Maine Coon better as an indoor cat?

Would you consider a Maine Coon cat to be better as an indoor cat? What about shedding / grooming? Scratching furniture?

Editor's note: I'll add my 2 cents here since I'm reading this question two different ways. Are you asking if:

1) A Maine Coon should be an indoor only cat? (Yes.)

or...

2) Are you asking if a Maine Coon would make a better indoor cat than other breeds (or non-breeds)? (Strictly a personal choice.)

Since I'm unsure, I'll try to answer both versions and hopefully one of the answers matches the question. If not, please let me know, or perhaps someone else will weigh in. :)

Question 1) Would a Maine Coon cat be better as an indoor cat?

Another way to phrase that would be "should" they be indoor cats as opposed to outdoor cats? In my opinion, with few exceptions, all pet cats should be indoor cats.

The Cat Fanciers Association always recommends that pure breeds be kept indoors. Many breeders have it in their contracts that your cat will be kept indoors and to do otherwise would violate your agreement.

The ASPCA and other animal welfare organizations extend this recommendation to more than just pure breeds, and say that all domestic cats should be kept 100 percent indoors.

The dangers of disease, poisons, accidents, cat fights, and predators is high. The life expectancy of an outdoor cat is much shorter than an indoor cat.

I know that some people have strong viewpoints on this and disagree with the indoor only option. I also know that there are some cultural differences in different parts of the world.

There's an argument that if it weren't for the outdoor option, many more cats would be eunathized because they wouldn't be adopted.

Perhaps, but I don't know that to be true, and pure breeds are a different situation. What I do know is that I've heard many sad stories about outdoor cats.

Question 2) Do Maine Coons make better indoor cats than other types of cats?

Most of the people I've heard from who have been owned by Maine Coons (I never have) have great things to say about them. Some people just become fans of a particular breed, though, and can overlook things that might make others think twice.

You might want to pounce on Maine Coon Cat Nation and see what people have to say about them over there. Tell Carrie I said "meow."

Shedding / grooming...

As far as shedding, with the exception of perhaps the Sphynx and other "hairless" cats, all cats shed to some degree. Hairless varieties have their own grooming challenges. Cornish Rex and other Rex varieties tend to shed less than the average cat.

But longhaired cats with thick coats like the Maine Coon are going to likely leave more hair on your clothes and around the house. You can reduce the amount of shedding by grooming your cat frequently -- get a Furminator and use it often.

Maine Coons are said to have an "easy care" coat and are "non-matting." In contrast, Persian cats have a real problem with matting and need to be groomed daily. It can become severe enough that the clumps need to be shaved off.

Maine coons do need grooming, though, and you will have a lot of hair to clean up. So, stock up on lint rollers.

Scratching furniture...

All cats scratch. It's good for them. It's an instinct and it can't be trained out of them, nor should you try.

But, with the use of some behavior modification, some Sticky Paws, and by providing acceptable scratching surfaces, you can minimize the amount of "inappropriate" scratching your cat does.

I hope that helps.
-Kurt

P.S. If I didn't address the question, or you need more information, please leave a comment. Thanks!