Is My Cat a Maine Coon?

I was told that he might be a Maine coon and after looking up the info, decided that he was. The vet tells me she doesn't think so. How can I tell? I've attached his picture. Thanx.

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Hi...I'll answer on your post and perhaps others may leave comments. We have some very wise regulars!

Don't be upset but your cat is almost certainly not a Maine Coon. This is because:

• He doesn't quite look like a Maine Coon although he is similar, a kind of look-a-like. That said judging only by appearance is difficult because a Maine Coon cat might be a Maine Coon cat but not one that is breed very well so that it is not of the right "type"


• Maine Coon cats are purebred cats and purebred cats need a pedigree to prove that they are purebred. Sometimes this might not be available but it usually is. It could be argued that if there is not documentary evidence that a cat is purebred then that cat is not purebred (unless DNA testing can be done).


• Almost all people who don't know if their cat is a breed of domestic cat (a purebred cat) in fact live with a non purebred cat meaning a mixed breed cat or domestic shorthair cat or as the CFA call them "Household Pets"

We get quite a lot of people asking the same question - a good question.

And every time the answer is more or less the same. There are quite a lot of look-a-like cats and also cats that are one removed from purebred (for example a Maine Coon "mix").

This might be the case with your cat. Now that I have said all that you will no doubt produce some documents!

One last point from me. He is very handsome indeed and as good as any Maine Coon cat or any other cat - purebred or not.



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