Are Maine Coon Cats Smart – Here’s The Facts

You’re looking for the perfect breed of cat to get your son or daughter their first pet, or you just moved into your new home, and you’re looking for a cuddly companion. You don’t want a super high-maintenance animal, and you certainly don’t want a pet that is going to be impossible to manage. You come across the glorious, gentle giant, the Maine Coon cat! You ask yourself, “Are Maine Coon’s smart?” “Are they trainable?” “Are they high maintenance?”

Yes, Maine Coon’s are smart. They extremely intelligent animals and sociable. They are easily trained and can process information relatively quickly.

Now that you know Maine Coons are one of the smartest cat breeds out there, you may have other questions. Let’s dive into this breed to learn about adopting a Maine Coon and just how intelligent these furry guys are!

How can I tell if my Maine Coon is smart

There are several ways to test your Maine Coon to test their intelligence. See the list below for just a few ideas:

• You can shake a bag of treats from another room to see if they will come and how they react. If they approach you and respond positively, that is a sign; they are intelligent.
• You can play a shuffle cup game with them, where you have three cups with a ball under one and shuffle them. They are smart if they can tell you which cup has the cup after shuffling them.
• There are several types of cat puzzles you can buy to test your cat’s intelligence. Plus, Maine Coons love to play with puzzles because it stimulates their brain!
• Another trick you can try is to show your cat their favorite toy, let them smell it, and then hide it behind a solid object. See if your cat can locate the hidden toy!

Are Maine Coons the smartest cat breed

Although Maine Coons are in the top 10 smartest cat breeds, they are not the smartest. Something to remember when talking about the intelligence of these fur babies is that intelligence can affect their temperament, stubbornness, behavior, and trainability. However, why not let you decide which breed is the top cat breed? See the chart below for comparisons on a few of the top 10 smartest cats!

Breed of Cat	Trainability	Temperament
Abyssinian Cat	Can be taught to play fetch. They love to play and can be trained to complete simple tasks and tricks like a dog.	Requires a lot of hands-on attention. Needs constant stimulation, they get bored easily.
Scottish Fold Cat	Can learn tricks like dogs and once learned will continue to want to play even after you are ready call it quits. Known to love puzzle toys or toys that challenge their intelligence.	Love being around humans and getting all the attention. Very active, playing with toys Require a lot of interaction.
Siamese Cat	They will ‘talk back’ to you if you are willing to chat with them. Love puzzle games, but if they get bored will make a ‘game’ out of mischief.	Extremely vocal and loud cats.  Require a lot of attention and activities to keep them busy. Will let you (and your neighbors down the street) know when they are bored: caterwauling (persistent cat howling). Best to adopt in pairs of two.
Maine Coon	They are known as creatures of habit and are therefore easily trained. By using treats and other positive reinforcement methods, these cats can also be leashed train like a dog! Also enjoy cat puzzles, and other brain stimulating activities.	Very patient and great with young children. Prefer to be the only cat They will show signs of depression and anxiety if left home alone too much, without any interaction. They are not necessarily lap cats, but they enjoy sitting next to you on the couch or while you work on something.

Which house cat do you think will fit your family best? 

That leads us to our next question:

Does a Maine Coon’s intelligence affect its behavior

These monstrous cats are known for their intelligence and their size. Of course, one might wonder if their large feline brains affect the other traits and personalities we’ve all come to know and love about cats. They are people-oriented animals that love to play, that is often displayed as doglike characteristics. They are also very vocal, social creatures and are not afraid to let you know when they need something, whether it’s attention, food, or water.

Maine Coons are so intelligent that they will find ways to stay entertained if you do not give them proper amounts of attention or ways to stay occupied while you are busy. It is better to provide them with too many stimulating toys and puzzles than to have them get into something they shouldn’t be getting into because they were bored.

Being intelligent also means that Maine Coons learn quickly! They have been known to learn how to open doors with handles, and they know just how to get into things to keep themselves entertained. So keeping them entertained and feeling loved and happy is key to raising these gentle giants.

Are Maine Coons trainable

Yes! Maine Coons are known to be easily trainable. Below are three ways you can go about training them!

1. Special Rewards

With their ‘dog-like’ personalities can be trained using treats and other special rewards in sequence with repeated commands and training methods. 

1. Leash Training

They are also known to be able to be leash trained so that owners can walk them just like they would a pet dog. 

1. Doggie Games

Maine Coon cats also enjoy playing fetch games, where the owner throws a small object, and they will chase and return with the object. They can also be trained to play ‘hide-and-seek’ with their favorite toys. 

It is important to remember with all this playfulness also comes much needed long hours of sleep, just as a normal cat would. After being fully rested, these big fur fluffs will get what we at my house like to call ‘The Cat Zoomies’… This is where your cat will wake up from a nice long nap and begin to race around the house, parkouring off every single wall and piece of furniture they can get their paws on. In other words, you may notice that after naps, these big babies will get hyper spurts, where they scurry around your home, running out all the energy they can muster.

Final Thoughts

Keep these fun facts in mind when you’re looking to adopt a Maine Coon! Yes, they are extremely intelligent for a cat; however, they do come with their own characteristics! Their personalities may also affect these factors as well.