Maine Coons are well known for being large-sized. Many people are intrigued to know how big these cats can grow, especially compared to normal cats.
There’s no denying, Maine Coons can grow to quite a size. How big can they get, and are all Maine Coons large? The most accurate way to determine a Maine Coon’s size is by measuring its height, length, and weight.
Compared to many other cats, Maine coons are large. To show this, we’ve added Maine Coon size comparison charts below.
The average Maine Coon size is a weight between 10 and 20 lbs, height of up to 16 inches, and length of up to 30 inches. Males tend to be larger than females, but this is not always the case.
Many Maine Coons are tall and long but not particularly heavy. Two cats may look the same size but one can be much heavier than the other.
Maine Coon Size Chart – male vs female
We’ve created this Maine Coon size chart table to compare length, height, and weight so you can quickly compare average-sized males and females at a glance.
Remember, there will always be examples that fall outside of these averages.
| Maine Coon male | Maine Coon female | |
| Weight (lbs) | 11 to 20 | 10 to 15 |
| Height to shoulder (inches) | 10 to 16 | 10 to 14 |
| Body length, nose to tail base (inches) | 19 to 30 | 19 to 30 |
| Tail length (inches) | 12 to 18 | 12 to 18 |
Maine Coon weight
Don’t expect a Maine Coon to weigh in excess of 20 lbs. It is unusual for one to grow above this weight. On rare occasions, a Maine Coon will grow extra-large, up to 25 lbs in fact. However, the majority of Maine Coons weigh between 10 and 20 lbs.
It is far more important to concentrate on keeping a Maine Coon at a healthy weight for its frame size. Trying to increase a cat’s weight by feeding it more than it needs simply leads to obesity.
No one can ever guarantee the weight a Maine Coon will reach. Cats from the same litter can vary as we have discovered. As an example, we have two 10-month-old Maine Coon brothers. They have the same diet yet one weighs 17 lbs and the other weighs 13.5 lbs.
Instead of worrying about growing a large Maine Coon, concentrate on feeding one a healthy diet and accept it will weigh what it will weigh.
Maine Coon length and height
A Maine Coon’s length and height make it stand out. From nose to tail tip, one can exceed 3 feet. Heights are usually taken at the shoulder and range from 10 to 16 inches.
How big is a Maine Coon compared to a normal cat?
People often compare Maine Coons to normal cats. For the purposes of this article, we take a normal cat to be the average pet cat.
The photo above shows a tabby Maine Coon and the one below, a short-hair tabby for comparison.
Compared to normal cats, Maine Coon cats are notably bigger – most of the time. There are many reasons why Maine Coons can be such large cats so I’ve written a whole article to explain these. You can read my article revealing why Maine Coons grow so big by clicking here.
The average household cat weighs between 8 and 10 lbs whereas an average Maine Coon is 10 to 20 lbs. Therefore, a large Maine Coon can be more than twice the size of a ‘normal’ cat.
A Maine Coon would win a size comparison competition against most cats, without a doubt. It’s a fact that they are generally much larger in size than your average household cat.
Further down, you’ll see a Maine Coon size comparison table to help you easily see the differences between a Maine Coon and a ‘normal cat’.
For the purpose of this article, a normal cat is a typical house cat that’s not one of the large purebreds – these are compared to Maine Coons further down.
When you consider the number of pet cats in the world, it is really difficult to estimate the average size because a true average would be calculated by adding up the weight of every cat in the land and dividing it by the number of cats.
Maine Coon and normal cat size comparison chart
| Maine Coon | Normal Cat | |
| Weight (lbs) | 10 to 20 | 8 to 12 |
| Height to shoulder (inches) | 10 to 16 | 9 to 10 |
| Body length, nose to tail base (inches) | 19 to 30 | 15 to 20 |
| Tail length (inches) | 12 to 18 | 9 to 10 |
Maine Coons usually weigh between 10 and 20 lbs whereas normal cats are between 8 and 12 lbs. This means a Maine Coon can weigh up to 8 lbs more than a normal cat.
By the same standard, it is possible for a Maine Coon to be lighter than a larger normal cat.
Some people state a Maine Coon’s weight range as up to 25 lbs. Occasionally Maine Coons reach 25 lbs but this is rare and shouldn’t be expected.
Some heavier Maine Coons could be overweight. It’s always a good idea to keep a cat within a healthy weight range for its size for health reasons.
Female Maine Coon vs female normal cat size comparison chart
| Female Maine Coon | Female Normal Cat | |
| Weight (lbs) | 10 to 15 | 8 to 10 |
| Height to shoulder (inches) | 10 to 14 | 9 |
| Body length, nose to tail base (inches) | 19 to 30 | 15 to 20 |
| Tail length (inches) | 12 to 18 | 10 |
Female Maine Coons can be up to 5 lbs heavier than a normal cat. It’s also possible for a smaller female Maine Coon to be lighter than a normal female cat.
Male Maine Coon vs male normal cat size comparison chart
| Male Maine Coon | Male Normal Cat | |
| Weight (lbs) | 11 to 20 | 9 to 12 |
| Height to shoulder (inches) | 10 to 16 | 10 |
| Body length, nose to tail base (inches) | 19 to 30 | 15 to 20 |
| Tail length (inches) | 12 to 18 | 10 |
Male Maine Coons can be up to 8 lbs heavier than a normal cat. The smallest male Maine Coon is usually at least 2 lbs heavier than a normal male cat.
Maine Coon cat size compared to other large cats
Maine Coons are quite a size. They have large bodies and large paws to match, but how do they compare to other cats that are considered large?
Excluding hybrid cats, the six largest domestic cat breeds are:
- Maine Coon
- Ragdoll
- Ragamuffin
- Norwegian Forest Cat
- Siberian Cat
- American Bobtail
Maine Coon vs Ragdoll Size
| Maine Coon | Ragdoll Cat | |
| Weight (lbs) | 10 to 20 | 8 to 20 |
| Height to shoulder (inches) | 10 to 16 | 9 to 12 |
| Body length, nose to tail base (inches) | 19 to 30 | 17 to 25 |
| Tail length (inches) | 12 to 18 | 10 to 16 |
A typical Ragdoll Cat is 9 to 12 inches tall and has a body length of 17 to 25 inches. Its weight ranges between 8 and 20 lbs.
A Ragdoll Cat might have a similar to a Maine Coon but on average it is not as tall or long.
Maine Coon vs Ragamuffin Size
| Maine Coon | Ragamuffin Cat | |
| Weight | 10 to 20 | 8 to 20 |
| Height to shoulder | 10 to 16 | 9 to 12 |
| Body length, nose to tail base | 19 to 30 | 15 to 20 |
| Tail length | 12 to 18 | 10 to 16 |
A typical Ragamuffin Cat is 9 to 12 inches tall and has a body length of 15 to 20 inches. Its weight ranges between 8 and 20 lbs.
A Ragamuffin Cat can weigh more than an average Maine Coon but on average it is not as tall or long.
Maine Coon vs Norwegian Forest Cat Size
| Maine Coon | Norwegian Forest Cat | |
| Weight (lbs) | 10 to 20 | 8 to 18 |
| Height to shoulder (inches) | 10 to 16 | 9 to 12 |
| Body length, nose to tail base (inches) | 19 to 30 | 12 to 18 |
| Tail length (inches) | 12 to 18 | 10 to 16 |
A typical Norwegian Forest Cat is 9 to 12 inches tall and has a body length of 12 to 16 inches. Its weight ranges between 8 and 18 lbs.
A Norwegian Forest Cat is a similar weight to a Maine Coon but on average it is not as tall or long.
See Maine Coon vs Norwegian Forest Cat for more comparisons of these two beauties.
Maine Coon vs Siberian Size
| Maine Coon | Siberian Cat | |
| Weight (lbs) | 10 to 20 | 10 to 20 |
| Height to shoulder (inches) | 10 to 16 | 9 to 11 |
| Body length, nose to tail base (inches) | 19 to 30 | 15 to 18 |
| Tail length (inches) | 12 to 18 | 8 to 14 |
A typical Siberian Cat is 9 to 11 inches tall and has a body length of 15 to 18 inches. Its weight ranges between 10 and 20 lbs.
A Siberian Cat can weigh more than a Maine Coon but on average it is not as tall or long.
See further comparisons of Maine Coons and Siberians here.
Maine Coon vs American Bobtail Size
| Maine Coon | American Bobtail | |
| Weight (lbs) | 10 to 20 | 7 to 16 |
| Height to shoulder (inches) | 10 to 16 | 9 to 10 |
| Body length, nose to tail base (inches) | 19 to 30 | 17 to 21 |
| Tail length (inches) | 12 to 18 | 1 to 4 |
A typical American Bobtail Cat is medium height with slightly longer hindlegs than forelegs. Its body length is 17 to 21 inches. Its weight ranges between 7 and 16 lbs.
An American Bobtail might have a similar weight range to a Maine Coon but on average it is not as tall or long.
How big is a full-grown Maine Coon?
The size of a full-grown Maine Coon varies. I have four full-grown Maine Coons and their weights range from 13 pounds to 24 pounds, and their heights vary from 13 inches to 15 inches.
My 13-pound Maine Coon is female and is the same height and length as my 24-pound male Maine Coon; both are 15 inches at the shoulder. He is a good weight for his height and she is a slightly underweight picky eater.
How big is a Maine Coon at 1 year?
At one 1 year old, many Maine Coons are still growing and their size at this age is very different from one cat to the next.
My male Maine Coons are brothers and though both were 14 inches tall at 1 year old one weighed 12 pounds and the other weighed 19 pounds.
My two Maine Coon girls are not related and at 1 year old, one was 12 inches tall and the other 14 inches tall. Both weighed 11 pounds.
This illustrates how difficult it is to accurately estimate how big a 1-year-old Maine Coon will be.
Maine Coon and normal kitten size comparison
At birth, a Maine Coon kitten weighs approximately 4 ounces – that’s just a quarter-pound and is about the same as an average kitten.
A Maine Coon kitten will gain approximately 4 ounces per week, so about one pound per month.
By 3 months of age, a Maine Coon kitten weighs an average of 5 lbs. At 6 months a Maine Coon kitten is approximately 10 to lbs. By the time it is a year old a Maine Coon weighs in the region of 12 lbs.
After the first year, a Maine Coon’s growth rate slows down and by the age of 2 years, it may be only 2 lbs heavier than it was as a 1-year-old. Maine Coons mature slowly and can keep growing until they are 4 years old.
On the other hand, the growth rate of a normal kitten matches that of a Maine Coon kitten until about 6 months of age, after which it slows down.
At 12 months an average young cat weighs 8 lbs maximum and by 2 years it is fully grown and weighs approximately 10 to 12 lbs.
Do all Maine Coon cats get big?
Maine Coons originated in the cold climate of Northern-most America. They were working farm cats and survived in harsh weather, as they hunted vermin. Being sturdy and muscular aided and abetted their survival.
Though they are now pampered house cats, Maine Coons have maintained their large size.
Maine Coon size vs diet and exercise
The Maine Coon cat size is an inherited trait and not all are as big as believed.
Good nutrition will ensure it grows strong and healthy but overfeeding will make it fat not structurally bigger.
Lifestyle affects a Maine Coon’s muscle mass and it’s important for indoor and outdoor cats to keep physically fit through exercise.
Plenty of play is the ideal way to keep a Maine Coon’s body and mind fit and healthy. Not
Indoor Maine Coons can benefit greatly from having the space to jump and climb so providing a climbing tree is a good idea.
Scratching posts are important too as they allow Maine Coons to work and flex their muscles as well as giving them somewhere to scratch that isn’t your furniture!
Maine Coon size compared to a dog
Maine Coons are often bigger than many small dog breeds. You can expect a Maine Coons to be taller and heavier than breeds such as:
- Chihuahua
- Dachshund
- Toy poodle
- Beagle
- Yorkshire terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Spaniel
- Pomeranian
- Jack Russell
Maine Coon Size: Conclusion
Maine Coons are larger than most cats with the exception of hybrids such as the Savannah. A normal cat or typical household crossbreed cat can occasionally be larger than a Maine Coon. They have many huge features too.
The size of a Maine Coon can vary wildly and there is no way of guaranteeing a Maine Coon will be a particularly large cat.
These long-legged cats will grow to the size they are genetically programmed to but their weight can vary according to their diet and lifestyle.
Here are some of my favorite products for cats
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you found it helpful whether you own a cat or are considering it. I thought I’d share a few of the cat products I love which you might find really useful too.
The following are Amazon affiliate links, and if you decide to use them, I’ll earn a small commission from Amazon at no cost at all to you.
An indoor cat tree: This is an excellent item to satisfy a cat’s urge to climb and scratch. There are several sizes to choose from so you can pick the right height for your home. Our cats love this Amazon Basics tree with multi-levels, scratching posts, and a little hideaway.
Drinking fountain: Cats love to drink from flowing water. Many don’t seem to drink enough so a fountain is a good way to get them interested. This Orsda Fountain is quiet, has a large capacity, and looks stylish too.
Scratcher Lounger: The more cat-scratching posts you have the better. Many cats like to claw horizontally which is why we chose the PetFusion Ultimate cat scratcher. It has seen quite a bit of action from 4 Maine Coons but still looks great.