Smoke Maine Coon cats are the illusionists of the cat world. The closer you look and the more they move, the more their coats seem to change color.
If Maine Coons with smoke coats are your favorite, you’ll be spoilt for choice because there are 16 smoke colors and patterns.
What is a Black Smoke Maine Coon?
The black smoke is the most commonly occurring black Maine Coon cat. It is often thought to be simply a black cat but is distinguished by the presence of a white or pale undercoat, often only visible when its fur is ruffled.
That said, some black smoke Maine Coons have a high-grade smoke coat which means their pale undercoat is more visible. In this case, a black smoke Maine Coon looks more silver than black.
How much is a Black Smoke Maine Coon?
Some breeders charge the same fee for their Maine Coons, regardless of their colors – but not all do. Maine Coon Kitten prices are currently in the range of $800 to $2000 so you should expect a black smoke Maine Coon to cost $1400 on average.
If a breeder is charging over $2000 for a black smoke Maine Coon kitten, you would be wise to shop around unless you are happy to pay extra to get your desired color.
Are Smoke Maine Coons rare?
Despite what you might read elsewhere, Smoke Maine Coons are not rare. Unless a breeder is striving to specialize in solid coat colors, the majority regularly produce smoke-coated kittens in their litters. For example, we bought 4 smoke coat Maine Coons from the same breeder.
If you are hoping to buy a Maine Coon with a smoke coat, you shouldn’t have any difficulty. On the other hand, you might find it harder to source a specific color and may pay a lot more for such a kitten.
Definition of a Smoke Maine Coon
A smoke Maine Coon is a cat with different color banding on each of its hair shafts. The roots are always paler than the tips giving the cat’s coat a smoky appearance. Black smoke Maine Coons are the most popular but there are many other variations involving the colors black, blue, red, cream and white.
The paler tips of the smoke Maine Coon’s coat are more obvious when it is in motion or when its fur is blown in the wind. The effect is spectacular.
The Smoke Maine Coon classes
There are just two classes of smoke Maine Coons:
- Smoke, of which there are 7 color variations
- Smoke and white, of which there are 9 color variations
The 16 smoke Maine Coon coats at a glance
| Coat | Description |
| Black Smoke | Fur with white roots and black tips |
| Blue Smoke | Fur with white roots and blue tips |
| Red Smoke AKA Cameo Smoke | Fur with white roots and red tips |
| Cream Smoke | Fur with white roots and cream tips |
| Blue-Cream Smoke | Fur with white roots and blue-cream tips |
| Black Tortie Smoke | Fur tipped with patched shades of red and black. White roots |
| Blue Tortie Smoke | Fur tipped with patched shades of cream and blue. White roots |
| Dense Calico Smoke | Solid (unbrindled) patches of red, white, and black fur with white roots on the black and red |
| Dilute Calico Smoke | Solid (unbrindled) patches of cream, white, and blue fur with white roots on the blue and cream |
| *Black & White Smoke | As per black smoke but with white bib, belly, and paws. |
| *Blue & White Smoke | As per blue smoke but with white bib, belly, and paws. |
| *Red (cameo) & white Smoke | As per red (cameo) smoke but with white bib, belly, and paws |
| *Cream & White Smoke | As per cream smoke but with white bib, belly, and paws |
| *Blue-Cream & White Smoke | As per blue-cream smoke but with white bib, belly, and paws |
| *Black & White Tortie Smoke | As per black tortie smoke but with white bib, belly, and paws |
| *Blue & White Tortie Smoke | As per blue tortie smoke but with white bib, belly, and paws |
Smoke Maine Coons: Descriptions of each variation
Black Smoke Maine Coon
The black smoke Maine Coon is the most sought after of the smoke coats. The majority of this cat’s fur has jet black tips and white roots. A hint of silver on their neck roughs and ear tips give the black smoke Maine Coon a regal appearance.
Blue Smoke Maine Coon
The blue smoke Maine Coon is a dilute version of the black smoke. A blue smoke cat’s fur has blue tips and white roots which give it a wonderful light blue smoky appearance.
Check out its nose leather and paw pads – these are a matching blue color!
Cameo (Red) Smoke Maine Coon
The cameo or red smoke Maine Coon has a white undercoat deeply tipped with red. They commonly exhibit a classic tabby pattern. To complement their appearance, they have rose-colored nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads.
Cream Smoke Maine Coon
A cream smoke Maine Coon has a white undercoat deeply tipped with cream. Their nose leather, rims of eyes, and paw pads are usually pink.
Blue-Cream Smoke Maine Coon
The blue-cream smoke Maine Coon has a white undercoat, deeply tipped with blue. It also has clearly defined patches of cream fur, and often has a white ruff and ear tufts. Similar to a tortie, it may have a blaze of cream on its face.
Black Tortie Smoke Maine Coon
The black tortie smoke Maine coon (aka black tortoiseshell smoke) has a white undercoat that is deeply tipped with black and red brindled patches of varying shades.
An unsymmetrical blaze of red is often apparent on their faces giving each of these Maine Coons a uniquely beautiful appearance.
Blue Tortie Smoke Maine Coon
The blue tortie smoke Maine Coon (aka blue tortoiseshell smoke) has a white undercoat that is deeply tipped with blue and cream brindled patches of varying shades.
An unsymmetrical blaze of cream is usually splashed across their faces giving each of blue tortie smoke Maine Coon a beautiful and unique appearance.
Smoke and White Maine Coons: descriptions of each variation
Dense Calico Smoke Maine Coon
The dense calico smoke Maine Coon falls into the smoke and white class because it has white fur in its coat. A calico Maine Coon has patches of white with dense patches of solid red and black.
A calico smoke Maine Coon has the same pattern as the calico but all of its fur is white at the roots which gives it the classic smoky appearance.
Dilute Calico Smoke Maine Coon
A dilute calico smoke Maine Coon has paler versions of the coat colors scene in the dense calico smoke. The vibrant red fur is instead cream, and the dense coal-black fur is replaced with blue fur. As per all smokes, the dilute calico smoke’s fur has white roots
Black Smoke & White Maine Coon
The black smoke and white Maine Coon has a similar coat to the black smoke as described earlier. The difference is it also has a white on its bib, all four paws, and belly. Some also have white on their faces.
Black Tortie Smoke & White Maine Coon
The black tortie smoke and white Maine Coon has the same colors and patterns as a black tortie smoke. Additionally, it may or may not have white on its face. All will have four white paws, a white belly, and a white bib.
Blue Smoke & White Maine Coon
The blue smoke and white Maine Coon has a similar coat to the blue smoke as described earlier in this article. In addition, it also has white on its bib, all four paws, and belly. Some may have white on their faces, but not all.
Blue-Cream Smoke & White Maine Coon
The blue-cream smoke and white Maine Coon has a similar coat to the blue-cream smoke as described earlier. It also has white on its bib, all four paws, and belly. Some blue-cream and white smokes have white on their faces, but not all do.
Blue Tortie Smoke & White Maine Coon
The blue tortie smoke and white Maine Coon has the same colors and patterns as the blue tortie smoke. In some cases, it can have white on its face, but not always. All blue tortie and white smokes have four white paws, a white belly, and a white bib.
Cameo (Red) Smoke & White Maine Coon
The cameo smoke and white Maine Coon has a similar coat to the cameo smoke described above. In addition, it has white on its bib, all four paws, and its belly. Some cameo and white smokes have white on their faces, but not all do.
Cream Smoke & White Maine Coon
The cream smoke and white Maine Coon has a coat similar to the cream smoke described earlier. The biggest difference is it has white fur on its bib, all four paws, and its belly.
Some cream and white smokes also have white fur on their faces, but this is not always the case.
How a smoke Maine Coon coat develops
For a Maine Coon to have a smoke coat, one of its parents must also exhibit the smoke pattern i.e. have a white undercoat.
The Smoke pattern results when shading occurs on solid hair colors. All of the hairs have full color to a point and then become white at the root. The coat appears to be one color or pattern until it is moved to reveal the contrasting white undercoat.
The smoke Maine Coon: pick your favorite
The 16 smoke Maine Coons are equally beautiful and difficult to choose between.
As the black smoke Maine Coon is the most sought after, it can be the hardest to find. However, Tortoiseshell Maine Coons are quite common as they occur more frequently.
If you choose to buy a Smoke Maine Coon of any color, you won’t be disappointed. They are amazing cats.