Maine Coon Cat Size Comparison: The Largest Cat?

Written by Megan Martin
Published: November 17, 2021
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Maine coon cat size comparison dog average cat and bobcat
Maine Coons are one of the largest cats!

When you think of domesticated cats, you probably don’t think about them as large animals. After all, they’re smaller than many other types of house pets, and they definitely don’t compare to their wild ancestors. However, while this may be true for other breeds of cats, a Maine Coon cat size comparison will show they’re like no other cat you may encounter daily.

Maine Coons may be your typical housecat, but they’re definitely anything but average. Known for their aloof personality and unmistakable appearance, these furry felines tend to outweigh even the largest of other domestic cat breeds. However, when it comes down to the exact size of an average housecat, a dog, and even a bobcat, just how does the Maine Coon measure up?

How Big is a Maine Coon Cat?

Large Maine Coon isolated on white background

As if they didn’t resemble a wild cat enough with their size, many Maine Coons have tufts of hair known as

“lynx

tips” on their ears.

©Kucher Serhii/Shutterstock.com

The Maine Coon cat is the largest non-hybrid cat, and the largest domestic cat overall other than the Savannah. However, are big are they exactly?

Usually, you won’t encounter a Maine Coon much taller than 16 inches, though that number ranges from 10 inches to 16. Most of their size is found in their length, with an impressive 40 inches from nose to tail. That’s half the length of a queen-size bed!

While their fluffy coats make them look much larger than they really are, they also weigh more than you would expect. In fact, they can weigh anywhere from 8 to 18 pounds on average, though that number may go as high as 25 pounds!

These are just the typical measurements, however. Maine Coon’s are known for their record-breaking size, and many go above and beyond the typical breed standards. Take Ludo from Wakefield, Yorkshire for example. This Maine Coon cat is nearly 50 inches length! And, as of October 2021, he weighs 34 pounds – that’s the same as a cinder block.

As a result, it’s no doubt that Maine Coons have earned their title as one of the biggest cats around. But, when it comes to humans, dogs, and other types of cats, how do they measure up?

Human Versus Maine Coon Cat Size Comparison

Maine coon cat size comparison dog average cat and bobcat
Maine Coons can be the same size as a four-year-old human!

While Ludo the Maine Coon may weigh as much as your typical three-year-old child, how do average Maine Coons compare to humans?

Based on their shoulder height alone, Maine Coons are only around knee-high on your average adult human. However, with the ability to be over three feet in length, when they’re on their hind legs, they can be taller than most humans’ hips. For reference, that’s around the same height as the average human four-year-old.

At their smallest size of 10 inches at the shoulders and only weighing 8 pounds, though, an adult Maine Coon may seem more like a human newborn.

Dog Size Comparison Versus Maine Coon Cats

Belgian Malinois with orange collar and tongue out

Dogs can come in a variety sizes, including those much smaller than a Maine Coon and much bigger.

©iStock.com/Sansargo

In most cases, even when it comes to the average housecat, you expect dogs to be larger. After all, when it comes down to a Great Dane and a cat, you won’t find a domesticated cat breed able to top their size.

However, the Maine Coon is a special case.

At their smallest height of 10 inches at the shoulder and 8 pounds, the Maine Coon is already nearly twice the size of some Chihuahuas, who can be as small as 5 inches and 4 pounds. Maine Coons are also larger than toy poodles, most Pomeranians, Shih Tzus, Yorkies, and more. And that’s just at their smallest!

At their largest, Maine Coons are around the same size as a beagle.

However, even Ludo the Maine Coon is no match for the smallest of some of the big dogs. Great Danes are nearly three times the height of Maine Coons and can weigh almost ten times as much. That’s the same as comparing a two-year-old toddler with a refrigerator!

Average Cat Versus Maine Coon Size Comparison

Small Scottish Fold

Maine Coons are one of the largest cats

, but just how big are they compared to other breeds?

©DK13/Shutterstock.com

The maximum height of your typical housecat is the usual minimum size of a Maine Coon – and the same goes for their weight! In all, the Maine Coon has definitely earned their place as the largest non-hybrid cat.

Still not sure just how big the Maine Coon is compared to their furry feline friends?

Take the smallest cat, the Singapura. Though large in presence, these cats grow anywhere from 4 to 8 inches tall and don’t usually weigh more than 8 pounds. That’s nearly half the height of the smallest Maine Coons! The Scottish Fold is another small cat, with its maximum size being the same as the Maine Coon’s minimum.

However, there is one cat larger than a Maine Coon: the Savannah.

A hybrid of wild cats like servals and domestic housecats, Savannah cats can grow to be 17 inches tall and weigh more than 25 pounds. It takes record-breaking Maine Coons like Barviel and Ludo to top that!

Bobcat Size Comparison Versus Maine Coon Cats

bobcat standing on top of a rock

Bobcats are a common wild cat in the wilderness of North America

©iStock.com/twildlife

Bobcats are one of the most common wild cats in North America. Known for their tell-tale bobtails and furry faces, bobcats can weigh as much as 40 pounds (or as little as 8 pounds!) and grow to be 21 inches tall. Surprisingly, this means, when it comes to a Maine Coon cat size comparison, they’re around the same size as a Maine Coon, though they can easily get much larger.

In fact, while bobcats and Maine Coons can be around the same size, the larger bobcat is easily four times as large as the smallest Maine Coon. That’s the same difference as a gallon of milk and a Men’s Olympic barbell. Just another reason that a Maine Coon is much easier to hold than a bobcat.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Tylinek


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About the Author

Megan is a writer at A-Z Animals where her primary focus is birds, felines, and sharks. She has been researching and writing about animals for four years, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in biology and professional and technical writing from Wingate University, which she earned in 2022. A resident of North Carolina, Megan is an avid birdwatcher that enjoys spending time with her cats and exploring local zoological parks with her husband.

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