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Is There A Short Hair Maine Coon? The fluff-free answer!

Can a Maine Coon have short hair is a popular question and if you’re asking it, the chances are you thought your cat was a Maine Coon but it hasn’t developed the distinctive long coat you expected it to.

As a rule, a pedigree Maine Coon does not have short hair as an adult but it can have as a kitten. That said, there are a few circumstances when an adult Maine Coon can have short hair, for example during pregnancy or because of a stress-induced illness.

Maine Coon kittens have shorter hair than adults.
13-week-old Maine Coon kittens with shorter hair than adults

Maine Coons have medium to long coats which can be quite uneven. It is also possible for one Maine Coon to have shorter hair than another.

Common causes of Maine Coon short hair

If a Maine Coon seemingly has short hair, it’s generally for one of these 5 reasons:

1. It’s a young Maine Coon

Maine Coon kittens often have short coats when compared to adult Maine Coons. It can take up to 12 months for a Maine Coon’s coat to start to grow long and then it can continue to grow during the next few years.

Not all Maine Coons develop long manes; this is another feature that varies from one cat to the next.

Another Maine Coon feature that varies in length is tail fur. Some cats have extremely long hair on their tails whereas others don’t.

2. It’s a Maine Coon mix

If your cat has all the features of a Maine Coon except for the medium to long coat, there is every possibility that it is a Maine Coon mix.

A Maine Con mix with short hair.
A short hair Maine Coon mix

Mixed breed cats where one parent is a Maine Coon can have the appearance of a Maine Coon but have short hair. Of course, other mixed breeds may well have long hair but lack other Maine Coon features.

3. It’s not a Maine Coon at all

Many domestic shorthair cats are quite capable of developing some Maine Coon characteristics such as large muscular bodies, long muzzles and ear tufts.

In this scenario, it is very common to think a cat is a Maine Coon with short hair.

A large cat with short hair that's not a Maine Coon.
A large short-hair cat – not a Maine Coon!

4. Its fur has been clipped or shaved

It is not unheard of for Maine Coon owners to have their cat’s hair clipped into a shorter style. There are various reasons for doing this including removing or preventing matted fur and knots.

Incidentally, it is not recommended to cut a Maine Coon cat’s hair short to aid temperature control in hot weather as its long fur actually helps a cat stay cool.

Maine Coons can thrive perfectly well in hot countries with a little extra care, as covered in our guide to keeping Maine Coon cats in hot climates.

5. She’s pregnant or recently had kittens

A Maine Coon can have short hair after having kittens.
Rosie – Maine Coons can have shorter hair for a while after having kittens

If a Maine Coon is pregnant or has recently had kittens, she may have lost a lot of her hair length due to hormonal changes.

Once her kittens are weaned, a female Maine Coon’s coat soon regrows to its full and fluffy glory.

A Maine Coon with a long coat.
Rosie – A Maine Coon showing a short coat soon becomes long again

Uncommon causes of a short-haired Maine Coon

If a Maine Coon has short hair, it’s less likely to be for one of these 3 reasons:

1. Stress-related fur loss

Many things cause cat stress so it’s a good idea for Maine Coon owners’ to familiarize themselves with them.

If a Maine Coon cat’s coat begins to diminish from long to short there’s a slim chance that stress is a factor. Overgrooming is one symptom of stress-related boredom.

2. Alopecia

Alopecia tends to cause bald spots but can lead to a generally shorter-looking coat. Many things trigger this condition including stress. poor nutrition and hormonal imbalance.

This is definitely something you should ask a vet to diagnose correctly, so make an appointment as soon as possible.

3. Auto-immune condition

There are rare occasions when a Maine Coon’s immune system attacks its own hair follicles leading to hair loss.

This is another condition where a vet is your first point of call to get a diagnosis and any necessary treatment.

A sad short hair cat.
I have an M on my forehead but I’m not a Maine Coon!

Is there a short-haired Maine Coon: Conclusion

Officially, there is no such thing as a pedigree Maine Coon with short hair. But, there are occasions when a Maine Coon’s hair suddenly becomes shorter than it used to be, such as during pregnancy.

There are many occasions when a short hair Maine Coon turns out to not be a Maine Coon at all but is a Maine Coon mix or a domestic short hair cat with some Maine Coon features.

If anyone ever tries to persuade you that a short-haired cat is a Maine Coon, the chances are that it’s not!

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