Thread: What made you choose a Maine Coon?

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

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
.

Hi Antonia, wow you have a black smoke named Monty! I tried to follow your link to pics but it didn't work... would love to see pics of him!

Actually we didn't name him because of Monty Python, we just liked the name Monty, because it sounds a bit regal and dignified, as if it was short for Montgomery or Montague, but maybe it's really short for The Monster!

Anyway they are both wonderful creatures and we're so lucky to have Monty as well as Larry- it was meant to be!

When I was barely 17 yet, my mother promised me that when I had finished my last year at boarding school, she would let me have a cat to keep me company while I lived at home. On one condition; it had to be a purebreed to make sure I took full responsibility for it.
So I started reading about different breeds in books and online. I was considering a few different ones, Egyption Mau, Turkish Angora, Manx etc..
But as soon as I put my eyes on the Maine Coons, I knew they would be perfect!
5 months later, Enigma moved in, just 14 weeks old..
She just turned 6 years old this month

Through the last 6 years, I have had Enigma who has had two litters of 3 each, a girl called Alfa who died from Calici and HCM because the breeder didn't get her cats properly checked before sale and 1½ year ago Felina moved in.
Today, I only have Enigma and Felina who I hope will mother some beautiful kittens one day.
I can't imagin life without my MCO ladies..

Edward (Pirnie Paws Little Fire) came into our lives by pure chance. I'm Office Manager at a Veterinary Practice so see all sorts of gorgeous kittys but anyway one day a client came in with a Maine Coon and her three beautiful kittens (one black, one tortie and a red one). I admired these kittens and said "oh that wee ginger fella is a cracker" and left it at that. In they came for their vaccinations a couple of weeks later and the client said "if you want him, you can have him for half price, mates rates" so told her I would look at my budget and see if I could do that......another couple of weeks went by and in they came again for their second vacc, this time she told me "cover his vaccination costs and he's yours........." so I snapped him up! She brought him in to my work on Christmas Eve and I took him home and he promptly disappeared under my bed and didn't come out for hours. I wrapped up his Pedigree Papers and popped them in amongst my daughter's Christmas presents. Santa came and went and my girl came back from her dads and started opening up her pressies, came upon this envelope and said "what's this then?", I excused myself and popped Ed into a basket quickly, I'd been hiding him in my room by this point, and produced this little ball of ginger fluff and that was that............

He's settled in very well and is great buddies with Elvis, tho I can see Elvis getting agitated at times cos all Ed wants to do is play, jump on him, bite him and generally be a kitten! Priscilla, on the other hand, will have nothing to do with him at all, she'll sit in the same room at him and glare at him until she decides to leave and Ed has learnt the hard way to leave Cilla well alone.......

Anyway that's my story ;)

I've been enraptured by the breed for as long as I can remember. I've always enjoyed cats and they've always been a part of our lives.

I've always wanted pure bred MCs but was always put off by the price.

Two years ago, on Father's Day, my then wife (now ex) was in a local pet store where the owner had two magnificent looking beasts which he used to show but didn't any more. Crispus had an ear infection that hadn't been treated properly and now keeps his head cocked to one side. He's not bothered by it, and it gives him a rather inquisitive look, but he didn't show well after that. Gaius, his half brother, has an allergy to dust and his left eye is usually squinted. He's shown once or twice but not well.

The owner of the pet store is older and was moving into his retirement home where he wasn't able to keep the cats, and we were able to adopt them.

They'd been with my ex for the past year and have not been taken care of properly, but they're coming home tomorrow because she is moving, and I'm excited beyond words!

I am the full time caregiver for my 98 year old grandma. I didn't exactly mean to get this job, it just kind of happened because I was needed. I have always LOVED cats, and grew up with two "ordinary" cats. Through college I never got one because I was often needing to rent rooms from other people and knew not everyone would rent to someone with a cat.
Well, I ended up "sitting" around the house 24/7 and knew I HAD to get a buddy to keep me company. I went to a near by Pet Orphanage with the intention of getting a full grown short haired cat. What I ended up with was a long haired kitten.
He totally picked me... he wouldn't leave me alone and from the moment I entered the room he lived in, Edmund wanted to have my full attention and would climb over the other cats to get to me . He won my heart and I happily took him home... and then today (about 2 months after I brought him home) I had the revelation that my baby is a Maine Coon! I didn't know ANYTHING at all about the MC breed until today, I'd only heard they were large.
His GIANT tail and lovely ear hair kept "bugging" me (not bad, just in a curious way), then this week I was realizing that my 6 month old kitten is bigger than most full grown adult cats... so I started googling, and sure enough he has EVERY detail people describe in Maine Coons, down to every wonderful personality quirk (different meow, very gentle, loves water, very tolerant, etc), plus ALL the physical details. He is slightly smaller than some of the charts average, so I'm guessing he isn't purebred, but he is definitely a Maine Coon!
I couldn't be more happy with him and I think it is so fun to find out what he is. I already knew he was a super special kitty, and I didn't know there were others like him!

Great to hear you are enjoying your Maine Coon kitten they certainly are wonderful cats, and I am sure you will not stop at just the one. Let us all know when you get him a friend.....

Have wanted a Newfoundland dog for about 25 years after seeing teams of them training in the river. Huge furry water dogs! On a prep forum since 1998, read lots of accounts of the amazing Maine Coon. Newfy of cat world: big, gentle giants, furry, love water, playful clowns, smart and entertaining.

Bought house, planted 300+ trees, finally got Newf pup, had waited years for MCs after selecting breeder, finally the red we wanted was born, have had 2 male littermates since Oct 2: fun fun fun! LOVE the kittens! They have now bitten and explored everything in the house