the animal breathes normally, then leave it in the care of the mother.

Maine-coon female is ready to breed at a fairly early age - sometimes starting at 8 months. Unsatisfied instinct causes the animal to suffer, it can even get sick, in general, in this breed, the desire to multiply is expressed by rolling on the floor and loud cries. With cats it is a little easier - they just mark the territory, which, however, is also unlikely to please the owners. If the maintenance of a pet in your house does not involve mating, it is better to take immediate steps to allow the animal to forget about instinct.

With cats, the situation is a bit simpler, since castration, that is, removal of the testes, takes only 5-7 minutes, and does not even involve stitching. For a cat, the procedure can take on different scales — it can remove either the uterus, or the ovaries, or both at once, because of this, the duration of the operation can vary considerably from 10 to 20 minutes. Since such intervention is a priori more complicated, suturing is mandatory, after one and a half to two weeks, you will need to look again to the veterinarian to remove them.

Maine Coons do not belong to the most painful breeds, and yet they are trapped by a huge variety of hazards and ailments. They can hit almost any system of the feline body - and the heart, and joints, and muscles, and urinary system. Well-visible problems include bleeding gums and falling teeth, as well as disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

As is often the case, it is much easier to prevent the onset of alarming symptoms than to eliminate them later. The last three reasons are among the most common, they can be prevented either by selecting the right, carefully balanced food, or by regular cleaning of the cat's teeth. The worms that enter the cat's body from the outside are often to blame for digestive disorders, so if you suspect such a problem, you should offer the animal anthelmintic drugs from the veterinary pharmacy.

A common, but equally erroneous, opinion is that Maine Coon is not threatened with any infections in the apartment - they can easily get into the room on the same sole of a shoe. WITHTherefore, it is advisable to vaccinate any cat if you want it to be healthy. However, there are some situations where vaccination is not just very desirable, but a prerequisite - for example, without it the beast will not be allowed to participate in the exhibition and will not allow it to live in a cat hotel. In addition, conscious owners usually refuse to knit their animal with an unvaccinated partner, and transporting such an individual is a very risky venture.

Unfortunately, according to the results of vaccination, Maine-coon does not acquire eternal immunity, because the procedure in the future will have to be repeated several times. The first episode happens to a kitten at the age of two months, the next - just a month later, then every year a veterinarian should show up to update the protection. At the same time, the whole process is not so fast - the animal should undergo de-worming one and a half weeks before vaccination.

The story of the Maine Coon - in the next video.