Maine Coon

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 12:41

Maine Coon (Maine Coon cat) - one of the oldest breeds of cats in North America. Maine Coons are wonderful and tireless hunters. It is not only one of the most popular breeds in America, but also the largest domestic cat breed. The longest cat in the world was the Maine Coon named Stewie, its length (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail) was 123.19 cm, and the longest mustache of all cats - 19 cm - belongs to the Maine Coon named Missy. Being a large animal, the Maine Coon is gaining full strength only by the age of four to five. These cats are independent and independent, have a calm and balanced character, get along well with both cats and dogs. Maine Coons adapt easily to a variety of environmental conditions. They are equally well adapted to life, both indoors and outdoors.

Weight: 6-10 kg. Neutered cats weigh up to 12-15 kg!

Height: from 25 to 41 cm.

Cost (price) of a kitten: pet-class kittens cost from 15,000 to 25,000 rubles, the price of breed-class kittens does not fall below 50,000 rubles, and show-class kittens will cost 70,000-180000 rubles.

Life expectancy: up to 20 years (average 14-16).

Country of origin: America.

Breed diseases: hip dysplasia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dislocation of the knee joint, tendency to develop urolithiasis, spinal muscular atrophy, etc.

The breed is recognized by felinological federations: CFA, FIFe, TICA, ACF, ACFA / CAA, GCCF.

Buying a Maine Coon kitten

Nicknames for Maine Coon

Maine Coon: feeding Maine Coon

maintenance Maine

Coon: grooming hair, ears, teeth, eyes and claws

Maine Coon: health

History of the breed

Maine Coon is one of the oldest cat breeds in North America. The powerful cat appeared in the homes of American settlers in the mid-19th century, first in the northeastern United States. Wonderful Maine Coon hunters were able to stop the reproduction of mice in the fast-growing grain farms of New England. But soon they declared themselves in a completely different role. The first published mention of the Maine Coon dates back to 1861, and was associated with a black and white cat named Captain Jenks from the mounted marine corps.

There are several theories and myths about the origin of this breed. The first tells that the first settlers who discovered and tamed Maine Coons believed that they descended from the common European cat and raccoon. The English word for striped raccoon does indeed contain the word "kun". Hence the "Maine (from Maine) raccoon" - Maine Coon appeared.

According to the second legend, it is reported that the ancestors of the Maine Coons were cats that lived in the chambers of the Queen of France Marie Antoinette. During the French Revolution, the Queen decided to flee to America. She handed her most priceless things, including six Angora cats, to Captain Samuel Klu. The captain, originally from the town of Wiscasset in Maine, brought the Queen's treasures there. Royal cats, mating with local cats and became the progenitors of a new breed.

In the third version, it is indicated that the Maine Coons were brought to the new continent by the Vikings in the II century AD. e. According to the fourth, the ancestors of the Maine Coons were brought to the continent from Asia Minor. The sailors took them with them on a voyage, as cats have established themselves as excellent hunters for rodents that were found in the holds of ships. Some even attribute a peculiar sea gait to Maine Coons.

The Maine Coon became the first purely American breed to appear at the world's cat shows. This happened in New York in 1895, when the prize for the best cat was awarded to a striped female Maine Coon named Cosey, owned by Mrs. Fred Brown. Then, unfortunately, until 1953, the breed was rarely mentioned.

Despite the rapid initial success, Maine Coons were almost consigned to oblivion, since at the beginning of the 20th century, imported, in particular Persian, cats became fashionable in America. The breed was quickly forgotten, and by the 1950s the Maine Coons were declared extinct, but it turned out that this statement was a little hasty.

The return came only in 1953, when the Maine Cats Club Central (CMCC) was formed jointly by Etilin Wittmore, Alta Smith and Ruby Dyer. The modern breed standard was adopted in 1967, and the following year the Maine Coon Fanciers Association is created. These two clubs have done a great job of popularizing the breed and setting its standards. The Maine Coon was officially recognized by the ACFA and CCA in 1967.

On March 1, 1975, CFA officially recognized the right for Maine Coons to participate in competitions and exhibitions in North America. In the next couple of decades, the popularity of the breed increased sharply, which was accompanied by champion victories and an increase in national ratings. In 1985, Maine declared the Maine Coon the official state breed. The FIFe officially recognized the breed only on February 24, 1988. The first Maine Coons appeared in Russia in 1989.

Maine Coon appearance

Maine Coons have a strong physique. The body is long with a broad chest and a horizontal back, rectangular in shape, and muscular. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: females are much smaller than males.

The head is small in relation to the body, of medium width, the cheekbones are high. The muzzle is of medium length, the chin is powerful, giving the head a square shape. The neck is of medium length. The nose is not long, the transition from the forehead to the muzzle is smooth. The ears are large, set wide and high, pointed at the tips and wide at the base, with tufts of hair inside.

The eyes are large, round, set wide and slightly oblique. Their color can be different, but more often it is yellow-green. White-coated cats often have multi-colored or blue eyes.

Legs are strong, powerful, set wide apart, of medium length. Paws are large, round, with tufts of hair between the toes.

The tail with a wide base and a blunt end, without kinks, is covered with thick long hair, like an ostrich feather. The tail is long, bent over the back, and should reach the shoulder blades.

The coat is thick, semi-long, water-repellent, two-layer, silky to the touch, shiny, shorter on the front part of the body, longer on the belly and hind legs. The undercoat is soft, light, dense. Frill is desirable, but not required. The coat is subject to seasonal changes, in summer it is lighter and shorter, in winter it is slightly longer and with a more developed and dense undercoat.

The colors are very diverse, except for color-point. The body has white spots and patterns on some basic background.

Maine Coon character and temperament

Maine Coons are wonderful and tireless hunters. They conscientiously catch rats and mice, saving the hosts from uninvited guests. Cats adapt easily to a wide variety of environmental conditions. Maine Coons are equally well adapted to life, both indoors and outdoors.

These cats show amazing sensitivity and delicacy towards their owners, they are patient, gentle and affectionate with them. They are very strongly attached to a person and are able to follow their owner "tail". They love to be in the spotlight, but most of them don't like to sit on their knees. They are great companions for kids and teens.

With strangers, they are usually polite and loyal, but do not tolerate familiarity. If the Maine Coon does not use its claws when communicating with people, then it is not averse to scrape the wallpaper and especially soft furniture upholstery.

They are self-reliant and independent, have a calm and balanced character. Despite their independent nature, Maine Coons are quite social creatures, so they constantly need your attention. Never ignore your pet or leave him alone for long. If you are busy and the Maine Coon needs attention, captivate him with a puzzle toy or an intellectual toy. To keep your pet from getting bored, you can have another pet in the house. Maine Coons get along well with both cats and dogs.

Freedom-loving Maine Coons should have their own living space, where they can be left to themselves. These wonderful cats have an interesting feature - they go to bed in the most unexpected places and in the most unusual positions.

Maine Coons are "talkative" cats. They have a quiet, pleasant, melodic voice. They make a variety of meowing, purring, and chirping sounds.

Maine Coons have a good memory. They are able to memorize many words and intonations and can understand a person by a barely noticeable gesture or look.

Their favorite activities are playing, running, jumping and performing various tricks. The best toys for Maine Coons are: fur and "running" mice, balls, laser pointer, fishing rod, interactive toys. They love to run after abandoned objects and bring them back. Cats usually quickly lose interest in their toys, so they change them periodically - they hide them somewhere for a while.

Maine Coon hunting, photo photograph of a cat

Maine Coons are quite active, so they need constant physical activity. In the house where these cats live, it is advisable to install a large and always strong "cat tree". His choice must be taken with all seriousness, since those “trees” that are offered for sale in pet stores are designed for medium-sized cats. Most likely, such a "tree" is unlikely to last more than a year, and then you will have to buy a new one. The most optimal way would be to make an individual order. Although it will be more expensive, it will be of better quality and more durable.

You can place special hammocks on the batteries, and put special loungers on the windowsills, which will allow the pet to observe with comfort what is happening outside the window.