Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Cat Breed Comparison

"Find similarities and differences between Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair" Compare Maine Coon and Scottish Fold. Which is better: Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?

Size, Appearance and Physical Traits Special Abilities Health Characteristics and Personality Grooming Show differences only

Name	Maine Coon	Scottish Fold	British Shorthair
Origins	United States	United Kingdom	United Kingdom
Cat Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Natural	Mutation	Natural
Popularity Rank	4	8	3
Reviews	1	2	0
User Ratings

Other Names What other names do they have?	Coon Cat, Maine Cat, Maine Shag, Snowshoe Cat, American Longhair, The Gentle Giants	Scot Fold	Highlander, Highland Straight, Britannica
Price Which one is cheaper, Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair cat?	$1200 to $2000	$1000 to $2000	$1,500 to $3,000
Cost Of Ownership	High	Moderate	Moderate
Breed Recognition	The International Cat Association (TICA) Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association	The International Cat Association (TICA) Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA)	The International Cat Association (TICA) American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe)

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Size, Appearance and Physical Traits Comparison

Size Which is bigger, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair cat?	Large The large-sized cats usually weigh 10-20 pounds and are 10-16 inches long from the nose down.	Medium The medium-sized cats usually weigh 10-15 pounds and are 8-11 inches long from the nose down.	Large The large-sized cats usually weigh 10-20 pounds and are 10-16 inches long from the nose down.
Weight Which is heavier, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	Male: 15-25 pounds, Female: 8-12 pounds	Male: 9 - 13 pounds, Female: 6 - 9 pounds	Males: 12–18 pounds, Females: 9-15 pounds
Bite Force	Strong Bite Strength: Greater than or around 15 PSI	Weak Bite Strength: Less than or around 10 PSI	Strong Bite Strength: Greater than or around 15 PSI
Body Type	Substantial Maine Coon are large and heavy-boned with a strong, muscular build.	Cobby This body type is a mix between the cobby and foreign types.	Cobby This body type is a mix between the cobby and foreign types.
Ear Shape	Large Tufted Wide-set	Medium Folded Wide-set	Medium Rounded Wide-set
Eye Color	Gold Green	Gold Copper	Gold Copper
Hair Color and Pattern	All coat colours and patterns, including solid, tabby, tortoiseshell, bicolor, tricolor, and colorpoint; most common is the brown classic tabby pattern.	All coat colours and patterns, including solid, tabby, tortoiseshell, bicolor, tricolor, and colorpoint.	Wide range of colors and patterns, including solid, tabby, bicolor, and more.
Coat What is the difference between Maine Coon, Scottish Fold and British Shorthair coats?	Longhair	Short Hair	Short Hair
Leg Lenght	Medium	Medium	Medium
Whisker Length	Long	Medium	Medium
Musculature	Solid	Lean	Muscular
Head Shape	Square	Round	Round
Toe Count	Polydactyl (extra toes commonly)	5 front 4 back	5 front 4 back
Eye Shape And Orientation	Square	Round	Round
Night Vision
Paw Size	Large	Medium	Medium
Nose Structure	Concave	Button	Button
Neck Length	Long	Medium	Medium
Fur Texture	Silky Long	Short Dense	Soft Curled
Bone Density	High	Medium	Medium
Flexibility	Medium	High	High
Bone Structure	Slender Fine	Heavy	Robust
Tail Length	Plumed	Long and Tapered	Long and Tapered
Sleep Patterns	Calm More Sleep	Active Less Sleep	Active Less Sleep

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Special Abilities Comparison

Attention Span	Long, playful and intelligent	Short to moderate, gentle and calm	Long, enjoys calm activities
Guarding Instinct	High	Low	High
Protection Instincts	High	Low	High
Climbing Ability	High	Low	Moderate
Jumping Ability	Good	Moderate	Moderate
Swimming Ability	Good	Poor	Poor
Water Affinity
Rescue Capability	Good	Poor	Moderate

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Health Comparison

Litter Size	1-3 Kittens	2-4 Kittens	2-4 Kittens
Special Needs	Active High grooming	Affectionate Moderate grooming	Low maintenance Independent
Breeding	Requires grooming knowledge, large litter size	Requires genetic management, moderate litter size	Easy to breed, large litter size
Dietary Preferences	High protein, balanced diet	High protein, low carbs	High protein, wet food
Solo Time Tolerance	High	Medium	Medium
Noise Sensitivity	Low	High	Moderate
Genetic Diversity	High	Low	Moderate
Sensitivity To Changes	Medium sensitivity	Medium sensitivity	Medium sensitivity
Food Motivation	High	Low	High
Feeding Schedule	Twice a day Morning and Evening	Twice a day Morning and Evening	Twice a day Morning and Evening
Maintenance Level	Moderate	High	Moderate
Exercise Needs	Medium	Medium	Medium
Life Expectancy Which will live longer, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	12-15 years	11-14 years	12-17 years
Energy Level Which is more energetic, Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair cat?	The Maine Coon cat has an average energy level.	The Scottish Fold cat has an average energy level.	The British Shorthair cat has a lower energy level than other cats.
Hypoallergenic Which cat is hypoallergenic, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	No Maine Coon cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.	No Scottish Fold cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.	No British Shorthair cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.
Common Health Issues Which cat is healthier, Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair?	Low Very healthy cat breed.	High Scottish Folds tend to have more frequent health issues than other breeds.	Low Very healthy cat breed.
Health Problems	Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Hip Dysplasia	Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Arthritis Osteochondrodysplasia (OCD)	Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Obesity Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
Climate	Temperate	Cold	Temperate
Cold Tolerance	Medium	Medium	Medium
Heat Tolerance	Medium	Medium	Medium
Breeding Difficulty	Easy	Medium	Easy

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Characteristics and Personality Comparison

Common Vocalizations	Quiet chirps and trills	Quiet and gentle sounds	Soft and gentle meows
Interaction With Other Pets	Excellent, very social and friendly	Good, calm and friendly	Good, calm and tolerant
Facial Expression	Friendly and intelligent	Sweet and gentle	Calm and easygoing
Tail Behavior	Gentle swaying tail	Sweet and gentle tail movements	Gentle swaying when calm
Explorer Instincts	Moderate	Low	Moderate
Attention Needs	Moderate	Moderate	Low
Protectiveness	High	Low	High
Territoriality	Moderate	Low	High
Independence	High	Low	High
Response To Commands	High	Low	Moderate
Adaptability To Indoor Life	High	High	High
Hunting Drive	High	Low	Moderate
Play Style	Social Playful Gentle	Playful Gentle Calm	Playful Gentle Calm
Escape Tendencies	Moderate	Low	Low
Curiosity	High	Low	Moderate
Hunting Skills	High ⬆️	Low ⬇️	Moderate ⏺️
Reaction To Strangers	Friendly 😊	Cautious	Cautious
Stalking Behavior	High	Low	Moderate
Aggression Level	Moderate	Low	Low
Training Difficulty	Easy	Moderate	Moderate
Agility	High	Low	Moderate
Travel Compatibility	Low	Medium	Medium
Activity	Moderately Active	Moderately Active	Moderately Active
Compatibility With Other Animals	Playful Medium	Playful Medium	Playful Medium
Household Noise Tolerance	Medium	Medium	Medium
Playfulness	Active Adventurer. Maine Coon are quite playful and enjoy frequent play sessions.	Active Adventurer. Scottish Fold are quite playful and enjoy frequent play sessions.	Balanced Playmate. British Shorthair have a balanced playfulness.
Trainability	Moderately Trainable: Maine Coon cat breeds require more patience, repetition, and reinforcement to learn new commands and behaviors, but can still be trained successfully with consistent efforts.	Moderately Trainable: Scottish Fold cat breeds require more patience, repetition, and reinforcement to learn new commands and behaviors, but can still be trained successfully with consistent efforts.	Moderately Trainable: British Shorthair cat breeds require more patience, repetition, and reinforcement to learn new commands and behaviors, but can still be trained successfully with consistent efforts.
Lap Cat Which cat is lap type, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	Yes This cat loves to sit on his owner's lap.	No This cat sits on its owner's lap less than other breeds.	Yes This cat loves to sit on his owner's lap.
Temperament Which one has a better personality, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	Adaptable	Affectionate	Affectionate
Adaptability Which cat has a higher adaptability potential?	Maine Coon cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Scottish Fold cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	British Shorthair cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Affection Level Which is the more affectionate cat breed: Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair?	High: Maine Coon cats are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate cats toward their handlers.	High: Scottish Fold cats are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate cats toward their handlers.	Average to High: British Shorthair cats are highly affectionate cats.
Child Friendly Which cat is more kid-friendly, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	The Maine Coon cat is a child-friendly breed.	The Scottish Fold cat is a child-friendly breed.	The British Shorthair cat is a child-friendly breed.
Dog Friendly Which cat is more dog-friendly, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	Very dog-friendly: Maine Coon owners often find that their cats get along very well with the family dog.	Very dog-friendly: Scottish Fold owners often find that their cats get along very well with the family dog.	Very dog-friendly: British Shorthair owners often find that their cats get along very well with the family dog.
Intelligence Which cat is smarter, Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair?	Outstanding: Maine Coon is one of the brightest cat breeds.	Smart: Scottish Fold's has great intelligence.	Average: the British Shorthair cat has an average level of intelligence.
Social Needs Which cat is more social, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	Average: they need as much social interaction as the average cat.	Average: they need as much social interaction as the average cat.	Average: they need as much social interaction as the average cat.
Stranger Friendly Which cat is more stranger friendly, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	Very: this cat breed gets on very well with strange people.	Average: this cat breed gets on relatively well with strangers.	Below average: this cat breed tends to have difficulty getting along with strangers.
Vocalization Which cat is the loudest, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	Low Low vocalization cats are a category of cats that typically make less noise than other cats.	Low Low vocalization cats are a category of cats that typically make less noise than other cats.	Low Low vocalization cats are a category of cats that typically make less noise than other cats.

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Grooming Comparison

Seasonal Shedding	High	Moderate	Moderate
Grooming Tools Needed	Brush Nail Clipper Comb	Brush Nail Clipper Comb Deshedding Tool	Brush Nail Clipper Comb
Dental Care	High	High	High
Grooming Which is easier to groom, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	Moderate Maintenance Grooming your Maine Coon cat is an essential part of caring for their health and well-being.	Moderate Maintenance Grooming your Scottish Fold cat is an essential part of caring for their health and well-being.	Low Maintenance Occasional grooming is recommended to keep the British Shorthair coat in good condition.
Shedding Which cat sheds less, Maine Coon or Scottish Fold or British Shorthair?	High If you're looking for a cat that won't leave a trail of fur everywhere they go, you might want to rethink your choice of pet.	Moderate This cat breed is of average shedding.	Minimal This cat breed sheds much less than the average.

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Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Cat Breed Comparison

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Size, Appearance and Physical Traits Comparison

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Special Abilities Comparison

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Health Comparison

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Characteristics and Personality Comparison

Maine Coon vs Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair Grooming Comparison

Popular Cat Compares

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