Maine coon cats are admirable creatures, it is not until you come across one you will fully acknowledge that they are rightly called ‘Gentle Giants’. But what is the appropriate amount of food they should be given is what confuses most of the cat owners especially those who adopt the Maine Coon for the first time.
In general, an adult Maine coon cat eats up to 3 ounces of dry food or 9 ounces of wet food in a day. Maine coon cats are larger in size and therefore their appetite is also greater than most of the domestic cat breeds.
However, the exact amount of food consumption will also depend on the age and weight of the cat. Younger cats require more food than older cats because are more active and have a fast metabolism.
We have tried to simplify the problem of how much do Maine coon cats eat in a day in this article to help you out.
What is the ideal diet of a Maine Coon Cat?
If you have recently bought a Maine coon cat and you are confused about the amount of food you should give him, check the guidelines given on the cat food bags. But they are general guidelines and do not fit on every cat. Cats that are not active will require less food than active cats. You can follow the quantities recommended on the cat food container and alter them according to your situation.
Why Does a Maine Coon cat eat So Much?
When you see the Maine Coon eating, you will notice that they eat much more than average household cats. For example, an average-sized cat of any other breed will eat ½ – ¾ of dry kibble in a day. Their average weight is between 8 – 10 pounds. On the other hand, a Maine Coon male can easily weigh up to 10 – 20 pounds and therefore their dietary requirements are much greater.
Maine Coon cats have a faster metabolism than other cats and therefore they are much more active. Maine Coon cats take 3 – 5 years to grow up into adults while your other cats may mature within 1 – 2 years. During these growth years, the appetite of the Maine coon cats is similar to that of kittens.
On the other hand if you let your cat eat whatever and whenever they want, they will develop feline obesity and other consequent problems.
Most people prefer setting a proper routine with scheduled mealtimes by using automatically timed feeders. You can take help from the vet to formulate an appropriate diet for your Maine Coon cat. It is better to give both wet and dry food in the diet. Protein is an important constituent of diet and must be included in it.
Ideal food quantity for a 20 pounds Maine Coon Cat
The quantity of food a normal Maine coon cat eats depends on the quality of food. This is why we recommend you to select food that is of higher quality. You may also find some breed specific and nutritionally dense foods in the supermarket. These foods will make your cat more satisfied even if it consumes a lesser quantity.
Lower quality foods are not nutritionally dense meaning they may lack one or more essential nutrients. This will make the cat eat more and more because it will not be getting the required nutrition. Giving the right amount of food that fulfills the nutritional requirements without giving them extra calories is necessary to maintain a good weight.
If you feed high quality food to your Maine Coon cat, a cat with average weight will require 55 to 70 grams of dry food (for cats weighing 13 – 15 lbs). It will equal about a 50 g kibble if you prefer mixed diet.
For 20 lbs male cat the ideal amount of food is ¾ cup to 1-1/8 cup depending upon the energy level of the cat. Your vet can help you in determining the exact amounts.
The Recommended Amount of Food According to Cat’s Weight
The below guideline is given by Royal Canin, a leading manufacturer of Maine Coon’s food products. The amount is based on dried food only. The chart represents the recommended amount of food in grams according to the weight of your cat.
| Cat’s weight | Underweight (food in grams) | Ideal weight (food in grams) | Overweight (food in grams) |
| 3kg | 50 | 42 | – |
| 4kg | 62 | 52 | – |
| 5kg | 73 | 60 | 48 |
| 6kg | 83 | 69 | 55 |
| 7kg | 92 | 77 | 61 |
| 8kg | – | 85 | 68 |
| 9kg | – | 92 | 73 |
| 10kg | – | – | 79 |
If your cat is also consuming wet foods or raw foods throughout the day then you will have to adjust this quantity. Incase the cat only consumes wet food then you can give them wet food in the following quantities.
| Cat’s weight | Daily intake (only wet) |
| 5kg | 2 + 3/4 pouches |
| 6kg | 3 + 1/4 pouches |
| 7kg | 3 + 1/2 pouches |
| 8kg | 4 pouches |
If you want to feed your cat a combination of dry and wet food, then this may be helpful.
| Cat’s weight | Daily intake (wet + dry) |
| 5kg | 1 pouch + 39g dry |
| 6kg | 1 pouch + 47g dry |
| 7kg | 1 pouch + 55g dry |
| 8kg | 1 pouch + 63g dry |
If you are giving raw food to your adult Maine coon cats, then you can feed them up to 3 – 5% of their body weight in a day. The recommended ratio is 75/15/10. Here 75% is muscle meat, 15% is edible bone and 10% is organ meat. An exception is a heart which you have to consider as muscle meat.
Conclusion
It seems that Maine coon cats have a larger appetite than other household cats. This is because of their higher rate of metabolism, their greater body weight and activity.
However, a larger appetite does not mean that you can allow them to eat as much as they want. The amount of food given to Maine coon cats should be carefully controlled to provide them with optimum nutrition and to prevent overweight and feline obesity.
So, how much do Maine coon cats eat depends on their age, weight, activity level, and the type of food you are giving them.