Indoor Enrichment for Urban Pets: Maine Coons and the Art of Catification

Maine Coons are one of the most popular cat breeds in Canada — and for good reason. They're sociable, playful, highly intelligent, and strikingly beautiful. They're also large, active, and deeply curious animals that don't do well with boredom. In a small urban apartment, that combination can be a challenge.

The solution is catification: the intentional design of your living space to meet your cat's physical and psychological needs. It's not about turning your home into a cat playground — it's about making smart, targeted additions that give your cat what they need to thrive indoors.

What Is Catification?

The term was popularised by cat behaviourist Jackson Galaxy, and it refers to the practice of enriching an indoor cat's environment with vertical space, scratching surfaces, hiding spots, and interactive elements that engage their natural instincts. For Maine Coons specifically — a breed that in the wild would roam large territories, climb trees, and hunt actively — catification isn't optional. It's essential.

Why Maine Coons Need More Space Than Most

Maine Coons are one of the largest domestic cat breeds, with males regularly reaching 6–8 kg and females 4–6 kg. They're also one of the most active and dog-like in temperament — they follow their owners around, enjoy interactive play, and need significant mental and physical stimulation to stay balanced.

An under-stimulated Maine Coon will find its own entertainment — usually at the expense of your furniture, your sleep, or your sanity. Catification channels that energy productively.

Start with Vertical Space

Cats feel safest at height. Vertical space gives them territory, vantage points, and escape routes — all of which reduce stress and increase confidence. For Maine Coons, this means tall, sturdy structures that can support their size and weight.

The Maine Coon 65" Cat Tower is designed specifically for large breeds — with wide platforms, reinforced posts, and the height Maine Coons need to feel genuinely elevated. For even more vertical reach, the Noba Supreme 81" Tower is one of the tallest options available and gives a Maine Coon room to climb, perch, and survey their domain.

If floor space is limited — as it often is in Canadian urban apartments — wall-mounted systems are the most space-efficient solution. The 72" Wall Mounted Cat Tower and the Noba Mural System Kit both use vertical wall space to create climbing routes without taking up floor area. The Mural System in particular, allows you to build a fully customized cat highway across a wall — ideal for Maine Coons that want to move.

Scratching: Non-Negotiable

Scratching is not a behavioural problem — it's a biological need. Cats scratch to maintain their claws, stretch their muscles, and mark their territory. Maine Coons, with their size and strength, need robust scratching surfaces that won't tip, wobble, or wear out quickly.

The Noba Classic 28" Scratching Post is tall enough for a Maine Coon to fully extend while scratching — which is important, because a post that's too short won't be used. The Noba Evolution 4-in-1 Scratching Post offers multiple scratching angles and surfaces, which is useful for cats that prefer variety.

Place scratching posts near sleeping areas and entry points — cats scratch most after waking and when marking territory at the edges of their space.

Resting at Height

Maine Coons love to observe from above. Wall-mounted resting spots — hammocks, perches, and hideouts — give them elevated resting places that don't require a full cat tree. The Wall Mounted Scratchable Cat Hammock combines a resting surface with a scratching element, and the Wall Mounted Double Hammock Cat Hideout gives two cats (or one very large Maine Coon) room to spread out at height.

For a statement piece that doubles as furniture, the Hexagon House 4-Level Cat Tree and Noba Modern Plywood 3-Level Cat Tree are both designed with aesthetics in mind — they look good in a modern Canadian home while giving your cat what they need.

Interactive Play: The Hunt Cycle

Maine Coons are highly playful well into adulthood — more so than most breeds. Daily interactive play sessions that mimic the hunt cycle (stalk, chase, catch, consume) are essential for their mental health. Without them, excess energy turns into destructive behaviour or anxiety.

The Silvervine Rod Replaceable Teaser Set is ideal for interactive sessions — the replaceable heads keep things novel, and silvervine is effective on cats that don't respond strongly to catnip (a common trait in some Maine Coons). Aim for two 10–15 minute sessions per day, ideally before meals to complete the hunt-eat-groom-sleep cycle.

For solo play between sessions, the Catnip/Silvervine Canvas Pillows give your Maine Coon something to wrestle, kick, and carry independently.

Catification on a Budget

You don't have to do everything at once. Start with the highest-impact additions: a tall scratching post, one elevated resting spot, and a daily interactive play session. These three changes alone will make a significant difference for an under-stimulated Maine Coon.

Add wall-mounted elements over time as budget allows. The goal is a home where your cat can move vertically, scratch freely, hide when they want to, and engage in play daily — not a showroom.

The Bigger Picture

Catification is ultimately about respecting what your cat is. Maine Coons are not decorative animals — they're active, intelligent, social creatures that need an environment designed for them. When that environment is right, the payoff is a calmer, healthier, more affectionate cat.

For more on building a complete enrichment routine for your cat, see our guide to building an enrichment routine and our post on feline foraging and puzzle feeding.