By Petbuds Team · Cat Care · Buying Guide · Australia

Maine Coon Essentials: What Else Big Cats Need Beyond a Litter Box

One thing large breed owners often overlook: it's not just the litter box that needs a size upgrade — almost every piece of everyday cat gear benefits from a rethink once your cat is a Maine Coon or Ragdoll rather than an average moggy. Here's a checklist of "oversized" essentials worth checking off, beyond the litter box.

Litter box: space and weight capacity come first

We've covered this in detail elsewhere on the blog — adult Maine Coons typically weigh 6–10kg, and a litter box built to average-cat standards quickly runs into turning-space and weight-sensor issues. It's usually the first problem large breed owners notice, and the one worth solving first.

Cat trees: structural stability matters more than height

Large breed cats generate more impact force when they jump. Rather than chasing height or looks alone, pay close attention to the structural stability of a cat tree — particularly base width and post thickness — to avoid wobbling or tipping when your cat lands.

Bowls and feeding stations: capacity and height both count

Larger cats eat more, so standard bowl sizes may need topping up more often than expected. Maine Coons and similarly sized breeds can also put extra strain on their neck over time from prolonged low feeding positions, so a raised feeding stand can help keep posture more natural.

Beds: size for actual body length, not the "standard" size

Plenty of cat beds are sized for an average domestic cat, which means a Maine Coon often ends up curled tightly rather than fully stretched out. It's worth measuring your cat's actual resting length rather than relying on the "one size fits most" label on the packaging.

Carriers and travel gear: check the weight rating too

If you're travelling with your cat or heading to the vet, carrier and travel crate weight limits deserve a second look. Plenty of standard carriers are only rated to 6–7kg, which isn't a safe margin for a Maine Coon approaching or exceeding 10kg.

The bottom line

Owning a large breed cat means re-checking nearly every everyday item against their real size — and the litter box is usually the first, and most frequently used, item to sort out. If you're after an automatic litter box genuinely designed around large breed measurements, take a look at Petbuds Max.