The earliest Maine Coons were often brown tabbies but now they come in five colors. One Maine Coon color is grey to the eye but this isn’t how it’s referred to.
Can a Maine Coon be blue?
Blue is the official coat color for what appears to be a grey Maine Coon. It’s not a bright blue like the sky but a definite grey color with a bluish tinge.
The Range of Blue Maine Coon Cat colors
The Blue Maine Coon is one of the five solid coat color classes recognized by the Cat Fanciers’ Association. This Maine Coon coat can be referred to as grey but is officially a diluted variation of black caused by the presence of the dilution gene. The nose and paw leather is also blue on a purebred solid blue Maine Coon.
The shade of blue can vary from a light, silvery grey to a rich dark grey-like slate. Blue Maine Coons can have many different coat colors and patterns. Here are the main ones:
1. The Solid Blue Maine Coon
To be classed as a solid blue, a Maine Coon must have fur that is all one shade of grey from root to tip. Its nose leather and paw pads will be the same color as its coat.
2. The Blue Smoke Maine Coon
A Blue Smoke Maine Coon looks like a solid blue cat when it is not in motion. On closer inspection or when it moves, you can its coat is white at the roots and blue at the tips. It has grey points and a grey mask on its face. It also has a white ruff and ear tufts.
3. Blue Tabby
The blue tabby Maine Coon can have any of the three tabby patterns:
- Classic (blotched) – This pattern is often referred to as a blotched tabby because of the elaborate swirls on the sides of the body and butterfly-like patterns over the shoulders.
- Mackerel (striped) – This is the most common cat coat pattern. It has narrow stripes that begin at a dark stripe along the cat’s backbone and run vertically down towards its belly. The lines are parallel, evenly spaced and resemble the skeleton of a fish (hence the name).
- Ticked (agouti) – This coat has multiple bands of color on each hair over the body and head and the usual tabby rings on its legs and tail. It’s sometimes referred to as the agouti or Abyssinian tabby pattern.
It has a light silver base coat and markings of contrasting, darker blue
4. The Blue Silver Maine Coon
The blue silver Maine Coon has one of the three tabby patterns mentioned earlier. It has a pale silver base color and deep blue contrasting markings.
There are also patched and shaded versions of this coat color.
5. The Blue Tortie Maine Coon
These are the variations of Blue Tortie Maine Coons:
- Blue Tortie Smoke
- Blue Tortie Classic Tabby
- Blue Tortie Mackerel Tabby
- Blue Tortie Silver Classic Tabby
- Blue Tortie Silver Shaded Classic Tabby
- Blue Tortie Silver Mackerel Tabby
- Blue Tortie Silver Shaded Mackerel Tabby
6. Blue and White
The grey and white Maine Coon falls into the bi-color class and has a combination of blue and white fur as you would expect. It also has a white bib, belly, and paws. The amount of white and the distribution can vary.
7. The Chinchilla Silver Maine Coon
It is possible to find a Chinchilla Silver and a Chinchilla Blue Silver Maine Coon.
The Chinchilla Silver Maine Coon has a pure white undercoat. Its back, sides, head, and tail fur are tipped with black to give a sparkling silver appearance. Its legs are often slightly shaded with tipping. Its chin, ear tufts, stomach, and chest are white.
The Chinchilla Blue Silver Maine Coon has a white undercoat. The fur on its back, sides, head, and tail are tipped with blue giving a sparkling blue appearance. Its legs may be slightly shaded with tipping and its chin, ear tufts, stomach, and chest are white.
Are Blue Maine Coons Rare or Common?
Solid blue Maine Coon cats are about as common as ones with solid white, cream and black coats.
The Blue Chinchilla Maine Coon has one of the rarest coat patterns. It is the opposite of Blue Smoke, so the tips of its fur are silvery and the roots are dark blue (grey really!)
Blue Maine Coon Eye Colors
Blue Maine Coons can have all the usual Maine Coon eye colors which include shades of amber, gold, orange, copper, yellow, and green.
Solid blue or grey Maine Coon cats never have blue eyes. Only a blue Maine Coon with white in its coat can have blue eyes or odd eyes where one is blue and the other is one of the eye colors mentioned above.
The Blue Maine Coon Price
If you ever spot a blue Maine Coon kitten for sale, you will notice it is rather expensive. Breeders charge a lot for kittens because of the expenses involved ensuring their health.
Both parents are given full health checks and are screened for genetically transmitted conditions. Kittens are also checked by a vet and given their first vaccinations.
It is possible to find blue Maine Coons for lower prices from other sources such as backyard breeders, pet shops and rescue centers.
It’s hard to suggest the Maine Coon price for any particular color because they vary widely. Some breeders charge less and some charge more than others but a rough average is $1,000.
If you are lucky enough to find a blue Maine Coon at a shelter you may only have to part with $100 and you will be given an abandoned cat the chance of a happy life.
Names For Blue Maine Coons
Struggling to name your blue Maine coon? Here are a few ideas:
- Ash – This would suit a blue Maine Coon whose coat is a silver grey
- Smokey – A darker grey Maine Coon could easily be a Smokey
- Diesel – Here’s a name for the darkest of grey Maine Coon cats
- Cinders – Picture the cold embers of a fire that have light and dark grey ashes. This is a cool name for blue tabby Maine Coon because of the different shades of grey in its coat
- Storm – This would definitely make a great name for an energetic blue cat
- Silver – A befitting name for a pale blue cat with a sparkle to its coat
- Lavender – This would suit a cat with a mid-blue coat
- Sage – You could name your blue cat after the silvery leaves of this aromatic herb
- Dusty – a lovely name for a beautiful pale blue cat
- Sapphire – this is the perfect name for a cat with a vivid blue glossy coat
- Steel – the perfect name for a strong, blue silver Maine Coon
- Blueberry – this would suit a cat with a dark blue coat
- Bluebell – a flowery name for a lighter blue-coated cat
- Hyacinth – another blue flower name
- Delphinium – and another pretty blue flower name
- Violet – yet another flower name for a cat with a pale blue coat
Brunnea – a blue flower that isn’t so well known if you’re looking for something unusual
Blue Coat Genetics
Cat coat genetics
Briefly, because blue is a dilution of the black color, the dilute gene must be present in both parents in order for a kitten to have a blue coat.
Conclusion
Blue Maine Coon cats do exist but we often refer to them as grey – after all that’s the color they look to our eyes! It’s their diluted black coat that’s responsible for giving them an ethereal blue glow.
If you love the blue Maine Coon, there are many shades and patterns to choose from. To source one register your interest with several reputable breeders and, hopefully, your dream of owning one will soon come true.