Comparing Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest and Siberian Cats

This is a conventional look at these three cats. I compare history, appearance, character and inherent health. I score each element with a heart shaped symbol. Five stars being the maximum. Scoring has to be subjective but I have been as objective as possible. The page is deliberately succinct as there is a lot of detail on these breeds on this website, particularly with respect to the Maine Coon. I have bundled them together because it is possible they have the same ancient heritage. I am using American examples of these breeds as the USA is the biggest purebred cat market.

Comparing Maine Coon, Norwgian Forest and Siberian Cats
Comparing Maine Coon, Norwgian Forest and Siberian Cats
Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

History

Maine Coon (MC) – date of origin 1860 in USA. Ancestry: Farm cats in USA for 400 years. Long prior history originating in Europe.♥♥♥♥♥

Norwegian Forest Cat (NFC) – date of origin: 1930s in Germany. Ancestry: Farm cats. Cats arrived in Norway around AD 1000.♥♥♥♥

Siberian – date of origin: 1980s in Eastern Russia. Ancestry: Household and farm cats.♥♥♥


Appearance

Maine Coon – the largest non-wildcat hybrid cat breed. “Substantial body shape”. Strong face. Square muzzle. Large ears (lynx tipped). Long hair. Shaggy coat. Coat: all colors and divisions of the traditional category.♥♥♥♥♥

Norwegian Forest Cat – Substantial build but not as big as the Maine Coon (on average). Slightly less masculine face than the MC. Medium to large ears (lynx tipped). Long hair. Triple coated. Coat: all colors and divisions of the traditional category.♥♥♥♥

Siberian – Substantial body shape. Strong appearance. Looks slightly less slender than the MC or NFC. Slightly squarer head (less long). Coat density similar to NFC. Coat: all colors and divisions of the traditional category.♥♥♥♥


Character

Maine Coon – Gentle giant. Relaxed, easygoing. Fairly quiet. Not necessarily a lap cat or wanting to be held. People orientated.♥♥♥♥

Norwegian Forest Cat – Very quiet. Single-minded. “Most are not interested in playing games1“. Reserved and contained.♥♥♥♥

Siberian – Sensible and resourceful. Strong independent cat. Requires space in which to roam. Not a lap cat. Dog-like devotion.♥♥♥


Health

Maine Coon – Hip Dysplasia (bad hip joint) – HCM (heart condition) – PKD (kidney disease) – Gingivitis (gum disease) – Spinal muscular atrophy (spine condition). ♥♥

Norwegian Forest Cat – HCM – PKD – Type IV glycogen storage disease (metabolism disorder). ♥♥♥

Siberian – No inherited health issues reported. (this does not mean there are none but none recorded)♥♥♥♥♥


Total scores: Maine Coon: 16. Norwegian Forest Cat: 15. Siberian: 15. In terms of popularity, the Maine Coon leads. The Norwegian Forest Cat is also popular but less so and the Siberian is rarer and less popular than the other two.

Read and see more: Maine CoonNorwegian ForestSiberian.

Note: 1. Gloria Stephens in Legacy of the Cat.

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91 thoughts on “Comparing Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest and Siberian Cats”

  1. Welcome.
    Last summer, we rescued this 1-month-old kitten, who has since grown well, almost 7 kg.
    I think she is a DLH cat with Maine Coon and Norwegian Forest Cat traits.
    What do you think about it?

    Reply
    • Super-looking cat. For me she looks more like a Siberian. Or the Norwegian Forest cat. But all three are similar. The Maine Coon is slightly different because of more extreme selective breeding. Thanks for sharing. She is a real beauty.

      Reply
        • Gabor, this cat does not look like the same cat as shown in your previous photo. Definitely a different cat. II agree that this cat does indeed look like a Maine Coon. No lynx tipped ears though but a MC muzzle.

          Reply
          • And yet she is, on December 2, 2021. A lot has changed in a year. That’s why I can’t decide what type it might be?
            This picture was taken half a year ago.

            Reply

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