My not so gentle giant, MAXIMUS
by Gwendolyn Edwards
(Los Angeles)
MAXIMUS & GWEN
HI!....I "inherited" a Maine Coon a couple years ago, from a friend who had a baby, had to move, and the cat didn't fit the new life. 🙁
That said, I kind of understand why now! He is absolutely off the charts for the size of most Maine Coons. He weighs in at OVER 30 lbs. He's a little overweight, but not bad- he's just very long with GIANT bones. I've attached a picture - you won't believe it.
I am completely, madly IN LOVE with him. And I am a DOG person- I've never really liked cats!
But in the past few months he's become very hard to live with. He has always been very lovable with me and very loyal. But recently, he has started trying to attack me. He is not playing- he is coming after me and doing this growly snarly thing that's scary!
Through process of elimination I've been trying to figure out what could be causing it. The only thing I've found is that he seems to get agitated if his bowl is less than half full. (It's never empty, but if I never let the bottom of the bowl show through- he seems a little more relaxed.)
This is no small (or inexpensive) feat because the big guy eats as much as a HORSE.
Any advice?
I'm in love with him and definitely in it for the long haul- but I live alone, am a petite girl, and honestly- the big guy scares me sometimes!!
Haha. Love some advice! Or feel free to just tell me all about how you fell over when you saw how big he is.
Gwendolyn
Hi Gwendolyn.... OMG...He is massive. I was shocked when I saw the photo. I think he is the biggest domestic other than F1 Savannah MAGIC that I have seen.
Thanks for visiting, sharing and asking. So, I wonder what is wrong?
My initial thought when I read the bit about him suddenly becoming aggressive was that he might be in pain, in discomfort, which is making him unhappy and irritated.
Is he walking OK. Maine Coons can suffer from Hip Dysplasia ("dysplasia" means an abnormal development). It can cause painful arthritis.
Now, if he has arthritis it would be very irritating. His enormous size also points to putting more stress on the joints which may encourage arthritis. I am just thinking out aloud and this is guesswork except that I am relying on known diseases that can be inherited by this very popular breed, which must be a decent starting point.
Any cat in pain, no matter how docile may scratch or bite (book 1). See the full list of Maine Coon health problems.
Another idea...Many cases of unexplained aggression are brought about by environment stress which leads to heightened fear and distress.
He may be upset if you are trying to diet him. He may like his food too much due to some kitten experiences. You diet him as a result and he becomes distressed.
Thyroid problems can cause a cat to become aggressive too. Is his coat thinning?
You have isolated the possible source is his food. He is hungry it seems. As you say the first thing is to isolate the cause.
I'll come back to this page soon as I have to go to the gym right now...!
Hello Gwen,
First, thanks for taking care of Maximus when his other people decided to abandon him instead of trying to adapt their home situation. At any rate, I have 2 Maine Coons, one is HUGE (named Mr. Tibbs) and the other is just large (named Tigger) lol. I take the big guy (21 lbs.) to the vet regularly. Getting bloodwork to test for diabetes, kidney problems, etc. is a good idea for overweight cats, and should be done annually.
Also, I feed him a prescription diet (Hill’s Science Diet Metabolic) to insure that he gets enough to feel full and yet is not overeating. Those are the basics. But of course, we have Maine Coons, and there is nothing basic about them! When I was gone for work a lot, my large guy, Tigger, would get very upset. He would attack my feet and cause some damage. I found that coming home and playing with him more helped.
I also picked him up and put him in my room with the door shut when he attacked, which helped him calm down and kept me from getting injured. My best advice is to observe when this behavior happens. When you get home after a long absence? Only when his bowl is empty? In the morning or early evening (cats are more active during these times that any other). By noting WHEN the behavior occurs, you can help narrow down the cause. If you are away a lot, providing him with battery-operated cat toys (or better yet, having a friend come visit him) may also help if he’s lonely, if having a friend visit is feasible for you.
Maine Coons are very social (as a general rule) and love to be around people. In short: rule out organic causes such as illness by talking to a vet, then do some deductive research to find the root of the behavior. Doing so should help you curb it. I hope this helps!