Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!

**itslindsay** · 1st September 2012, 10:11 AM

Please don't feel overwhelmed by all of the questions!
Just answer what you know and give any information that you are most familiar with. :]

Hi! I recently adopted a 2 month old 'Maine Coon/Mix' kitten from the local Humane Society.
We named him Bruce. He is very handsome & sweet, and I love him regardless but am just trying to figure out if he is *definitely* fully/mostly/partly maine coon [because, we all know that cats aren't ALWAYS properly labeled at the Humane Society].
He is now 2.5 months old & is *very* chirpy. He has tufts between his toes but not super long [fairly long-ish on the hind feet].
Also, his ear tufts are barely noticeable.
*Do common cats even have super faint ear tufts?
*Or if one even has really faint ear tufts then does that mean it is absolutely maine coon? His are only noticeable up close in person and they don't really show up in photos.
*Will the ear & toe tufts grow/fill out even more with age?
*At 2 months old he weighed 2.07 lbs. I know that the average 2 month old male Maine Coon weighs 2.5 [is this accurate information?].
As for his coat, it is soft and somewhat thick [for a kitten]. He seems to have two layers of fur, maybe? He has mostly medium-length fur and then he has a faint long-hair coat that is just verryyyy thin. He isn't fluffy, really... more-so fuzzy.
*Will this grow in fuller or is this a typical Maine Coon trait?
His tail is one inch shorter than his full body length [not including head/neck]. We have another Maine Coon mix that has the ear tufts, personality, and all [may be full-bred] and his tail is actually 4 inches shorter than his body!
*So, we think maybe the tail is a smaller concern when figuring out if he is Maine Coon--is this accurate?
If you can think of any other questions to help me learn more about my kitty then I'd be glad to answer any questions.

Please enjoy the photos! Hopefully they will help to determine if he is a definite Maine Coon or not.
*Be sure to look at his coat, eyes, ear-shape, ear/head ratio, muzzle, etc. to help me figure this out!

Thanks so much, everyone!!

Love,
Lindsay [& Bruce]

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1eartufts.jpg

<---Notice the faint ear tufts [does that count as ear tufts?]

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1faceshape.jpg

<---Photo to show his face shape

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1furry.jpg

<---Displays his fuzzy coat.

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1toetufts.jpg

<---Notice the toe tufts on the hind feet [should they be longer/thicker?]

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1profile.jpg

<---His profile

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1muzzel.jpg

<---Head-on shot to show his muzzle & head/ear shape [same for the next few]

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1muzzel3.jpg

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1muzzel4.jpg

Do [ear/toe] tufts grow thicker with age?/Is my kitten a Maine Coon? Photos included!-1muzzel2.jpg

**Wivelspiker** · 1st September 2012, 11:23 AM

What a gorgeous boy - a real cutie! Fantastic photos - keep them coming!

I'm not an expert on the finer points but I'm sure someone will be able to give you an in-depth answer. At 2 months he is very young to be showing all the breed characteristics, also these can vary considerably from cat to cat. I can only say that I didn't read your post until after I'd looked at the photos and nothing made me doubt that I was looking at a Maine Coon. I would say that if he is not pure bred he definitely has a whole lot of MC in his ancestry.

**Hema Baby** · 1st September 2012, 12:09 PM

From my experience in being the 'mom'for an MC with the same color pattern, I believe that the gorgeous cute naughty, in this phototgraph is a pure maine coon...
love him..
best wishes..

**itslindsay** · 1st September 2012, 07:03 PM

[Ignore this comment. I'm new to the forum and responded without a quote... I need to learn!]
Re-edited this comment.

**itslindsay** · 1st September 2012, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Hema Baby

From my experience in being the 'mom'for an MC with the same color pattern, I believe that the gorgeous cute naughty, in this phototgraph is a pure maine coon...
love him..
best wishes..

Thank you for your response! :] He's a real goofball & sweetheart all in one.

**itslindsay** · 1st September 2012, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hema Baby

From my experience in being the 'mom'for an MC with the same color pattern, I believe that the gorgeous cute naughty, in this phototgraph is a pure maine coon...
love him..
best wishes..

That's awesome to hear! Thanks for your honest response. :]
I thought he did look like a true MC, but felt like I needed a true owner's eye [or several].

**jckkerrison** · 1st September 2012, 08:21 PM

Tail length is a good indicator of him being part/full MC so is how you describe his coat & length,his weight is also more than you would expect from a domestic cat of that age,not all MC's have the long thick lynx tips I have one who has next to nothing but have also one who although he had thin but longish tips as a babe has now got super thick ones,appeared when he was about four,the same one has also gone from having small tufts between his toes to very hairy & ideal for dipping in water & sucking off of & he has silky long snowshoes to die for,the best out of all my MC's so the answer to do tufts grow thicker with age is yes.....
Will be interesting to watch Bruce grow time is going to prove it one way or another,special cuddles to a super looking boy,just luv the name I also have one called the same.....xxx

**itslindsay** · 1st September 2012, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by jckkerrison

Tail length is a good indicator of him being part/full MC so is how you describe his coat & length,his weight is also more than you would expect from a domestic cat of that age,not all MC's have the long thick lynx tips I have one who has next to nothing but have also one who although he had thin but longish tips as a babe has now got super thick ones,appeared when he was about four,the same one has also gone from having small tufts between his toes to very hairy & ideal for dipping in water & sucking off of & he has silky long snowshoes to die for,the best out of all my MC's so the answer to do tufts grow thicker with age is yes.....
Will be interesting to watch Bruce grow time is going to prove it one way or another,special cuddles to a super looking boy,just luv the name I also have one called the same.....xxx

Thank you very much!! That's very reassuring. I love the detail that you gave me, it really helps me understand better and feel more confident that he is probably a Maine Coon. You ARE right that time will tell!! I'll be sure to keep everyone posted as he grows! :]
Lol, & it's awesome that you also have a Bruce!! Thanks again!