The Maine Coon Cat Breed

The Maine Coon Cat is one of the larger breeds of domestic cat, they have a ‘chunky’ appearance, and are easily recognised for their long flowing coat, large bones, wedge shaped heads, and bushy tails that are as long as their body.

They are one of the oldest breeds in North America. There has been many theories and stories relating to the origins of the Maine Coon, one of the most common theories is that when Marie Antoinette was set to flee France with her long haired cats, the ship sailed to Wiscasset, Maine without her. The legend claims that Marie Antoinette’s cats safely reached Maine where they mated with short haired breeds evolving into the Maine Coon as we know it. They are now one of the most popular breeds, second only to Persians.

Due to their quickness and agility they were originally bred for their ‘mousing’ skills(which is hard to believe of a cat of its size). The Maine Coon have easily became one of North Americas’ favourite pets, but the most endearing qualities of these cats are their loving, playful, charming and sociable nature. Basically an oversized softy!

One thing that separates the Maine Coon to other domestic cats is their endless curiosity and fearlessness of water. Perhaps this is due to their thick and semi water repellent coat. Many are known to amuse themselves with running water and some have also been known to put the tap on! They are also known to love baths and sinks, some even sleep in them.

These adorable creatures have the ability to get on well with children and other animals making them a very family orientated pet. Their intelligence and dexterity makes them very easy to train. They are very often branded ‘dog like’ as they love to play fetch, carry items in their mouth and even come to their owners when called. Known as the 'gentle giant' of domestic cats, Maine Coons are like the cat version of a Great Dane. They are not conventional 'meowers', but have a sound of their own, consisting of 'chirps', 'trills' and 'purrs'.

Maine Coons are a slow maturing breed, but I guess this is what gives them their playful personality. A teen cat can act like a kitten, and they do not achieve their full size until 4-5 years of age.

They can weigh up to 25lbs and over, although the average weight of an adult male is 17lbs. Expect them to grow to 40 inches in length. They have oversized furry paws, which help them to navigate in snow, with polydactylism (extra toes) not being uncommon, and a long fluffy tail to help with balance, agility and a nice comfy wrap in cold and snowy weather.

Considering the main coon is a semi long haired cat, they do not require a lot of grooming, the usual 2 times a week will usually suffice, but it is advisable to use a comb rather than brush as a brush just tends to take off the top later of their fur whereas a comb will untangle any knots they have which usually occurs their belly and britches.

Maine Coons also share a distinct 'M' marking on their forehead, I guess it stands for 'Maine Coon'! They come in over 60 different colours and shades and their eye colour also varies, but the most common are green, gold and copper, however blue eyes are also possible.

If you want a cat that literally makes a big impression, long coat, plenty of personality and a loving character, this is the cat for you. The Maine Coon is a cat that is only not large is size but have also the heart to match.