In our previous article, we already talked about the basics of caring for and maintaining Maine Coon pets. Maine Coons are very sociable and intelligent pets and, as a rule, raising them does not cause serious difficulties.
Happy owners of Maine Coons know that cats of this breed do not tend to damage furniture or break dishes for fun. A Maine Coon can gracefully walk among hundreds of crystal glasses and not touch a single one.
However, like any pet, the Maine Coon requires proper education , and the right line must be chosen from the first days of the kitten’s stay in your home.
Recommendations for education
To teach a cat something well, you need to start training the kitten early. Adult cats are already individuals who have difficulty learning new things.
The breed is willful, so any orders will be ignored. All new skills should be spoken in a soft and calm tone.
Training should not exceed 20 minutes per day. To consolidate the result, you need to give your pet a treat.
If the pet reacts negatively, then it is better not to continue the training. If the entire training takes place in a game format, this will increase efficiency many times over.
How much do cats cost?
A purebred elite cat is never cheap. Maine Coon kittens are bought from thirty to fifty thousand rubles. Future sires and individuals of prestigious colors are the most expensive.
It is better to buy kittens of this breed that meet the standards in a nursery or from a breeder, since you can buy a sick cat or a mixed breed from your hands. If this point is not important, then, of course, you can buy a pet on the market.
Many people want to have a handsome pet, but we must not forget that this family member will require serious financial investments, care, care and love. The Maine Coon is a great friend for a person who lives outside the city, or for a large happy family.
Breed Features
Features of Maine Coons are:
- playfulness;
- accuracy;
- peacefulness;
- sociability;
- learning ability;
- adaptability;
- unpretentiousness.
It is worth noting that these qualities are both enhanced and suppressed in the process of education. It is necessary from the first days of moving the pet to a new place of residence.
The main disadvantages include the large size and weight, which can cause the animal to break something fragile. Maine Coons have very thick fur, so they can leave clumps all over the apartment, and the carpet will have to be washed more often than usual.
Maine Coons are very careful with children and will never offend a child/Yandex Collections
How to educate?
A Maine Coon kitten is taught a culture of behavior from childhood, otherwise it will grow up to be a big, whimsical cat that brings trouble, with no idea what is possible and what is not. For comfortable coexistence between the pet and its residents, the coon is trained to use a litter tray from the day of relocation. So that the animal understands where to relieve itself, it is better to carry the pet in your arms the first time and wait until it copes with its business. A friendly bond is formed in the next 2-3 days, this time is the most important, it is worth paying all your attention to the pet. Physical pressure on maines is prohibited; the animal will be offended and perceive the owner as an enemy. Maine is a smart enough creature to understand cause-and-effect relationships; in punishments it is worth focusing on this trait and “teaching a lesson” immediately at the moment the dirty trick is discovered. After an hour or two, the action is meaningless, the pet will not understand and will continue to do the same thing, only with greater impact.
Training
The cat is prone to following commands, remembers basic and complex settings, and learns easily and with interest. Several prohibitions on a certain action will be stored in memory and there will be no repetition of the negative action. The main way to wean young coons from “bad manners” is to spray their faces with a spray bottle of warm water. This will solve the problem of climbing on the table and stealing food from plates. Furniture is protected from scratches by attaching a sticky material (for example, double-sided tape) or by spraying with an aerosol that has an unpleasant odor for animals and a neutral odor for humans.
Training a Maine Coon at home is a responsible undertaking. You need to be patient and persevering.
The command “give me your paw” is easily mastered by a cat, using encouragement as the main method of education. They carefully raise Maine's paw and pronounce the name of the trick. The second or third time, when you bring your open palm to the animal, it will offer its paw on its own. If successful, treat the student with a treat and repeat the procedure to consolidate the result. It is important that the pet must feel interested and take the initiative; you should not forcefully train it, it leads to the opposite consequences. Based on this base, the pet is taught any tricks.
Tricks
Cats are not dogs at all, but the Maine Coon breed can be trained to give a paw. To do this, you need to take the kitten’s paw several times a day, saying the command “Give me your paw.”
After completing a specific task, the pet must be rewarded with a treat. Using the same technique, you can teach a kitten to approach its owner.
If the owner gives the kitten medication, it is important not to reward it with treats afterwards.
You should not overwork your animal with long-term training, as this causes fatigue and irritation. If your pet has learned a trick, you don’t have to constantly ask him to repeat it.
Even if the animal already responds well to commands, you need to reward it every time. But if he comes up and does something on his own, trying to beg for a treat, the owner should reward him in a different way.
You can pet it. Otherwise, the animal will decide that it can perform tricks only when it wants to receive a reward.
If a Maine Coon kitten has learned a trick, don’t constantly ask him to repeat it/Yandex Collections
Subsequence
How to raise a Maine Coon to be an obedient cat? It is very important to be consistent in the process of teaching him. If, for example, a Maine Coon persistently demands food (even though you recently fed it), and you still follow his lead, do not be further surprised by his similar behavior.
If your pet did a prank and you scolded it, then you should not immediately feel sorry for it. He will not understand that you punished him, and will continue to not comply with the owner's demands. Representatives of this breed are highly intelligent and aware, so with proper consistent training they quickly learn behavioral norms.
Bad behavior
The Maine Coon is a calm breed with which there are usually no problems; they live quietly with people.
A kitten cannot behave badly for no reason; the following reasons are usually identified:
- An unpleasant encounter with another cat;
- Fright;
- Illness, fatigue;
- Attention on another object;
- Irritation;
- The owner is detached, the kitten is trying to attract attention.
Thanks to regular training, all these problems can be solved. If you become ill, you must take your pet to a veterinarian.
Do not confuse a playful mood with anger. The kitten may try to rush at the owner. He needs to be given time to calm down, about 25 minutes alone. It's okay to spray him with water a little if he doesn't stop.
Toys for cats will help cope with bites; Maine Coon bites during puberty and changing teeth. Excessive aggression may stem from the fact that the animal’s body does not have enough vitamins.
You can’t react negatively to a kitten’s meow, as it tries to attract the owner’s attention. Maybe he doesn't have enough water or food, or he's showing that he's in pain.
It is quite possible to raise a Maine Coon at home / Yandex Collections
Appeal word
In order for your pet to understand that you are calling him, be sure to pat your hand on the place where your pet should be. For example, on an armchair or sofa.
“Come to me” or “come here” should cause the correct reaction, namely the pet’s approach to the right place.
You can call a cat to give him food, pet him or communicate, but not to give him a tasteless medicine or punish him.
Give your pet as much attention as possible, talk to him, educate him. Then your communication will bring you only pleasure.
What not to do
Some actions should never be allowed, namely:
- Leaving a kitten alone with open windows may cause injury or escape;
- Scolding for actions, after a significant amount of time has passed, the pet simply will not understand why they are scolding him;
- Leave cords on the floor; your pet may chew them;
- Leave household chemicals within easy reach;
- Yelling at an animal; loud noises cause fear in a pet;
- Cause pain to the kitten.
Cats are headstrong animals; if you beat them, they will not forgive it.
Punishment word
A similar word could be “fu”. When your pet learns to understand the meaning of this word, you will not have to resort to other methods of disapproval. This word must be pronounced in a loud, unpleasant voice, looking the pet straight into the eyes.
Touch his nose with your finger. This gesture is considered to be an educational gesture by a mother cat.
If these measures do not help, you can pinch the cat by the ear or lightly spank it with a newspaper, but under no circumstances not with your hand. The punishment word should be unpleasant. It is important to remember that the pet must understand why he is being punished, then he accepts and understands it.
Problems in training Maine Coons
The following parameters should be taken into account when training an animal:
- It is difficult for a cat to master commands such as “Lie down” and “Sit”. They are more suitable for dogs;
- When jumping, you need to understand that it is easier for a cat to jump from bottom to top;
- The pet can get distracted during training, there is no need to force it, you need to find out what factor attracts its attention;
- If the Maine Coon refuses to perform the trick or reacts negatively, the training must be stopped.
When raising, the owner must take into account the individual characteristics of the cat. But Maine Coons are called quite pleasant, they rarely have problems with their owners. If you follow simple instructions, you will not have any problems raising Maine Coon kittens at home.
This is prohibited
It will not be possible to avoid absolutely all problems when raising a pet, since each Maine Coon is unique, and it is impossible to foresee everything in advance. It is important to know the basic principles of behavior in case of problems and adhere to them:
- The use of physical force is prohibited. You cannot hit a kitten with your hand or any other object; this will lead to the fact that it will not only grow up to be a fearful cat with an unstable psyche, but will also begin to see its owner as an enemy.
- You cannot punish for something that was done a long time ago. If the consequences of a pet’s prank were not detected immediately, then there is no point in scolding him a few hours later - he will not understand what caused the owner’s dissatisfaction.
- Praise more than punish. The kitten should be praised and encouraged even for the most insignificant successes, but scolded only for serious offenses.
It is important for Maine Coons to understand and feel that the owner is, first of all, a friend. In this case, cats try their best to please the owner.
Tray and scratching post training
Maine Coon kittens are trained to use a litter tray and scratching post from a very early age. They, like other representatives of the cat family, can go to the wrong place. Or sharpen your claws on furniture. The tray should be placed in a secluded place, and you need to keep it clean.
At the age of four months they begin to accustom them to a scratching post. Using your example, show how to use it: imitate the movements of the claws with your fingers. As soon as you see that the kitten begins to damage the furniture, bring it to a specially equipped place. Both the tray and the scratching post should be selected according to the size of the pet.
