On the hunt for a pet that resembles one (or both) of your grandparents? You might want to throw a glance at a Silver Maine Coon! We’re kidding, but we’re not kidding that these salt-and-pepper-haired pets deserve more recognition.
Maine Coons have been around for ages, and they’ve been deemed the world’s most popular pets on more than one occasion. Not to mention they’ve been surrounded by a veil of mystery because nobody knows who or what brought them to Maine.
Were these curious creatures a combination of a raccoon and a cat? Were they somehow related to Marie Antoinette’s Turkish Angora cats? Or, were they crew members on a British sea captain’s ship that sailed the New England coast? We might never know.
We do, however, know that Maine Coons are sweet-tempered, affectionate kitties that make for perfect pets because they’re obsessed with humans. Who wouldn’t want a four-legged friend that naps through the day, munches on everything you drop on the floor, and follows you to the bathroom?
Now, Coons can assume a myriad of color combinations and patterns. Silver Maine Coons are pretty freakin’ rare, though, and here’s what you need to know about them before you bring one home. Read more down below!
What’s a Silver Maine Coon?
Okay, Maine Coons aren’t your average black-and-white moggies or neutral-colored tabbies. On one hand, they’re known to take on 75 color combinations and patterns, with brown, black, blue, white, and cream shades being the most often seen.
Other than these, solid, tabbies, tabbies with white, tortoiseshell, smoke, shaded, bi-color, and parti-color classes aren’t uncommon either.
On the flip side, colors such as gold and silver are the rarest out of the bunch. Silver Maine Coons are brought about by a rare inhibitor gene that causes the pigment under the coat to lighten up or withdraw completely.
Oh and, to make matters even better, Silver Maine Coons aren’t only silver – because of the varying volume of the pigment, they’re able to assume different color combinations and patterns, too.
So, these silver beauties are a great way to spice up your Coon collection or get your hands on a Coon nobody’s seen before. Sure, you need to keep an eye out for responsible, respectable breeders that can provide you with a Silver Maine Coon.
Other than that, though, you shouldn’t shy away from opting for such a sweet, gentle, and generous furbaby.
What’s there to know about a Silver Maine Coon before you bring one home?
1. Appearance
Maine Coons are enormous, and the silver ones aren’t any different.
When you get your hands on one of these beautiful beasts, you’re going to notice they’re heavy and voluptuous – in the best way possible. They’re known to grow between 10 and 16 inches tall and 8 and 18 pounds heavy. “Big-boned” doesn’t even come close to describing a Maine Coon.
And to add to their fullness, Maine Coons are covered with the fluffiest of furs, making them appear even grander. Oh and, we can’t forget about the perked-up ears topped with even more fluff, beautiful bright blue eyes, and bushy tails.
2. Purrsonality
Different Maine Coon colors might affect these fluffers’ appearance, but the temperament stays the same across the breed. Coons are some of the softest, cuddliest cats out there. And they’re pawsitively obsessed with humans.
They’re not active and are known to prefer napping, rolling on the floor, and following you everywhere you go. They’re patient with children and sociable with other cats.
They are affectionate and appreciative, and not afraid of getting picked up (if you can handle their size!), snuggled, and rubbed all over. Silver or not, Maine Coons are incredibly intelligent, simple to train, and easy to care for. It’s no wonder they’re everyone’s favorite.
3. Grooming
No jokes – grooming a Silver Maine Coon might be one of the toughest tasks you’re ever going to do.
But, you’re going to end up with a happy and healthy Coon and that’s what matters most. Before you start freaking out, here’s what you’re going to need to do.
Coons are fluffy, which means they need regular brushing. Because they’re embellished with locks and locks of hair, they’re prone to matting and knotting, which can cause a myriad of health problems, too.
Brush them every day and you’re good to go. Bathe them when they get dirty and greasy. And, make sure they’re getting enough physical activity, because these lazybones are known to nap the day away rather than do anything remotely healthy.
4. Diet
Silver Maine Coons, same as other cats, are obligate carnivores.
Because of that, they need predominantly meat, animal protein, and animal-sourced nutrients to survive and thrive. Commercially available cat food contains everything your Coon needs – you simply need to figure out whether she’s a wet or dry food type of cat.
A combination of the two should do the trick, though. And, Coons are known to get dehydrated because they’re bad at remembering to drink water, which means they’re better off munching on wet foods for the most part. But, that’s up to you and (potentially) your vet.
5. Health
Maine Coons are healthy, for the most part.
Coons’ health depends on a bunch of factors – diet, physical activity, environment, stress, vet checkups, and genetic vulnerability to certain diseases. Coons – silver or otherwise – are prone to diseases such as arthritis or hip dysplasia because they’re big and heavy.
They’re also inclined to develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Of course, we can’t forget about teeth problems that tend to affect most cats, too.
Overall, Maine Coons are a healthy bunch, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t schedule periodic vet checkups to make sure everything’s good.
What are the Silver Maine Coon coat colors?
1. Silver Tabby Maine Coon
Oh, you read that right – even though silver is one of the rarest Coon colors, Silver Maine Coon cats can take on ten (or more) different color combos and patterns.
Silver Tabby Maine Coon is the one you’re probably thinking of – with a silver frame and white markings around the chin, eyes, cheeks, and shoulders. Depending on the pattern, Silver Tabby Coons can be classic, ticked, and mackerel, too.
2. Silver Shaded Maine Coon
Silver Shaded Maine Coons are absolutely adorable, with a silver undercoat and a slightly darker outer coat. Sure, some Silver Coons have a darker silver outer coat anyway. But Silver Shaded Maine Coons are different because they’re typically red or cream on top.
3. Blue Silver Maine Coon
Okay, Blue Silver Maine Coons are a sight for sore eyes.
More times than not, darker Maine Coons are black. But because of the dilute gene, they’re changed to silver, gray, or blue.
Moreover, Blue Maine Coons aren’t actually blue – in the animal world, “blue” refers to silver with a blue hue that’s visible when under direct sunlight. As if that wasn’t gorgeous enough, Blue Silver Maine Coons have striking gold or green eyes, rather than signature bright blue ones.
4. Silver Gray Maine Coon
Silver Gray Maine Coon cats are super similar to Blue Silver ones – they boast silver undercoats and darker outer coats that appear to be gray (depending on the lighting).
Silver and gray aren’t the same color, contrary to popular belief. Silver is a lighter shade of gray that appears to sparkle and shimmer when faced with direct sunlight.
5. Silver Black Maine Coon
Silver Black Maine Coon cats have their own special air of mystery, too – they’re smoky, steamy, and foggy.
When you take a look at them, they might appear solid-colored, but there are different shades of black, gray, and silver scattered everywhere. We suggest checking them out because they’re way more attractive than they seem at first.
6. Silver White Maine Coon
White spots appear when there’s a mutation due to a faulty gene. Silver White Maine Coon cats can develop white spots, too.
When you see a Silver White Maine Coon, you’re going to notice white spots around her chin, paws, belly, and chest. Some Silver Coons end up with white spots across the back, legs, and tail, too.
7. Solid Silver Maine Coon
We can’t forget about the elusive Solid Silver Maine Coon, right?
You might have already guessed that solid Coons don’t come with patterns, patches, or stripes anywhere on the fur – they’re silver from head to toe. You might, however, have a hard time crossing paths with a solid Coon considering they’re the rarest out of the bunch.
8. Smoke Silver Maine Coon
Smoke Silver Maine Coons are a thing, too! Similar to Silver Black Maine Coons, they’re known to have a lighter undercoat with a darker outer coat. So, they’re typically comprised of different shades of black, gray, and silver, depending on the dilute gene.
9. Cream Silver Maine Coon
Cream Silver Maine Coons are tabbies, for the most part. They’re characterized by a white or cream undercoat, an off-white or cream outer coat, and cream tabby patterns. They’re silver when under direct sunlight – but they’re sometimes predominantly silver, too.
10. Red Silver Maine Coon
And, we come to the end of the article with a Red Silver Maine Coon. Red Coons are more ginger and orange than they are red, and they’re tabbies rather than solid-colored cats. Rather than being red all around, though, they’re silver with a red outer coat.
