History
The Maine Coon is a native New Englander, hailing from Maine, where he was a popular mouser, farm cat and, most likely, ship’s cat, at least as far back as the early 19th century. He is a natural breed and little is known of his origins.
The Maine Coon cat is considered the only longhair breed native to the United States who bred with the existing native cats, and ultimately created a breed of their own.
The show career for the Maine Coon cat began in New York in 1895 when the best cat award was given to a tabby Maine Coon named Leo. Leo kept winning at the Boston cat shows until 1900 when he was defeated by his own son.
After this, the love affair with the Persian began, and the Maine Coon cat dropped into second place in popularity. This ranking has changed once again in recent years and the Maine Coon is now once again “America’s Cat.”
Description
A working cat with a powerful rugged appearance Maine Coons are a large breed with substantial boning, and a long rectangular and muscular body. A Maine Coon has substantial, medium-length legs and large, round paws, well tufted with fur, to serve as “snowshoes” during winter.
The brown tabby pattern is so common in this breed that many people don’t know Maine Coons can come in any other colors or patterns. They might be surprised to learn that Maine Coons are found in solid colors that include black, red or white with expressive eyes in the colours of green, gold, greenish-gold or copper. White or bi-colored Maine Coons may have blue or odd eyes.
Grooming and Physical Needs
Size: 9 to 18 pounds
- Grooming Needs: A Maine Coon is a big, rugged cat with a smooth, shaggy coat that should be brushed often
- Coat Type: Long and thick
- Moulting: High
- Exercise Needs: should be similar to most cats
- Average Life Span: 9-13 years
- Healthcare:
Behaviour
- Family: The friendly, laidback Maine Coon is a perfect choice for families with children
- Temperament: They are intelligent pets with funny personalities and curious natures
- Trainability: Very smart and will happily learn tricks or play with puzzle toys that challenge their brain
- Sociability (Other Pets): Happy with Cat friendly Dogs
- Meowing: