Maine Coon Cats
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Maine Coon Cats - photo of Daisy ©
Dani Rozeboom
Introduction
The
photograph of Daisy, above, encapsulates a lot about this
cat breed. It is such
a superb photograph for that reason. Of course Daisy is superb too.
There is a stillness and a dignity about Daisy that Dani has captured.
Maine Coon Cats are, as Marilis Hornidge (the author of "The Yankee
Cats") states, "the complete package". Their appearance is impressive;
enhanced by their substantially
larger
than average size (13-20 lbs on average, although some reach
25 lbs) and the luxuriously long fur
coat. And this is all backed
up by
intelligence, a well balanced character and a pleasant temperament.
It's no wonder that this cat is very popular and apparently gaining in
popularity.
Maine Coon Cats come in a myriad of colors and patterns only equaled
by the Persian for variety. This is a natural breed (e.g. the
breed has evolved on its own without man kinds interference), which
further adds to the attraction.
Originating in the breed's hunting and sturdy
ancestors,
the Maine Coon is built for hunting with large
eyes and ears and a
large muscular body.
Origin
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Photo: © Helmi Flick
Unless a cat breed is a man made hybrid the origins of any breed is
likely to be uncertain sometimes, which is to be expected.
This
is supported
by
the great man himself, Charles Darwin, who believed that a breed of any
animal can "hardly be said to have a distinct origin".
In the case of Maine Coon Cats, there
are countless legends and myths and some have more credibility than
others.
Maine Coon Cats are a native
(i.e. not imported from outside of the USA) long haired cat of North
America and have been shown in competition is
America since the 1860s.
The breed possibly originates
from the Norwegian
Forest cat brought over
on ships to America by the Vikings. However, it
is more
likely
that the Maine Coon actually evolved from matings between domestic
shorthairs introduced by early settlers and Angora
types later taken across the Atlantic by seafarers.
The Maine Coon breed is in the top 3 of the most popular breeds on the
basis of this website's popularity poll. They came to Britain in the
mid 1980s.
Because of the appearance of the cat's coat it
became a myth that he
developed from matings between cats and raccoons.
When you add that to the fact that this cat came
from Maine in America, you get Maine Coon.
History
| Date |
Event |
| 1861 |
Written record of the Maine Coon |
| 1865 |
Best Cat in Madison Square Gardens Cat Show |
| 1900-1950 |
The Persian Cat's popularity had a negative
impact on the popularity of the Maine Coon |
| 1968 |
Growing popularity of this breed cemented
and improved by the formation of an association the MCBFA |
Character and Appearance
Maine Coon Cats are characterized by their long
smooth to touch and shaggy fur, straight noses and their "presence".
They are a very handsome cat. They
needed the lovely coat that we so admire for survival in the cold
climate from which they originate (possibly Norway). The coat
is a dense semi-long fur
that requires regular grooming.
It acts like a duvet with a tough top coat
to shed water and protect against the elements and a soft downy
undercoat
to keep him warm.
The coat is an outstanding feature of this breed.
There are 64 color combinations.
The color of the coat takes several
months to settle into the finished "product". The Maine Coon Cat Club
say this can lead to difficulties in registering
the kitten. They say that coat color is less important than coat
type and texture.

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Black Maine Coon
©Helmi Flick click on thumbnail
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The Cat Fanciers Association
(CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA) have slightly
different ideas as to what is the
ideal Maine Coon. Click here
to see a CFA Maine Coon Winner and make a comparison with a TICA
Maine Coon Winner. You will notice that TICA
prefer a slightly more natural look, whereas the CFA's preference is
for
a look that is a little more groomed.
These links discuss in some detail the appearance of this cat.
His/her appearance has
remained virtually unchanged since being discovered.
Maine Coon cats are good hunters and they were originally the American
wild
cat, living mainly on farms where they were appreciated by farmers for
their ability to catch vermin. I discuss the
character of this cat breed in some more
detail on this page.
The
Largest Domestic cat breed page of this website analysis
all the breeds to find the largest. The conclusions are made for each
major association. No surprises where this great cat comes in the
rankings.
Health Issues
There are one or two health issues worth noting
and these are set out on
this page.
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Photo: © Helmi Flick
Click
on this link to see two
more slide shows of the best Maine Coon cats (and I mean
the
best) by the best photographers, Helmi Flick and Dani Rozeboom. As the
cats photographed by Helmi are typey I have included a brief discussion
of the breed standard as well.
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Photo of Magnus © Majesticoons
Where do I
start if I'd like a Maine Coon kitten?
There are plenty in rescue centers. I have set out below a list of breeders
that are listed on the first 3
pages of a Google search.
In addition a good starting point in the USA would be the Cat
Fanciers Association (CFA) .This link takes you straight to
their list of breeders search page.
I have already featured Majesticoons
so please click on the link above to go to their website to contact
them.
In addition, for the UK, you should contract The
Maine Coon Cat Club. Click
here for the breeders list page of their website.
Thanks to the Maine Coon Cat Club and Majesticoons
for information on this breed and thanks too to Majesticoons for the
photograph of "Magnus" (the 4th photograph down).
Maine Coon
Kittens © copyright Helmi Flick
Breeders
These are non-directory listed cat breeders in the first 2 pages of a
Google search. The extraordinary thing about this list is that they are
all in the UK. This is a first on this website. Most often cat breeders
are more prominent on the Internet when they are USA based.
Terzovia
Hobby (small) cattery located in the UK, Ryde Isle of Wight (South
Coast)
Woodycoon
Maine Coons
Located in the UK near the border between the counties of
Buckinghamshire and Bedforshire. (South England not too far from
London).
Tarascani
Maine Coons
Located once again in the UK. It is not immediately clear where in the
UK they are based.
Koonikki
Maine Coons
Located once again the UK, just North of Milton Keynes (South East
England).
Spirritz
Located in Scotland, East Lothian (the first cattery I have listed in
Scotland on this website).
Tangaloor
Located in the UK, Gainsborough in Lincolnshire.
Dotcom
Maine Coons
Located once again in the UK, this time in Cornwall (the South West of
England).
Kagoza
Located in the UK, North Down in Kent (South East England). Small
cattery.
From
Maine Coon Cats to Home Page

Maine Coon Kittens © copyright Helmi Flick
Sources:
- Wikipedia
- Majesticoons cattery
- Helmi Flick
- Stockexpert (last photo on this page)
- CFA
- "The Yankee Cat" by Marilis Hornidge

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