Maine Coons are born with short fur like any other kittens. When owners collect their new Maine Coon kitten at around 13 weeks of age, they are often surprised at the lack of fluffy coat.
Don’t fret your Maine Coon will soon grow one! In this article, you can see how our Maine Coon Freddy’s coat grew fluffier and fluffier, with photos of him from the age of 4 days to one year.
As a rule, a Maine Coon starts to develop its fluffy coat at 8 weeks of age but this might not develop fully until they are over a year old. Bear in mind, some Maine Coons are a lot fluffier than others.
The photo below is of our Maine Coon kitten Freddy when he was just 4 days old. As you can see, there’s not much evidence of fluff yet.
Freddy’s breeder sent us the next photo when he was 9 days old. There’s still not much Maine Coon fluff to speak of but it’s definitely longer than 5 days ago.
At 8 weeks, there’s more evidence of Freddy’s fluff developing as you can see in the next photo. His fur also looks a lot darker. There’s also evidence of those famous Maine Coon Lynx tips developing. Excuse his milky mouth!
The next photo was taken the day we brought Freddy home at 13 weeks of age. There are signs of toe tufts and lots of ear fluff growing.
By 6 months, Freddy had definitely grown a lot fluffier. You can really see his Maine Coon mane and more toe tufts than at 13 weeks.
By one year, you can see Freddy was a much fluffier Maine Coon. He had a full neck ruff, as well as tufty ears, cheeks, and toes.
Do Maine Coons get fluffier as they get older?
Maine Coons are known to mature slowly (like a fine cheese but less smelly) and their coats can get more and more fluffy during the first couple of years of their life.
Maine Coons have several fluffy trademark features that vary in length from one cat to another and grow at varying rates. These include:
- A lion-like mane or neck ruff
- Flowing fur on their back and flanks
- Tall ear tufts (or Lynx tips)
- Long, fluffy tails
- Toe tufts
- Fluffy bellies
How long does it take for a Maine Coon to fully develop its fluffy coat?
Maine Coons tend to grow rapidly until they are a year old and their coats do too. From this age, their size can gradually increase until they are 3 or 4 years old.
In my experience of owning 7 Maine Coons, their coats tend to fully develop by age 12 to 18 months. After this, their fluffiness can fluctuate with the seasons.
Which areas of a Maine Coon are the fluffiest?
Maine Coons are one of the fluffiest cats in the world. The lengths and thickness of their fluff vary from cat to cat and also vary in different areas of their bodies.
Manes
Do all Maine Coons get fluffy manes? The simple answer is no! The Maine Coon mane does not always grow long and fluffy.
Some Maine Coons never develop a fluffy mane and others have very large neck roughs that make them look like mini lions. Most Maine Coon manes are somewhere in between short and long.
The mane often reduces in size in the summer and grows back to its full fluffy glory in the winter.
Ears
At what age do Maine Coons get their ear tufts? The fact is, some Maine Coon kittens are born with ear tufts whilst others aren’t. Some develop ear tufts and some just don’t
Some kittens’ ear tufts eventually grow long and tufty and others just don’t develop ear tufts at all. Often, you’ll just have to wait and see if a Maine Coon gets fluffy ears.
The long fluffy tips on a Maine Coon’s ears are referred to as Lynx tips. Maine Coons also have fluff inside their ears which can vary from cat to cat.
You will notice Rosie, below, has much larger Lynx tips than Freddy. This is perfectly normal as this feature can vary from one Maine Coon to another.
Toes
The majority of Maine Coons develop fluffy toes also known as toe tufts from about 8 weeks of age. On some cats, this fluff can grow extremely long and really protrude from between each toe.
The length of this fluff can vary just like all other Maine Coon fluff.
Bellies
Maine Coon bellies are coated with soft, fluffy fur. This fur is often the fluffiest on the cat and tends to grow quite curly.
Because of its fluffy nature, belly fluff can mat very easily and needs to be taken good care of with regular grooming.
Tails
Maine Coon kittens have quite short tail fluff but this starts to grow at about 8 weeks.
The length of a Maine coons tail fluff varies from one cat to another. Some have thicker shorter fur, some have finer, longer fur and some are long and extremely fluffy.
Back legs
Most Maine Coons grow a lot of fluffy fur on their back legs from their knees to their bottoms. This is often referred to as fluffy breeches or fluffy bloomers.
This type of fluff really becomes more noticeable from about a year onwards. It is another area that’s prone to matting.
Why is my Maine Coon kitten not fluffy?
Maine Coon kittens are born with fairly short, fine fur. They soon start developing their trademark fluffy coat, at 8 weeks. By the time a Maine Coon is 6 months old it should have medium to long fur.
If your Maine Coon kitten is not fluffy by 6 months of age, this could mean it is not a purebred Maine Coon or it is not a Maine Coon at all.
Maine Coons do not have short fur and I’ve covered this subject in a separate article which you can read by clicking here.
Maine Coon coat health
Once it reaches maturity if your Maine Coon’s coat doesn’t look as healthy or as fluffy as you think it should, there could be several possible causes.
When a cat sheds, a fine layer of hair is lost evenly from its coat. If you notice clumps of hair falling out or bald spots developing, this is not a usual feature of shedding.
Here are some things to consider:
Poor nutrition
Correct nutrition is essential to help a Maine Coon’s coat develop and also to maintain it once it has fully grown.
Good quality cat food is generally nutritionally balanced to provide all a cat needs to keep it healthy.
Two components of cat food help to keep a cat’s skin and coat in good condition:
- Essential fatty acids EPA and DHA (Omega-3 oil) as found in oily fish
- Vitamin B7
A popular supplement containing omega-3 oil is Pure Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil. If you’re interested in trying this with your cat, you can see more about it on Amazon by clicking this link
If you make your own cat food, ensure you include all the supplements your Maine Coon needs.
Skin complaint
Maine Coons, like all cats, can develop skin conditions like eczema which can lead to hair loss. If you suspect this is the case, get your vet to check your cat out as soon as possible.
Parasites
Fleas, ticks, and mites can cause a cat to scratch incessantly and this can lead to hair loss not to mention sore skin.
Keep a lookout for such parasites and remove them as necessary. There are some very effective topical treatments available from your vet.
Thyroid problems
Cats are prone to hyperthyroidism and one side effect of this condition is hair loss. You’ll also notice other symptoms such as increased appetite and weight loss.
If you suspect your Maine Coon has a thyroid condition, please take it straight to the vet as it can be controlled with medication.
Stress
A stressed cat may over-groom and pull out its own fur. There are many reasons why cats become stressed and the root cause needs to be diagnosed for the sake of their overall health.
Cat stress manifests itself in many ways so I’ve dedicated a whole article to the subject of recognizing and dealing with cat stress which you can read by clicking here.
Changing seasons and Maine Coon fluff
Like all cats, Maine Coon’s have a lighter summer coat and a fluffier winter coat. These coat changes occur throughout their lives.
As spring arrives, a Maine Coon sheds its winter coat to make way for its slightly less dense summer coat. Then as fall nears, the summer coat gives way to a much fluffier winter coat.
If you want to experience a Maine Coon at its absolute fluffiest you’ll have to wait for winter each year.
You may think a Maine Coon’s coat will not thicken up if it lives indoors because it doesn’t experience a particular drop in temperature.
The fact is, indoor Maine Coons still get fluffy winter coats because, contrary to what seems logical, winter coat growth is triggered by the lack of sunlight and not a drop in temperature.
Which parts of a Maine Coon are the fluffiest
The fluffiest parts of most Maine Coons are their bellies and back legs. These areas are where their fur is the softest and fuzziest. You could compare it to cotton wool!
When Will My Maine Coon Cat Get Fluffy? – Conclusion
It takes time for a Maine Coon’s coat to develop into its full fluffy glory. You may have to wait up to 4 years. In the meantime, follow my diet and grooming tips to ensure your Maine Coon grows the best-conditioned fluffy coat possible.