I’m a member of the Facebook group “Purebred Maine Coon Lovers,” which has 42.6K members and whose rules state: “We’re not elitist, though. Maine Coon mixes are welcome, too!”

I have a pedigreed MC kitten, Freya, pictured in the photo above, and a MC (75% DNA) mix, Siggy, pictured in the photo below.

I am a big fan of “Purebred Maine Coon Lovers” because of the awesome photos of my favorite breed. The group also has a “#1 rule”: don’t ask of your cat might be a MC. Only DNA is certain and none of our members can tell from a photo. 

I also applaud that, but often a new member will post a photo and state, as this person did, “So my cat is only half Maine Coon. Does that still count?”

A group member responded, “Truly, a MC mix would be a rare cat indeed. Breeders don’t let their breeding cats out to run around the neighborhood. Possibly by accident one got out but more than likely what you have is a domestic long hair and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

It is true that breeders who sell MC kittens for $1,000-$3,000+ apiece would not allow their cats outdoors. Maine Coons are often stolen, too, and owners in general want to protect their beloved pets from other outdoor hazards.

Nevertheless, I dispute the above response about MC mixes being rare. They aren’t in the Midwest and other rural areas for one primary reason: They are rodent and pest-killing Terminator machines.

Keep in mind, too, that the breed was developed by farmers in Maine because of their hunting prowess. These cats earned their reputation in barns, not in cat shows.

In a post titled, “Are Maine Coon Cats Good Hunters,” the website states:

“If you’ve ever witnessed a Maine Coon in hunt mode you will know how effective they are as predators. They ambush and immobilize their prey in much the same way as leopards and tigers do. They observe, wiggle, pounce and then kill by piercing the neck with their long canine teeth.”

Another farm website affirms this, stating the No. 1 barn cat is the Maine Coon, followed by shorthairs, Siamese, Bobtails and feral.

Their great advantage on the homestead, aside from being extremely loving and sociable creatures, is that they are rodent-slaughtering machines. My own Maine coon has destroyed much of the rat and mouse population around my house and has moved on to cleaning up the neighbor’s property, as well, much to their delight. This hearty northern breed is pretty much a must-have cat around the homestead or farm, and is perhaps the closest thing to a dog you can get in cuddly cat form.

Typically in rural areas a person puts up with an occasional mouse in the house. But when a rat shows up, all bets are off and, yes, you guessed it, a Maine Coon comes to mind to clean up the homestead.

Jessica Lane posted an article titled “Bringing a Barn Cat (or two) to your Homestead.” She enjoys “a nearly self-sufficient lifestyle with my three beautiful children on 5 1/2 acres in Maine” where she raises Nigerian Dwarf goats, ducks and chickens.

When Jessica spotted a rat, she immediately thought of Maine Coons. “They are excellent hunters and incredibly intelligent. I’ve had coons and I absolutely adore them. Maine Coons are hardy, productive workers, and still generally friendly and sociable.”

Jessica also writes that other long-haired breeds, with less skill at hunting, can cause problems with their lost fur becoming breeding grounds for fleas.

Horse farm and stable owners tend to favor Ragdolls over Maine Coons, even though the latter is by far a better breed when it comes to hunting. The reason concerns the number of children who visit stables.

According to the International Ragdoll Congress:

“Ragdoll cats are not generally known as the best mousers. Maine Coons are a better breed for that. But Ragdolls are very well known for their ability to be easy to cuddle, and they are really good with kids. Horse boarding facilities and horse riding instruction facilities are full of kids so owners are always looking for pets that are also good with kids. That brings up the Ragdoll.”

And in my case, that brings up Siggy. We got her from a farm that used a Maine Coon mom to protect the barn. And yes, there are horse farms in the vicinity, which is how we got our MC mix.

We are now in our fourth month and already I see the differences between Freya and Siggy. Freya is gradually becoming larger than Siggy, approaching 7 pounds. Her face is much larger than Siggy’s. Freya is more independent, generally disliking being held but following you everywhere and hunting, hunting, hunting.

It’s good to remember the history of Maine Coons as barn cats and how they are still used today in rural areas. They are known to keep out foxes and even coyotes. (On the downside, they get hungry in the barn. They generally don’t eat chickens, but savor an occasional chick or two.)

By all means, celebrate the pet aspect of this awesome breed. But also heed the wider use of Maine Coons as protectors of homes, farms and homesteads.

To be sure, barn cats should be spayed or neutered. But many still aren’t.

A locked barn cannot keep out a female MC in heat or a male MC on the prowl for a mate.

That’s how we get mixes and how I got Siggy.