Feeding an 18-month Maine Coon

Maine Coons are a special case — they're one of the slowest-maturing cat breeds around, and at 18 months yours is genuinely still growing, not just finishing up the last bit of kittenhood. Most Maine Coons don't reach full size until somewhere between 3 and 5 years old, so the nutritional decisions you make now really do matter. Cats are obligate carnivores with specific needs many commercial foods miss, and wet food is generally far better than dry for hydration — critical for kidney health over the long term. To point you in the right direction: is your cat male or female, and roughly how much does he or she weigh right now? And what are you currently feeding?

Good question, and you're right to pause before switching. For a standard cat, yes — 12 months is usually the cutoff for kitten food. But for a Maine Coon, that rule doesn't apply cleanly. He needs the higher protein and calorie density of a growth-stage diet for a good while yet. That said, standard kitten dry food isn't ideal long-term for hydration reasons. Any health issues flagged by the vet, or is he otherwise healthy?

Your instinct is sound. Here's what I'd recommend: Royal Canin Maine Coon Adult wet food in pouches. I know 'adult' sounds counterintuitive given he's still growing, but Royal Canin formulate this specifically for the breed — it's designed to support a Maine Coon's lean muscle mass, joint health, and digestive sensitivity, and it accounts for the extended growth curve. The wet format also gets meaningful moisture into him daily, which is far better for kidney health over his lifetime than dry-only feeding. You could use it as his main meal and top up with a small amount of dry if he needs the volume — Maine Coons at this age can eat a lot. It's widely available on Amazon UK, usually in 12-pouch boxes. At 5.5kg he's doing well — likely heading toward 7–9kg at full size, so you want the nutrition to support that without overloading him.

Royal Canin don't actually make a Maine Coon-specific kitten wet food — their kitten wet range is generic rather than breed-specific. The Maine Coon Adult wet food fills the gap for large-breed cats in this extended juvenile phase. The formulation is appropriate from 15 months onward for the breed. If you want extra reassurance, you can mention it to your vet at his next check, but this is a well-trodden path for Maine Coon owners and the breed-specific adult wet food is the standard recommendation.

Perfect approach — gradual transition over 7 to 10 days is sensible, mixing the new food in with what he knows and increasing the ratio slowly. Maine Coons can have sensitive digestion, so not rushing it is the right call. He sounds like he's in good hands.