Maine Coon colors · Kats Kits, Farmington, Minnesota
Blue Maine Coon Kittens for Sale
Blue Maine Coons have a soft, smoky blue-gray coat that looks almost velvety in the light. In the cat world gray is always called blue, and it comes in solids, tabbies, torties and smokes.
This page explains what makes a Maine Coon blue, how blue differs from silver, and the blue patterns you will see.
Available Blue Maine Coon Kittens
What Is a Blue Maine Coon?
Blue is the dilute form of black. A dilution gene spreads the pigment more thinly through each hair, so black becomes a soft blue-gray, just as red becomes cream. A kitten needs the dilute gene from both parents to be blue, which is why blue kittens can turn up in a litter from two black or brown tabby parents.
The shade runs from a pale, misty gray to a deep slate. Blue cats usually have gold, copper or green eyes; blue eyes only occur in white cats or cats with a lot of white.
Blue or Silver?
People often mix the two up, but they are different genes. Blue is the color of the hair itself. Silver is a separate gene that takes the warm color out of the undercoat, so the base of every hair is white. A silver tabby has dark markings on a bright, almost white background; a blue tabby has darker blue markings on a softer blue base.
A cat can carry both, which gives a blue silver tabby: pale silvery ground with blue markings. To tell them apart, part the coat on the back. A silver shows white roots; a blue is blue-gray to the skin.
| Color | Roots | Overall look |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Blue-gray | Soft, even blue-gray |
| Blue tabby | Blue-gray | Darker blue markings on a warm, soft blue base |
| Silver tabby | White | Black markings on a bright silver base |
| Blue silver tabby | White | Blue markings on a pale, cool silver base |
| Blue smoke | White | Looks solid blue until the coat parts |
Blue Maine Coon Patterns
- Solid blue: blue all over, with no markings in the adult coat.
- Blue tabby: classic swirls or mackerel stripes in a darker blue.
- Blue cream: the dilute tortoiseshell, a patchwork of blue and cream, nearly always female. See the tortie and calico page.
- Blue smoke: blue tips over a white undercoat.
- Blue and white: any of these with white on the chest, paws or face.
How a Blue Kitten Changes as It Grows
A blue kitten's coat is soft and fluffy at ten weeks, and tabby markings can look sharper or softer as the adult coat grows in over the next two years or more. Smoke and silver undercoats often show more clearly once the coat is longer. The base color itself does not change: a blue kitten grows up blue.
Like every Maine Coon, a blue grows slowly and keeps filling out until three to five years old. See how big Maine Coons get.
Caring for a Blue Maine Coon
A blue coat needs the same care as any Maine Coon coat: a brush two or three times a week and a little more in the spring and fall shed. See shedding and grooming. A blue cat has the full Maine Coon temperament: sociable, playful and gentle. Read about Maine Coon personality.
Blue Maine Coon Questions
Can you tell a kitten's adult color at ten weeks?
Mostly. The base color is set at birth, but tabby markings can soften, a smoke undercoat can show more as the coat grows, and the full adult coat takes two years or more to come in.
How much is a blue Maine Coon kitten?
A blue Maine Coon kitten from Kats Kits is $700, and a $200 deposit reserves one.
Is a blue Maine Coon gray?
Yes. In the cat world, gray is called blue. It is the dilute form of black, which gives the coat its soft blue-gray tone.
What is the difference between a blue and a silver Maine Coon?
Blue is the color of the hair itself. Silver is a separate gene that takes the warm color out of the undercoat, so the roots are white. A cat can be both: a blue silver tabby.
Other Maine Coon Colors
- Orange and Red Maine CoonsRed, ginger and cream tabbies
- Black and Smoke Maine CoonsSolid black and black smoke
- Tortie and Calico Maine CoonsTortoiseshell, torbie and calico
- Polydactyl Maine CoonsMaine Coons with extra toes
- All Maine Coon colorsEvery color and pattern explained
- Available kittensEvery kitten ready to go home now
Ask About a Blue Kitten
Call Kat on (651) 463-4780 or email katskitscattery@aol.com, and see how kittens travel if you live outside Minnesota.