Indoor ‘Coon-Proofing’: Saving Your Home from a Giant#
When you bring a Maine Coon home, you are not bringing in a cat. You are bringing in a toddler with knives on his feet. Maine Coons are Dexterous (they use their paws like hands) and Heavy. This combination destroys houses.
Here is your checklist for hardening your home against the “Nureyev of the Barnyard.”
1. The “Water Park” Prevention#
As discussed in our Water Obsession Guide, Maine Coons dig in water bowls.
- The Fix: Use a heavy ceramic dog bowl with a wide base. Place it on a waterproof boot tray (plastic tray with a lip).
- Faucets: If your cat learns to turn on the lever-style faucet (they will), you need to install a child-lock on the handle, or you will come home to a flooded bathroom.
2. Door Handles vs. Knobs#
Maine Coons can open lever-style door handles easily. They jump up, hang on the handle, and the door opens.
- The Fix: Replace levers with round knobs, or install “Door Monkey” child locks that keep the door slightly ajar but latched.
3. “Museum Wax” for Knick-Knacks#
A 20lb cat walking on your mantlepiece is a bulldozer. His tail alone can sweep a vase onto the floor.
- The Fix: Quakehold! (Museum Wax). It is a sticky putty used in earthquake zones. Put a dab under your vases and statues. The cat can bump them, and they won’t fall.
4. Screen Defense#
A Maine Coon who sees a bird will launch himself at the window screen. Standard fiberglass mesh will shred instantly, and the cat will fall out the window.
- The Fix: Replace window screens with Pet Screen (thick vinyl-coated polyester). It is 7x stronger than regular mesh.
Conclusion#
You don’t train a Maine Coon not to be curious. You just engineer the house so his curiosity doesn’t destroy it.
Quakehold! Museum Wax
A clear wax that anchors breakables to the shelf. Essential for anyone who owns a Maine Coon and nice things.
Check Price on Amazon →References#
- Walsh, L.G. (2013). The Maine Coon Cat. “Temperament,” p. 20.
- Cat Fancy. Household Hazards for Active Breeds.
- Feline Husbandry. Environmental Safety.