How To Identify A Grey Maine Coon Cat
If we refer to the Cat Fanciers Association, it is quickly evident to see that the ‘Grey Maine Coon kitten’ is not recognized as an official Maine Coon coloring.
Instead, the ‘grey and white Maine coon’ actually falls under the color category ‘blue‘ (source 1).
Although calling a grey Maine Coon kittens, ‘blue’ might seem a little surprising at first, you shouldn’t be too shocked since there is a large degree of overlap across all the official Maine Coon colorings.
For instance, did you know that an Orange Maine Coon is actually officially labeled as a ‘red’ Maine Coon?
Check out my article ‘Orange Maine Coon: Complete Guide‘ for more information on the fascinating red Maine Coon cat.
According to the Cat Fanciers Association, grey Maine Coon cats and kittens are available within the following color classes:
- Solid Color Class
- All Other Tabby Color Class
- All Other Tabby & White Colors and Color Class (Including Vans)
- Bi-Color Color Class (Including Vans)
- Parti-Color Color Class
- Parti-Color And White Color Class
- Shaded And Smoke Color Class
- Shaded/Smoke And White Color Class (Including Vans)
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The table below summarises the physical colorings that a grey and white Maine coon cat must have, to be considered part of the ‘blue Maine Coon’ color category (source 1). Click here to learn more about black Maine Coons
| Color Requirements | Color Requirements |
|---|---|
| Solid Colour Class (Name: Blue) | Cat with one level tone from their nose to the tip of the tail. Sound to the roots, and blue nose and paw leather |
| All Other Tabbies Colors Class (Name: Blue-Silver Tabby) | Classic, mackerel, ticked: The cat’s ground color will be clear silver, pale. Deep blue markings contrast well with ground color. The association prefers cats to have old rose-nose leather and rose-colored paw pads. They are permitted white trim around their chin and lip |
| (Name: Blue-Silver Patched Tabby) | Classic, mackerel, ticked: The cats’ ground color is clear silver, pale. For blue markings mixed with cream patches. White undercoat. Old rose-colored nose leather, and rose and/or pink paw pads are deemed desirable. This coloring allowed a white trim around the chin and lip |
| (Name: Blue Tabby) | Classic, mackerel, ticked: The cats’ ground color is pale bluish Ivory. Their very deep blue markings contrast well with their ground color. Overtones of warm fawn, or patina over the whole. Rose paw pads and old rose nose leather is preferred. White trim around the chin and lip is permitted |
| (Name: Blue Patchy Tabby) | Classic, mackerel, ticked: Cats have pale bluish Ivory ground color, with very deep blue markings & patches of cream. Overtones of warm fawns or patina over the the whole is visible. Rose and/or pink paw pads and old rose nose leather is preferred. The cat may have white trim around its chin and lip |
| All Other Tabby & White Colors and Color Class (Including Vans) – Name: Tabby & White | Classic, mackerel, ticked: The cat’s coloring is as defined for a tabby, with/without white on the face. Should have white on bib, all four paws, and belly. Blue, blue-silver, cream, cream-silver, cameo colors accepted |
| (Name: Patched Tabby & White) | Classic, mackerel, ticked: The same coloring as listed for patched tabby (torbie), with/without white on the face. Necessary to have white on all four paws, belly, and bib. CFA accepts blue patched or blue-silver patched colorings |
| Bi-Color Color Class (Name: Blue & White) | The cat will have a mixture of blue and white, with/without white on its face. There must be white on all four paws, belly, and bib |
| Parti-Color Color Class (Name: Blue-Cream) | The cat will be blue with cream patches, or cream colors softly intermingled on their boy and extremities |
| Parti-Color & White Color Class (Name: Dilute Calico) | Includes vans: Cat will be white, with patches of blue and cream. Their underparts are mainly white |
| (Name: Blue-Cream & White | Cat’s color named blue-cream, with/without white on their face. Need to have white on all four paws, bib, and belly |
| Shaded &Smoke Color Class – (Name: Chinchilla Blue Silver) | Cat has a white undercoat. Sparkling silver appearance, due to the coat on the back, flanks, head, and tail being tipped with blue. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose outlined with blue. Rose paw pads and nose leather are preferred. Pure white chin, stomach, chest, and ear tufts. The cat may have legs slightly shaded with tipping |
| (Name: Shaded Blue Silver) | White undercoat ‘with a mantle of blue tipping shading down from the sides, face, and tail from dark on the ridge to white on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail’. The cat must have legs with the same tone as its face. Much darker color. Rose paw pads and nose leather is preferred. Rims of lips, eyes, and nose outlined with blue |
| (Name: Shell Blue-Cream) | White undercoat. The fur on the cat’s flanks, back, and tail gently tipped with blue and shades of cream. Rose to blue paw pads (patched/unpatched), nose leather, and rims of eyes. Ear furnishings, chest ruff, the stomach can be white to very lightly tipped with shading. Can have gentle shading with tipping on legs and face |
| (Name: Shaded Blue-Cream) | SHADED BLUE-CREAM: White undercoat. ‘Mantle of blue and cream shading down the sides, face, and tail’. A cat can have deeper shading on its legs and face. Light tipping allowed on-ear furnishings, chest ruff, stomach, and chin. Appears much darker than shell blue cream. Rose to blue nose leather, paw pads, and rims of eyes – can be patched |
| (Name: Blue Smoke) | White undercoat deeply tipped with blue. The resting the cat looks blue. The white the undercoat shows when the cat moves. Blue paw pads and nose leather. Ear tufts and the frill is white. Mask blue with a narrow and white hairs next to the skin, visible when fur is parted |
| (Name: Blue-Cream Smoke) | Cat has a white undercoat that is ‘deeply tipped with blue, with clearly defined patches of cream as in the the pattern of the blue cream. The cat will look blue-cream whilst resting. White undercoat visible when moving. Ear tufts and ruff are white. Ears and face display a blue-cream pattern, with a narrow white band at the base of hairs, next to the skin. Desirable to have a blaze of cream on the face |
| Shaded Smoke & White Color Class (Including Vans) – (Name: Chinchilla Blue Silver & White) | Cat fur color ‘as defined for chinchilla blue silver with or without white on the face’. All four paws, belly, and the bib needs to be white. |
| (Name: Shaded Blue Silver & White) | Cat fur color as defined for shaded blue silver with or without white on the face. All four paws, belly and bib are white |
| (Name: Shell Blue-Cream & White) | ‘Color as defined for shell blue cream with/without white on the face. All four paws, belly, and bib are white |
| (Name: Shaded Blue-Cream & White) | ‘Color as defined for shaded blue-cream with/without white on the face. All four paws, belly and bib are white |
| (Name: Shell Dilute Calico) | The cat has patches of blue, and shades of cream. Their flanks, back, and the tail will be gently tipped with shades of cream, and blue. Whilst the stomach, chest ruff, ear furnishings and chin can be white, to very lightly tipped with shading. Cats’ underparts are mainly white |
| (Name: Shaded Dilute Calico) | The cat is white with patches of blue and shades of cream. Blue and cream shading appears down the tail, face, and sides. Cats’ legs and faces can be a deeper shading than the rest of the body. White light tipping permitted on-ear furnishings, stomach, chin, chest ruff. The cat looks far darker than shell dilutes calico. Underparts of a cat are mainly white |
| (Name: Blue Smoke & White) | The cat will have colors as defined for blue smoke with or without white on the face. All four paws, belly, and bib are white |
| (Name: Blue-Cream Smoke & White) | The cat will have ‘colors as defined for blue cream smoke with or without white on the face. All four paws, belly and bib are white |
| (Name: Dilute Calico Smoke) | The cat is white with patches of blue and shades of cream. Undercoat mainly white |
Gray Maine Coon Kittens Size
The Maine Coon is a remarkably hardy cat breed.
Their very large physical form and beautifully thick long mane of hair make them instantly recognizable when they enter a room.
Often referred to as the gentle giants of the cat world, the Maine Coon is officially one of the largest domesticated cat breeds in the world, with only the Norwegian Forest Cat being able to rival their large size.
There are a few things to consider when it comes to the grey Maine Coon size:
1. Growth Rate
All Maine Coon cat colors grow at a very slow rate, not reaching their full size until they’re between ages 3-5 years.
This is unique in the cat world since most cat breeds reach full maturity by the age of 2 years.
You can measure your Maine Coon cat’s speed of growth by creating a Maine Coon growth chart, like this.
2. Male V Female Size
If you intend to buy a grey male Maine Coon kitten, be aware that the male of the species usually grows to be far larger than their female counterparts.
Obviously, there will always be exceptions to the rule though, but as a general rule of thumb, you can safely bet that the male will grow larger.
3. Length
A key characteristic of the Maine Coon cat breed is its long rectangular-shaped bodies. Their bodies look muscular and long, and should never look out of proportion, or squished.
Both male and female grey Maine Coon kitten will grow to be extremely long, once fully grown.
In fact, you can expect your tiny grey Maine Coon kitten to grow anywhere between 19 – 40 inches (48 – 101 cm) in length.
There are always exceptions to the rule though, so you should never rule this possibility out.
For example, a famous grey tabby Maine Coon known as ‘Stewie’ made it into the Guinness World Records because he grew to a staggering 48.5 inches in length!
Since this record was listed, two other owners have come forward with their long Maine Coon cats known as ‘Omar’ and ‘Ludo’, with the intention of competing for the ‘longest cat’ title too.
4. Height
The average male grey Maine Coon will reach between 10-16 inches in height (25-40cm), whilst a female grey Maine Coon is likely to achieve a height ranging from 8-14 inches (20-35cm).
5. Weight
Grey Maine Coon kittens grow into heavy full-grown cats!
The average male Maine Coon ultimately weighs between 15-25 lbs (6.8-11.3 kg), whereas the female of the species is far lighter, weighing between 8-12 lbs (3.6-5.4 kg).
Many owners make the mistake of overfeeding their grey Maine Coon cats because they are worried that their Maine Coon does not weigh enough.
Although owners have ‘good intentions, they often don’t realize exceptionally slow growth rates are characteristic of the Maine Coon cat breed in general.
Sadly, this mistake often results in obese Coons.
To avoid making this mistake, use this Maine Coon growth chart, to gain a better understanding of the weight your cat should be, versus their age.
Grey and White Maine Coon Price
The grey and white Maine coon is a very well-loved and sought-after pedigree cat breed. They have won the hearts of so many with their loving, gentle, fun, and energetic temperament.
They are also considered extremely good family pets and are known for being good with young children.
These qualities alone have helped to make them one of the most popular cats breeds to own in the United States.
Pedigree cats are always more expensive than buying a standard moggy, but exactly how much of a premium do you have to pay to own a grey Maine Coon cat these days?
Take a look at the table below to find out:
| Age | Average Price ($) | Average Price (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Coon Kitten | 1000 | 819 |
| Maine Coon Cat | 600 | 474 |
| ‘Show’ Maine Coon | Up to 2500 | Up to 1975 |
| Rescue Maine Coon | Varies | Varies |
If you are determined to buy a Maine Coon kitten, the average grey Maine Coon price is a heart-wrenching $1000 (£819). Keep an eye on the latest Maine Coon pricing, by reading this.
Those willing to take on an older grey Maine Coon, however, can expect to pay a reduced average price of roughly $600 (£474).
Maine Coon kittens purchased with the intent of competing in cat shows command an even higher price tag, of up to $2500 (£1975).
This is because there are higher costs, effort, and time involved in breeding a ‘show cat’.
Although Maine Coon cats might appear to be a ‘bargain’, when compared to the cost of buying a grey Maine Coon kitten, you should always buy with caution.
Older cats may have pre-existing health issues that you are not aware of, and treating such conditions at the vet might quickly escalate in large unexpected costs.
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