[Guest]

I think I need some advice and maybe a pep talk or two.

I am utterly torn between choosing a boy or a girl Maine Coon kitten and I'll tell you why.
My current cats are boys. I've bonded with them all so well and they are a soppy pile of lovable babies.
My two female cats who now live with sister have always been more independent and sort of "know themselves" a lot more and what they like and don't like.

I guess what I'm saying is I'm frightened of adding a girl! Part of me thinks it would be great, cos I can see that my Maine Coon will be sort of special. I've waited for him/her for 20 years, and they will be insured and won't be let outside and it will seem like they get special treatment (even though I adore my current cats). So part of me thinks, a little princess of the family might make that easier to live with. Because if I get a boy, then I'll struggle really as I already have a "baby boy" as it were, Osiris.

Argh, I'm in two minds. I know for a FACT if I got a girl it would be a smoke tortie with white as it's a beautiful colour and unique to the girls. So that's a no brainer. But I'm still well undecided on what boys to go and meet.

Can anyone give me some advice or maybe your experiences that might be similar? How did you end up choosing what sex kitten to do? I'm only gonna get one shot at this as 4 cats is my personal maximum. It's not like I can get itchy feet and go get another in six months as it just won't happen.

 

[catcoonz]

all i can say is males get bigger.....not much help i know.

 

[jo-pop]

It's a tricky one and I totally get where you are coming from. I have always preferred my pets to be boys BUT there are some colours I love so much that you can only get with the ladies. Its a toughie.
Our old family cat was a semi long haired girl and she was the most loving, soppy cat ever so I suppose they are all different.

I think you need to view cats you are interested in and pick purely on their personality and how well you gel together, regardless off boy or girl. That's just my own personal opinion.
Keep us posted!

 

[Cazzer]

I have 7 cats. There are 6 wegies and 1 mog of which 5 are boys [4 wegies and the mog]. Previously when I persians I had more girls than boys. I think the wegie boys are more loving towards each other than the persian girls ever were. Mind you there is also more play fighting with the boys than there was with the girls. My current wegie girls one is more independant and the other loves the boys and vice versa.

that said if I got another cat I may go for a female to balance it out a bit. But i do love the size of coonie boys :laugh:

 

[Golgotha_tramp]

When choosing our kittens we ignored colour and sex and focused only on the individual behaviour and character of the kittens and how they would fit with Mitzi (our existing cat). We found that by taking away that we avoided the dilema of what aesthetically we want versus who would fit.

 

[Alessa]

When I was deciding which gender of Ragdoll I would get, I was told that the temperament does not differ as much between males and females for this breed, but I wanted a large cat and Ragdoll males are definitely much bigger than females.

I was also considering getting a Maine Coon (vs. Ragdoll) and I have been in touch with various Maine Coon breeders. They unanimously suggested that MC boys tend to be more affectionate than MC girls. On top of that, Maine Coons are usually (not always, of course) purchased for their size, so if I were to get a Maine Coon, I'd definitely go for a boy . At the end of the day, it's really up to why you want a Maine Coon and not any other cat.

 

[MollyMilo]

Since being on here I always hear. If they are neutered makes no difference male or female.

For me this just isnt true! Boys are boys and girls are girls!
I've had 2 boys and 4 girls over the years and in the Siamese world at least,
they are just very very different. Both fantastic sexes but different!


sorry Not very helpful

 

[MCWillow]

Personally, I think it just depends on the cat. My girls are much more aloof than Rowan, they let you be soppy with them, but only when they want you to.

Rowan, on the other hand, is my shadow. He is always near me, if he is sitting next to me and I dont acknowledge him he starts batting at me, if I still ignore him he puts his claws out slightly and carries on batting me

If you speak to others on here they have the opposite - the girls are ultra affectionate and the boys are aloof.

Best bet is to go look at kittens you think will fit in, and make your mind up from that.

No-one can say whether male or female will fit into your house better, or whether one or the other will be more loving, because as we all know - cats are a law unto themselves!

 

[Guest]

Hi, thank you all for your insights.

I know the size difference is to be considered, but I can't make up my mind if the size a male might get, overpowers the reasons I'm thinking of getting a female. I have to say, perhaps I'm being swayed by the fact that there seem to be very few male kittens around at the moment. The breeders I've contacted have lots of lovely females, but the one breeder who had males (and lovely males at that) hasn't responded to me still. Does anyone know if Coonflakes has a new email address or is maybe on holiday?
So basically I'm not getting the oppourtunity to visit any litters with boys in. If I were then I could make the decision based on the personality of those kittens regardless of sex.

 

[jo-pop]

Go for a girl and have a princess for a change

 

[MollyMilo]

If i was getting such a magnificent breed as an MC, I would be so tempted to get a red and a boy!

hey if you are going to have a MC cat, may as well see how big,big can be!

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I know what you mean about the size. That was my aim, to get a wonderful, big boy to just marvel at every day. I think I'm being swayed by the kittens that are around right now, when I could easily just wait for a boy.

Does anyone know anybody who's got some boys that I could inquire about or go and visit? I know what you mean about a male red tabby, they are stunning. But I've already been spoilt with a fantastically beautiful long haired red tabby <3