Thread: What made you choose a Maine Coon?

About 20 years ago, my Dad heard about these giant domestic cats from a friend at work. He couldn't believe such a thing existed so he went to the library and did some digging (ah, the days before the internet was in everyone's home...) and decided he'd like to get one when our moggie eventually popped off this mortal coil. My folks are great with cats so moggie (Smudge) was with us for 19 years before she finally left us, and by that point my Mum couldn't face losing another cat so they scrapped the idea of getting a Coonie. But I never did.
So 10 years later, I move in with my fella and we get married. But we lived in a tiny flat (and I do mean TINY) and it just wouldn't have been fair to the cat so we scrapped the idea.
So we get married, and then bought a 3-story town house (lots of stairs for a kitten to exhaust itself on!) in a lovely part of the world 3 years ago and I thought "Great, I can get my giant pussy cat!". At this point, I find out that my hubby is allergic to cats - no idea why this small detail hadn't come out before now but there you go. So the idea got scrapped again.
Interestingly, last year we had a few problems and separate; I was devastated but the silver lining in my complete misery was realising that I could now - finally - get a cat! So I invested a lot of energy into doing more homework about the breed and what would be involved in keeping a Coonie - I also looked at Norwiegan Forest Cats and Bengals but MC's just appealed on every level - independent, affectionate, beautiful, BIG, loyal, clownish and clumsy. So I contacted some breeders in the local area and found two that had litters with blue or silver tabbies.
By this point, my mind had been made up and I can't wait to find my dream kitty. Then my hubby opens negotiations about a reconciliation and I had the awful feeling my cat plans would have to be scrapped again, so the kitten became part of the negotiations! Now me, my husband and Freyja (my 4 month old blue tortie tabbie girl) all live happily together, and after a week of my husband not being able to breath whilst he reacted to her, his allergies have cleared up (admittedly, with the aid of an asthma preventer) and he can't leave Freyja alone any more than I can! He's even made up a song that he sings to her when he gets in from work! He's absolutely besotted with her, and although she's only been with us a month, it feels like she's always been here. Best decision I've made in a long time and I'm wondering how long I should leave it before I try to persuade him we need another one!

I wouldn't wait FreyjaRoMaine,he must have heard about the saying "One mainecoon is never enough"by now.
We didn't choose a mainecoon as a breed,I love animals as I work with them but having to pick our last domestic cat up off the road had said no more cats,I cope,just with road accident cats brought into work but it is different when it is your own.I was not really a cat person anyway dogs were my forte. I went with my daughter to see a MC kitten & they wanted a home for the mother,my daughter persuaded me that as it was hubbys birthday coming up it would be a lovely present for him & the rest is history.Six MC's later !
We have a news letter at work & it is a standing joke now that every time one is issued everyone looks to see if non cat "Jackie"has added yet another one to her gang & on the day they all go up for boosters we have quite an audience wanting to see & cuddle the gentle giants.....
I think we have stopped adding to the family now but who knows,you just have to cuddle & luv them.

I once, long ago, choosing a kitten for my mother. My mother died a cat who lived for 18 years. And so we decided to buy a purebred kitten. But we in the city were just kittens, so I had to take the British. But choosing a kitten on the internet, my heart sunk the Maine Coon. I saw this picture and since then she could not forget him.



When I decided to buy a kitten myself, I knew exactly what breed I'll take it. And from a cat! )))

Well we waited one week before we got our 2nd MC!

We got Larry on 26th May, he was marvellous, a solid black MC with a stand-out personality. There were 5 kittens in the litter: 2 silver tabby, 2 black smoke and one solid black, and Larry was the only one left available. But ideally I would have chosen a black smoke.

Anyway, for some random reason 6 days later we looked at the breeder's website, and noticed the black smoke male was 're-available due to a timewaster'. Well that was it, my stomach flipped over and I couldn't stop thinking about it. My OH didn't go mad, so I wrote a tentative email to the breeder, asking if the kitten might like to live with his brother. Later that evening I started writing another email, saying ignore me, I've gone mad, we can't possibly have another kitten. The OH said 'what are you doing? Don't send that! Wait till she rings you'. I was half hoping to hear that the kitten was reserved again. But next day, the breeder rang and offered us the black smoke kitten! She was very keen that he went with his brother, as she only very rarely manages to home 2 together. But how tight was this, (and therefore fated): she had already promised him to a lady who was coming to collect him after work that very day, so we could only have the kitten if she managed to get hold of this lady in time, and let her down at very short notice! As luck would have it, things went our way and she brought Monty round that evening. Yes we already had 3 cats and no we can't really afford it, but we don't regret it for a second - they are so delighted to have each other. They are like one unit at the moment anyway!

Once upon a time long ago in 1992 I was in a pet shop on Tyneside & there was a kitten in a crate for sale - I know dont wag finger it was a long time ago - He was the cuteist set of paws Id ever seen, heart melted & he came home with me - minus dog treats which I forgot to get - Merlin grew & grew & grew he had a weird chirp loved nothing better than sitting in the rain or any other water he could get his paddas in & was the most loveing cat When he was about 1 year old he did'nt come home one night - no cat ever allowed out again untill garden cat proofed - we hunted high & low posters up no sign of him, a week later a little lad knocked on the door he had found Merlin under a fire escape at a club across the road, he had been hit by a car but managed to drag himself there I was heart broken. After sometime & getting a pc & internet I decided to look into the sorts of breed he could have been as the vet said he was no ordinary mog & MC kept popping up so bought a cat mag & found a breeder in York who put me in touch with now very good friend & x-breeder Jane she invited me round as just lived down the road from the new house we had moved into & it was like seeing Merlin again when Leo walked in anyway she is convinced Merlin was a MC as she had sold a kitten to someone who a while later said she was letting her have kittens this was not part of the agreement but there was'nt anything Jane could do & this woman lived in the area of the pet shop where I had found Merlin. Anyway we got Milo from her & thats it hooked cant be without a MC causeing mayhem Merlin was a very special cat & will always have a special place in my heart he also led to me makeing a very good friend to.

This is him with a tiny Scutter

My partner originally wanted a Norwegian Forest cat, however we never got round to getting one, what with having children and then later a dog. Some years passed and we moved home and the children got a little older, se we decided that we would like a cat, but at that time we didnt want to spend a lot of money so we settled for a basic moggy. Whilst searching through the pet ads in our local paper, I came accross an ad for maine coon x persian kittens, which took our fancy. We wernt sure what a maine coon cat was, so before responding to the ad, we looked them up on the internet, and my partner liked the fact that they bore a resembelance to the norwegian forest cat. We went to view the kittens and there was a brown tabby female who was a lot more maine coon than persian in looks. we took her home and named her Portia. She was a lovely natured girl and she was very petite. she made us fall in love with MC breed. We were very happy with our Portia, but very sadly, this year when she was only 3yrs old, she was diagnosed with a nasal tumour and she had to be put to sleep. :( We missed her terribly, she had us hooked on Mcs although she was only a cross, so we took the plunge and got our first purebred MC Oscar this july. we really love him and hes as mad as a box full of frogs at the moment, only thing is hes very moreish, so cant see him being our only MC for very long!! but people have told me that they are very addictive!!

Hiya, just had a look at the piccies of Oscar, he is stunning !!!!!!! Love your discription of him too "mad as a box of frogs" lol they are addictive creatures though aren't they !

AWW thanks!! love your harry, especially your piccies of him browsing on the lap top!! This is an excellent thread and loved reading all of your stories, fort knox, what can I say but, WHOOAA, what a coonie!!

Originally Posted by Howlinbob

As luck would have it, things went our way and she brought Monty round that evening.

What a nice coincidence! We also have a black smoke named Monty...
My hubby is a Monty Python fan, hence the name. Did you also have Monty Python in mind when you named him?

I looked at the pics of your Monty... I just love the 'devil like' appearance of black smokes.

I'm new here, but I'll post some pics once I've figured out how.

Greetz, Anna
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