Maine Coon Cats

Maine Coon Cats – 7 kittens above and black MC below – photographs are strictly ©copyright Helmi Flick. Click on the photographs to see them in large format.

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Introduction

The photographs above by Helmi Flick encapsulate a lot about this cat breed. They are such superb photographs for that reason. Of course, the cats are superb too. With the American Shorthair the Maine Coon is perhaps the domestic cat with the longest history in North America and is native to the state of Maine¹ becoming the official state cat in 1985⁸. It is, therefore, one of the first breeds of cat to be developed in North America¹⁸. Maine Coon Cats are, as Marilis Hornidge (the author of “That Yankee Cat: The Maine Coon”) states, “the complete package”.

Their appearance is impressive; enhanced by their substantially larger than average size (13-20 lbs on average, although some reach 25 lbs) and the luxuriously long, shaggy, soft, fur coat. Their length has resulted in one, Stewie, being awarded the accolade, the world’s longest cat. And this is all backed up by intelligence, a well balanced character and a pleasant temperament.

They are sometimes referred to as gentle giants of the cat world¹⁵ getting along well with children and dogs. They are not overly dependent however¹⁶ but do their own thing (including rarely, I expect, swimming!¹⁷). Males are goofy; females are sensible¹⁷, so the saying goes. Are we talking about cats!? And they don’t necessarily like being held (this I think is common to many cat breeds, however). They are, though, very loyal¹⁶. Their quiet voice is a contrast to their large size. And we musn’t forget that famous happy, chirpy, trill¹⁷. How and why did that evolve? It’s no wonder that this cat is very popular and apparently gaining in popularity. Might it be fair to say that the Maine Coon is more popular than other breeds with men on the basis that they are more likely to be buddies rather than babies¹⁷? Interesting one that.

At one time (2003) Maine Coons were second in popularity to the Persian amongst the longhaired cat breeds¹⁸. The Persian’s standing has waned due to misguided breeding. Times, then, have changed. Based on a long running survey on this site gathering 3540 votes (at Sept 2010) it is the most popular (Rank No.1) of all cat breeds substantially ahead of the others. The Maine Coon breed has always been in the top 3 of the most popular breeds on the basis of this website’s popularity poll.This may be skewed slightly by a majority of American voters but there is no doubt that Maine Coon Cats are one of the world’s most popular cat breeds². The CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) consider it the second most popular cat breed⁷. They may reassess in due course (2010).

It is surprising in retrospect to learn that this cat’s popularity was so low at one time in the mid-1900s that it was almost considered extinct and that the Cat Fanciers Association refused provisional breed status on no less than three occasions³. They came to Britain in the mid 1980s. A relationship with a Maine Coon is very rewarding.  Helmi Flick the great American cat photographer lives with two, Quin and Zak. Just so you know, I have met and lived ( for 20 days or so) with these cats. And they are gorgeous.

I have a particular connection with Zak. We think alike. He loves to play and appreciates it a lot. Perhaps the Maine Coons size helps him/her to become an alpha cat is a multi-cat family. Maine Coon Cats come in a myriad of colors and patterns only equaled by the Persian  for variety. This is a natural breed (e.g. the breed has evolved on its own without man kinds interference until cat breeding became involved), which further adds to the attraction.

Photos Above and linked pictures are © Helmi Flick. Click on thumbnails for large format pictures and further discussion

Originating in the breed’s sturdy hunting ancestors, the Maine Coon is built for hunting with large eyes and ears and a large muscular body.

Origin

Unless a cat breed is a man made hybrid the origins of any breed is likely to be uncertain, which is to be expected.  This is supported by the great man himself, Charles Darwin, who believed that a breed of any animal can “hardly be said to have a distinct origin”. In the case of Maine Coon Cats, there are countless legends and myths and some have more credibility than others. Maine Coon Cats are a native (i.e. not imported from outside of the USA or born in a place or country referred to) long haired cat of North America and have been shown in competition is America since the 1860s.

However, as the domestic cat is a domesticated Mediterranean basin wild cat, the forebears of the Maine Coon were at one time imported into the North American continent from Europe. The breed possibly originates from the Norwegian Forest Cat brought over on ships to America by the Vikings. However, it is more likely that the Maine Coon actually evolved from matings between domestic shorthairs introduced by early settlers and Angora types later taken across the Atlantic by seafarers. Because of the appearance of the cat’s coat it became a myth that the breed developed from matings between cats and raccoons. When you add that to the fact that this cat came from Maine in America, you get Maine Coon.

History

1861 – Written record of the Maine Coon. A black and white Maine Coon called Captain Jenkins of the Horse Marines was shown in Boston and New York. This apparently is the first mention of Maine Coon cats in a book or journal.  It was written by F.R. Pierce. Pierce. He also wrote a chapter about the breed in Frances Simpson’s The Book of the Cat (1903). He owned several other Maine Coon cats⁵.

1860s – Late 1860s: farmers in the USA state of Maine exchanged stories about their cats. They held the Maine State Champion Coon Cat contest at the local Skowhegan Fair².

1865 – Best Cat in Madison Square Gardens Cat Show won by a brown tabby MC calledCosie (Cosey). She won the silver collar and medal⁷. – see below – this picture is in the public domain:

Cosey was a female MC. She was owned by Mrs. Fred Brown. The silver collar referred to abve is at the CFA Central Office in the Jean Baker Rose Memorial Library having been bought by them with the help of a donation⁷.

1895 – 12 Maine Coons entered in cat show in Boston⁶.

1900-1950 – The Persian Cat’s popularity had a negative impact on the popularity of the Maine Coon.

Early 20th Century – Maine Coons threatened by introduction of long haired cats from overseas³.

1968 – present – Growing popularity of this breed cemented and improved by the formation by 6 breeders¹⁶ of an association the MCBFA allowing for planned breeding of and the preservation of this breed. At 2009 there are over 1000 fanciers and 200 breeders who are members¹⁶.

1973 – Formation of Maine Coon Cat Club

1975 – Accepted for provisional status by CFA on May 1st⁷.

1980s – present – Recognized by all the major cat registries.

1985 – The Maine Coon Cat Club (in the UK) established

1994 – Gained Championship status with the GCCF (the UK’s number 1 cat association).

2000 – CFA’s most popular long haired breed¹⁷.

Character and Appearance

The Maine Coon has a distinctive appearance, is intelligent⁴ and has a gentle² character. Maine Coon Cats are also characterized by their long smooth to touch and shaggy fur, straight noses and their “presence”. They are a very handsome cat. They needed the lovely coat that we so admire for survival in the cold climate from which they originate (possibly Norway). The coat is a dense semi-long fur of irregular length that requires regular grooming but less so than for some other long haired cats. I say dense. Yes, it is relatively dense but not as dense as, for example, on a British Shorthair cat as there is a light undercoat (cat hair).

Accordingly, with the Maine Coon one tends to be able to feel the muscle and bone beneath the fur, while with cats having short but denser fur, only the fur can be felt. It also makes grooming less demanding but it does require regular grooming to prevent matting¹⁶. The coat is apparently thicker in winter compared to the summer². Apparently although Maine Coon cats like water some hate being bathed and it may require two people to carry out this task!¹⁶ That said the waterproof coat should mean little need to bathe. The color of the fur may alter its texture. The fur is shorter on head (yes commonsense) and shoulders and longer on the sides and stomach area. A glorious ruff is common. Although Maine Coon cats are not the only long haired cat to have ruffs (think Norwegian Forest cat as one example).

The fur acts like a duvet with a tough top coat to shed water and protect against the elements and a soft downy undercoat to keep him warm. The coat is an outstanding feature of this breed. Another noticeable feature is the tufts of hair in between the toes on their large feet. This is one of the cat’s adaptations to the harsh winters when the cat was a barn cat. The waterproof, shaggy and longer fur on the undersides and hind quarters is designed to protect from the snow and ice¹¹. Other winter/snow protection features are:

• long plumed tail acting as a cushion!
• large snow shoe type paws.
• polydactylism (extra toes), which is relatively common in Maine Coon cats (as much as 40% – not sure about that) and this results in even larger paws. Note: Polydactylism is not allowed in the show ring¹⁴ but is not a genetic defect that causes ill health. It is caused by an autosomal dominant gene. There are Maine Coon breeders who specialise in American Polydactyl cats.

Generally, planned breeding has only been in force for the past 40 years¹⁶  (from 2009). There are 64 color combinations. There are 5 color classes: solid, tabby, tabby with white, parti-color plus the other Maine Coon colors. The allowed patterns are: classic tabby (blotched), mackerel tabby (stripes) and patched tabby are the only recognized patterns. However, where the colors or patterns are due to hybridization (crossing with another breed), such as chocolate (Havana Brown), lavender, pointed (Siamese) pattern or ticked pattern (Abyssinian) the cat is not accepted by the CFA¹¹.  The most common coat is the brown tabby¹². The silver tabby is apparently preferred by the British through the GCCF¹⁷. The color of the coat takes several months to settle into the finished “product”. The Maine Coon Cat Club say this can lead to difficulties in registering the kitten. They say that coat color is less important than coat type and texture. We shouldn’t forget the tail. Such a magnificent tail; a bushy plume. In Maine Coons that have a white coat, there is a relationship between coat color and eye colour (due to the fact that the gene that causes white fur affects eye colour too) and the eyes should be and will be blue or there will be odd eyes. In all other cats the eyes can be any colour and there is no relationship with coat colour¹³. Green, gold or copper eyes are the colours to be seen¹⁷.

The eyes have a rather wild and inquisitive look, which can convey a gentleness or authority. Perhaps the size of Maine Coon cats gives them the chance to act as alpha cats in a group. The head is a wide “modified wedge”. This means wedge shaped but modified by the fact that a cat’s head cannot look exactly like a wedge. The ears are large and most noticeably, lynx tipped. The hairs on the end of the ears are a particular feature of this cat breed. The breed standard stipulates that the ears should be set high on the head and no greater than an ear’s width apart. For a large cat their voices are quite delicate. They trill alot. And seem to meow almost reluctantly.

The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA) have slightly different ideas as to what is the ideal Maine Coon. Click here to see a CFA Maine Coon Winner and make a comparison with a TICA Maine Coon Winner.  You will notice that TICA prefer a slightly more natural look, whereas the CFA’s preference is for a look that is a little more groomed. These links discuss in some detail the appearance of this cat. His/her appearance has remained virtually unchanged since being discovered.

Maine Coon cats are good hunters and they were originally the American wild cat, living mainly on farms where they were appreciated by farmers for their ability to catch vermin. I discuss the character of this cat breed in some more detail on this page. Update: Since building this page I have carried out further research on Maine Coon cats and their personality (this is ongoing) and you can read more and see 2 fine pictures on MC cat personality (new window). The Largest Domestic cat breed page of this website analysis all the breeds to find the largest. The conclusions are made for each major association. No surprises where this great cat comes in the rankings. Some stats on the Maine Coon:

Some stats on the Maine Coon:

Here’s some more links to pages and postings made later on:

MC Breed Standard (TICA) The breed standard is referred to in a super large format Helmi Flick photo together with supporting text. Big Maine Coon Cat [link] What else? Got to have a page celebrating this characteristic. The picture is of a cat called Shooter. I use his pictures elsewhere as it is so impressive and illustrative of this breed.

MC cat colors There is an almost limitless number of variations of coat color for this cat breed. This link takes you to a short discussion on this subject plus many more links.

Orange Maine Coon Orange is an interesting color for a cat. The gene producing it is sex related. See orange Maine Coons cats and a short description of the genetics by clicking on the above link.

Big Maine Coons They say size counts! Well, yes but there is a lot of exaggeration…. This link takes you to another discussion about big Maine Coons and some straightforward non-manipulated pictures of bigger than average Maine Coon cats. Also see the link above (is this duplication?). Want to see a truly fabulous composite picture by Helmi Flick of silver classic and white Maine Coon kittens? Go here.

American Snughead |  American Forest Cat Longhair  |  American Longhair | Yankee Cat….These are all alternative names for the Maine Coon cat. Click on the links to see a bit more – more pics, more words, more worship……..

Picture of Maine Coon Cat – ZAK — ZAK lives with Ken and Helmi Flick and QUIN, NOX and SKY. This link goes to a large format picture of ZAK with some accompanying text about ZAK, a fine and loving Maine Coon cat. I am very fond of Zak. I have a soft spot for him and I am not sure why. We had a connection. Now that is another subject. If you can connect with an individual cat it means that cats have defined personalities that we are sensitive to. I know that. Some people don’t.

Red Maine Coon Cats At Last Cats – Gevalia and Blush photograph © copyrighthelmi Flick.This fabulous picture was on the home page for an age. Helmi wanted it off! It came off eventually. One of Helmi’s best in my opinion.
 

MTNest Midnight Cowboy. This cat was TICA’s No.1 cat internationally for 2007-2008. His brother is also an international champion. Massive presence. Jet black and a Maine Coon. Great combination. Helmi gets the chance to meet some beautiful show cats. She must take them for granted in the end.
 
See a post on Black Smoke Maine Coon Cats [link]

Last month I visited Ken and Helmi Flick in Texas. They live with four cats, two of which are Maine Coon cats. They are Quin and Zak.

See a Super Large Format Picture of MAGNACATS JACK BLACK a champion show cat and how he got best in Cat division at the TICA, Waxahachie, TX, Turkish Van Cat Connection Show 22-23rd Nov. 2008.This super cat was extremely well behaved when I was photographed with him for my personal page.Character is as important as appearance but less often discussed.

One last point. Apparently, “rexed” Maine Coon cats were born in the UK in the 1980s. Rexed cats have curly hair. The well known breeds are, for example, the LaPerm or Devon Rex. These Maine Coons were called the Maine Coon Rex (understandable) or the Maine Wave (nice one). The rexed coat is due to a recessive gene, which will remain hidden until it resurfaces. The GCCF rejected the wavy haired Maine Coon. This was arguably narrow minded. In continental Europe they have been shown. The GCCF could have accepted this cat as a separate breed, which probably would have happened in the United States if a rexed Maine Coon had occurred there.

Rexed Maine Coons have no guard hairs¹⁷. This is against the rugged nature of the classic Maine Coon coat.

Health Issues

Maine Coon cats are associated with one or two health issues but carefully breeding and screening plus coordinated genetic testing helps to control and minimize this. There are one or two health issues worth noting and these are set out on this page (but see just below). Update:Since building this page I have become more acquainted with cat breed health and have built a new and more comprehensive page on MC Cat Health (opens in a new window so you can stay on this page).

creme soda

Maine Coon Cat – Crème Soda – photo strictly ©copyright Helmi Flick. Click on this link or the image to see this photograph in large format & some information about Crème Soda.

Click on this link to see two more slide shows of the best Maine Coon cats (and I mean the best) by the best photographers, Helmi Flick and Dani Rozeboom. As the cats photographed by Helmi are typey I have included a brief discussion of the breed standard as well.

Adopting

Where do we start if we’d like to adopt a Maine Coon kitten? There are plenty in rescue centers:-

Maine Coon Cats rescue – This is quite a comprehensive list of links to rescue centers and groups where you might be able to find a rescue Maine Coon. A lot of rescued cats are not purebred despite being re-homed by a specialist cat breed rescue group. They will be Maine Coon cats in appearance but not in pedigree. Great cats nonetheless.

I have set out below a list of breeders that are listed on the first 3 pages of a Google search.

In addition a good starting point in the USA would be the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) .This link takes you straight to their list of breeders search page.

I have already featured Majesticoons so please click on the link above to go to their website to contact them.

In addition, for the UK, you could contact The Maine Coon Cat Club. Click here for the breeders list page of their website. The Club make some good suggestions about what to look for in a kitten buying. This is a brief summary:

• pick an outgoing and friendly kitten that is relaxed
• kitten should be clean and healthy looking
• no pot belly signifying worms
• clear, bright eyes with no discharge. The 3rd eyelid shouldn’t protrude
• clean ears and no black deposit indicating ear mites
• clean coat and no sign of fleas (black deposits in fur when flea combed)
• teeth and gums healthy
• no discharge from nose
• no yellow staining under tail indicating diarrhea

Thanks to the Maine Coon Cat Club and Majesticoons for information on this breed and thanks too to Majesticoons for the photograph of “Magnus”.

Maine Coon Kittens – gorgeous – photo ©copyright Helmi Flick
This is a thumbnail, click on the picture to see it very large

Breeders

These are non-directory listed cat breeders in the first 2 pages of a Google search (both co.uk and com) as at late 2007-09 . This is not necessarily a comprehensive list.

Terzovia
Hobby (small) cattery located in the UK, Ryde Isle of Wight (South Coast). (checked 21-05-09)

Woodycoon Maine Coons
Located in the UK near the border between the counties of Buckinghamshire and Bedforshire. (South England not too far from London). (checked 21-05-09)

**Tarascani Maine Coons
Located once again in the UK. It is not immediately clear where in the UK they are based. (checked 21-05-09). This cattery is listed in both .com and co.uk Google searches.

Koonikki Maine Coons – link broken early Nov. 2012. Sorry.
Located once again the UK, just North of Milton Keynes (South East England). (checked 21-05-09).

HollisHill  Maine Coon Cats
Located Hollis, Maine, USA. (checked 21-05-09)

Verismo
Located in Champaign, IL., USA. CFA National winners and regional winners. Looks a welle established business. (checked 21-05-09)

Excalipurrs (link broken 2012 Oct) is a cattery in the USA run by Kelly who I met at the Waxahachie TICA cat show 22-23rd Nov. 2008. I was there with Helmi and Ken Flick.

At Last Cats
This is a Maine Coon Cattery located in New Hampshire owned by Marie Harriman. If you want to see two of their cats look no further: Blush and Gevalia – get ready for something special – they are fantastic.

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page…

World’s Best Cat!  I got my black Maine coon as a stray (shelter cat) He was not huge, but very powerful & athletic. I wanted him to be an indoor cat & he wanted to be outside,…

BinkyJack the Nuclear Kitten Returns  The last time I wrote was in Dec 2009. At that time I described the most amazing kitty that had filled a tremendous void after the death of my Dad. Binky …

Is my cat a Maine Coon?  She turned up on my door step about a year ago, and after trying but failing to find her owners, i decided to keep her. She was a little thin when …

Communicating With Cats  5 years ago I was blessed to be chosen by a cat who had escaped her abusive home. She was thin, her whiskers had been burned off 🙁 , and her coat was …

B.B.’s Tale (aka Bee Boo)  In Nov. of 2010, I was attending a weekend-long horse event on a remote plantation in coastal SC. I and my lab, Shug-dog had trailered my horse Miad to …

TUCK – My Maine Coon Cat  I have had our Maine Coon Cat, Tuck, since he was five weeks old. He was born on February 14, 1999. I also had his sister, Nip, but she ran away the first …

Cat Attack!  Seven and a half years ago,someone decided to drop a kitty off in my yard. He was wild and half starved, but quickly decided he’d take me up on the offer …

Cat Lover – Especially Maine Coon Cats  Nearly two years ago our little “Poof” appeared at our door. It was so cute and cuddly that we could not make it go away and besides it would not. It …

The Indoor Outdoor Natural Living Maine Coon  About 10 years ago we had a Maine Coon cat. He was a gift from a neighbor of my grandmother in Ohio. He was crawling across the lawn and I picked him up …

My BIG baby Wilbur!  After I rescued Wilbur from a crowded and somewhat abusive home, he became my best friend! I’ve had no problems with him around my grandkids! He was naturally …

Is my cat Oprah a Maine Coon?  I adopted Oprah when she was 3 months old and the lady at the shelter told me they had some “maine coon kittens in” but on her vet sheets it says “domestic …

Timmy Time  I adopted my Maine coon, Timmy, from a rescue shelter as a kitten of 9 weeks of age. Timmy has big paws (he’s polydactyl). He has 7 nails in front & 6 …

Trixie  I got Trixie from our local shelter in August of 2010. She was a beautiful tortoiseshell, much like my older cat Ophelia, who seemed to be a little lonely….

Buddy Our Little Big Maine Coon  “Buddy” was dumped on us and when I first held him he was so small he fit in the palm of my hand. Two days later I saw a HUGE cat on our porch outside,…

Lyova The Lioness.  Her name Lyova means “little lioness” in Russian. She was adopted from the shelter in Ann Arbor and she helped my daughter survive Law School. Though …

Maxwell Appeared At Our Doorstep  About seven months ago, my daughter was coming home at about 7 am one morning and she called me on her cell to tell me a cat was in the driveway. We …

Can anyone tell me my kitten’s breed?  Hi All, hope you are doing well. I have had this kitten for over 4 months. Its a female orange tabby kitten. Its name is Webby. She is very playful …

Big Boy Zoomzoom  Want to share in the joy my friend has found with her wonderful cat Zoomzoom. She found this little itty bitty cat about 5 years ago at a famous motor …

White Maine Coon  Do you want to see a white Maine Coon? Quite a lot of people do and I have the best photograph of one. It is, of course, the work of Helmi Flick , probably …

Memories of Baby Blue  I am still mourning the loss of my best friend. She was a stray kitten that was found in the parking lot of the school where I teach Science. She was …

Mikey, Love At First Sight  I JUST adopted my sweet Mikey – yesterday in fact. We walked into the local pet supply store to get our new Boxer baby, named Tyson (lol), food, and my …

Two New Members To My Family  So last night I picked up two purebred Maine Coons from a woman locally who could not care for them anymore. From what I’m told they are only a yr and …

He was just a scrap of a cat in poor condition  Atlas does have a story to tell, it is quite a long and heartbreaking story. Back on Jan. 2, 2010 he was brought into our little shelter. He was just …

OMG! Talk about a Mouser!  Abby has grown quite fond of her new-found freedom in a 2-bedroom flat. She has also exercised her ‘prey’ instinct for the occasional field mouse in a …

Shelby, Queen of All She Surveys  Shelby was a stray that we got at our local shelter one winter four years ago. At that time, the shelter was so overcrowded that they kept the bigger, older …

Introducing… ABBY the Maine Coon mix  Abby came home this past Saturday. She is enormous – quite different than seeing her in the cage at the shelter. Her paperwork (dated Sept 2010) says she’…

Pico is a dog trapped in a cat’s body:)  Pico de Gato was rescued from under a deck on a ranch in Southern Colorado the summer of 2002 at about 6 weeks old. His momma was shunning him and …

My Buddy Max  I met Max about a year and 1/2 ago. I decided to go meet him after having the Maine Coon cat breed described to me by a co-worker. I asked the vet …

Remembering Moses  Moses was our gentle giant. He was named Moses because we found him wondering by a river all alone at about 4 weeks of age. He grew to be a huge cat …

Maine Coon A Domestic Cat Bobcat Hybrid?  I think the myth about the Maine Coon being a mix between a domestic cat and a bobcat is highly possible. My ex-wife and I got a maine coon kitten from …

Chani the Maine Coon  I have a beautiful blue mackerel tabby Maine Coon named Chani that I have had for eight years. Chani is the only purebred cat I have ever owned, as mostly …

The Maine Coon Stare  The Maine Coon stare is not confined to Maine Coons. It’s just that it seems that this most popular of all purebred cats (based on the PoC poll) has the …

Our Maine Coon SCOUT is a RIOT!!  I found Scout outside in subzero winter weather. She was starving and emaciated and was down to her last days. She had a void of hair from scrappin …

Please help… is this a Maine Coon?  I lost my beautiful big boy, Ammo. He was the most wonderful cat in the world. I started looking into adopting another Maine Coon, because Ammo was so …

Possible Orange Female Maine Coon  I am trying to figure out if my cat Lucy is either part or full Maine Coon. She weighs approximately 15Lbs and does have the M on her forehead. If …

Our Beloved Mr Jinx  I have been in love with cats since I can remember as I was raised with cats from day one of birth… my parents have always taken in stray cats and they …

EMILITACOON*LT  Welcome to “EMILITACOON * LT” – Maine Coon Cat breeder. Since 2008, EMILITACOON has been registered with the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe)…

My Adopted Kitty  This is Leo, I am unsure if he is really any actual breed of cat, but if he has predominant traits they kind of point towards some coon in his lineage….

My Maine Coon Hunts Stink Bugs  I adopted a Maine Coon female 4 years ago, named Wren. She loves being outside and catches leaves falling, she makes sure they are perfect, and brings …

Is Hissy a Maine Coon Type?  This cat moved into my ex husband’s backyard/garage about 5yrs or so ago. She never came into the house and was not people friendly. But she stayed because …

Chubs Is One Of A Kind!  Chubs is the smartest cat I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He has more personality then the majority of people I know. He knows no enemy of human …

My Coon acts more like a guard dog than a cat  I have had my baby for 14 yrs and she is the smartest cat that I have owned. Early on I noticed that when anyone knocked on the door she growled like …

Davey The Boss!  Upon telling you all about my cat ‘Mikey’ being the King , here is our ‘Davey’ his twin brother, being ‘The Boss’. Davey is the more quieter type than …

Mikey the King!  Mikey is just one of my 2 Maine Coons. He has a twin brother called Davey, though they are not identical. Mikey is a character. He is very playful and …

Charlie The Clown  When my 20lb (best friend – Leo) a tabby cat of 16 years passed away, I knew I couldn’t live long without getting another. I was lucky enough to adopt …

Cecelia’s Nighttime Habits  Cecelia’s nighttime habits: 1. When wanting to be fed (at 4:00 A.M.), she either: a) kneaded my back with her paws b) laid across my face often suffocating …

Maine Coons–a love affair  We’ve always had Maine Coon Cats. The first one in my life was my grandfather’s grey tabby, Tiger. Unfortunately, he was huge. I didn’t realize until …

My Maine Coon is obsessed with water  Oliver, my Maine Coon cat, is quickly approaching 6 years old now, and is a wonderful cat. A typical looking Maine Coon, he has orange fur and faint tiger …

My Maine Coon cat is mentally retarded and how it happened  It all started when my partner and I started to paint our garage for the bar called Chadwicks we were going to make. We used to be heavy drinkers but what …

Orange Female Maine Coon  We found our princess as a stray in Arkansas. She was young and had fleas and worms and was very thin, so we had no idea she would be so beautiful. After …

My not so gentle giant, MAXIMUS  HI!….I “inherited” a Maine Coon a couple years ago, from a friend who had a baby, had to move, and the cat didn’t fit the new life. 🙁 That said,…

Our First Cat  My daughter was begging us for a pet and we finally gave in. We bought Aslan (King Aslan of Narnia) a cross breed of Maine Coon and Persian. He was only …

My Maine Coon Kitten Tigger  Well on my way home the day before I found a black cat it followed me home and it ran in and stayed so the next day paula lock came and gave my mum tigger …

Mikey The Mystery  I was very lucky to get this little boy in the picture from a lady out west of Sydney in Australia. At the time the lady did not tell me anything about …

Best Friend  Who says a man’s best friend is his dog? In our world it is our cat “Whitney” who is a Maine Coon. After our Himalayan “Mocha” passed away (18 years old)…

My Girl Fifi  Attached is a picture of my cat, a 5 year old shelter rescue female named Fifi. I don’t have any papers on her, of course, but I do believe she has a …

My Cat Freddy  I have had Freddy for 3 and a half years now. My Father said before he passed away, “I have never seen a cat love somebody as much as that cat loves you”…

Simey Cat….   Simon is my Maine Coon cat. Well I supposedly can’t claim that because I got him from a shelter and have no papers on him. But he looks like one and …

Shelter Rescue Cat Kacaey  Hello! My name is Amanda, and my beautiful boy is Kacaey (KC), who is approximately 6.5 years old. I found him as a sickly, pathetic looking thing in our …

Fluffy Ball Of Chocolate  This is a story as told by our 9 year old daughter…When I was three, we left the house and were walking toward the playground, when suddenly a black,…

My Introduction To Maine Coons  I adopted a rescue cat, a lovely red and white boy with a huge tail and a big personality to go with it. When my husband and I went for a look we fell …

Our Beautiful Neko  Our story begins last June when my sister in law took an about 2 week old abandoned kitten into her clinic and decided to give her a chance. We had just …

Love My All White Maine Coon  We adopted our Maine Coon from a sad situation. An older lady had acquired cats and could no longer keep them. We really didn’t want a Maine Coon…in …

Is A Maine Coon Bengal Cross Possible?  Is it possible that there’s a breed of cat crossed between a Maine Coon and a Bengal?!? I find both breeds gorgeous! What I mean by a breed of cat crossed …

Are Maine Coons Less Allergenic?  I just wanted to ask if anyone had any experience with the fact that people who are allergic to cats are less allergic to Maine Coons. I find I am one …

My Affectionate Orange Maine Coon  Me and my husband got him from the animal shelter when he was four months. When we walked into the room he came right up to us like a lion and that’s what …

Belgariad Maine Coons  We are small hobby breeders of the wonderful coons. We started of with one who soon took us over. We got him from the cat rescue and we fell in love with …

Our Little Smoke Cloud  I had just finished my workout and was heading to my car in the parking lot of my local YMCA on a very cold December 2005 day and heard a pitiful little …

Mighty Isis  My husband and I were out running along a busy 2 lane highway one day last June and I heard the most pitiful little cry coming from the ditch. As I got …

The Lion King  I got my cat (he was left outside our house in a box) when I was 8 years old and he was only weeks old, so we “grew up together”. He was a yellow, soft-…

“Hairy” My Maine Coon Cat  My Maine Coon’s name is Hairy and he is 13 years old. Everyone comments on his eyes looking like people eyes. His coat is incredible soft and he’s become …

Maine Coon of Moonlight Cats  Ana Coma-meine Zuchtkatze mit wunderschönen Typ und tollem Wesen. Google translate says that this reads as, ” Ana Coma my breeding cat with beautiful type …

BinkyJack The Nuclear Kitten  In Oct 2007 my father passed away. I had fulfilled his last wish to “just come home…”. I cared for him 24/7 between September 10 and his passing on October …

Dana and LeoBear  I got my little guy in a shelter in NJ. He was days away from being put down. I thought he was an older cat because of his size so I was looking at the …

Maine Coon MAD Susie  Hi there..I’m just about to collect my very first Maine Coon kitten, after a long time waiting for the right one. Budletts Bella Cloud is a blue/white …

My Best Friend  About a week ago, a friend gave me a 5 month old, male, Maine Coon kitten that he had rescued form out local animal pound. I named my new friend Leo, because …

ambersun.lt  Our cattery is located by the sea in Lithuania. Maine Coons are wonderful, sweet tempered friendly big cats. Our pets live with us in the house and they …

Part Maine Coon–one person’s trash another person’s treasure  I have a 5, going on 6 year old part Maine Coon named Max. I don’t know for sure how much Maine Coon he has in him because I don’t have any papers for …

My Best Friend Mr Sherlock a Maine Coon Cat Knew I was Ill  I have two Maine Coon cats, Mr Sherlock and his runt sister Gizzie girl. I have had them from day one of their lives. They are both now eleven. Joy, smiles …

Toughy….  My mother was looking for a cat, and found a cute little orange and white kitten that she fell in love with at first sight. At the time my mother had a …

Is Cleopatra a Maine Coon?  I found this beautiful kitten at a feed store, no one wanted her because she was calico….I thought she was gorgeous! I think she is Maine Coon, she acts …

Where’d That Cat Come From?!  First: This is just a funny episode in my life. I don’t own a cat myself, neither Maine Coon nor some other breed. On with the story: A year ago, I …

KACAK Maine Coon 10 Months Old  Kacak its name. Every Sunday, always walking out with my family… Ancak Hi Ancak: Thanks for showing us a picture of Kacak. I am very interested …

We Did Not Know  We were looking for a good suitable house kitten, because my cat ran away a while back. So we found one, we went to their house and we saw that cat, and …

Non-stop Eclipse  I have an 8 year old, brown tabby Main Coon, name Eclipse. This feline is by far, the most affectionate and emotionally demanding.
Eclipse, like all …

Our Loving and Loyal Cat  A very loving and loyal cat to my family, the only time she ever hissed at anyone was when she tried to escape from her flea collar and managed to push …

Is our adopted cat Turbo a Maine Coon?  I adopted Turbo from a colleague who immigrated to the UK. He is just such a joy (it’s 2 months now). He is the biggest cat that I have ever seen and he …

Is our cat Nahla a Maine Coon?  Nahla is one of two family cats that add lots of fun to our hectic household (four kids that adore the cats and Sheltie family dog). We have misplaced …

Is Jerico a Maine Coon Cat?  Six years ago my daughter took me to a friends house because they had three litters of kittens on the same day and needed to find homes for them..all I …

Birdie My Maine Coon Cat  This is Birdie My Maine Coon Cat! He loves his chicken legs!

Birdie is aptly named because he flies around, busy Birdie. He also talks & I tell …

My Father’s Wingtips and Our Maine Coon   When I was ten we bought a huge Maine Coon and called him Alexander. He spent most of the day sprawled out in various part of the house. He looked like …

My Jersey Girl  I never knew how wonderful cooners were until I found a 3-month old (approx) kitten wandering at night, alone, in a park in New Jersey (I live in Pennsylvania)…

My Loving Doodle  I just lost my Maine Coon Cat, Doodle, last night and am absolutely heartbroken. I inherited him from a military family about 6 years ago who couldn’t …

Rella, My Beautiful Babygirl!!  Rella, my beautiful baby girl just turned two years old at the end of March. We always thought that she was big, not fat, but big for her age. She always …

Bizzare tail  This is Kippling and I would love to know how one of these cats ended up with a tail like hers. She always carries her tail curled up over her back….

Cherry’s Cat  I got this cute little kitten from a friend but he has grown into a very large cat. He has some of the markings of the Maine Coon although I know he is …

Lucky — The Family Cat  Hey there, Our Maine Coon’s name is “Lucky”, he is 19 months old, all black cat, that we bought from a pet store. Lucky is a very mellow, lovable …

I Love My Cat Orbbie  I buying this cat at BANDUNG (West Java) 19-12-2008. I don’t have any plan to buy this cat. I go to BANDUNG for some Reason. Actually i go to bdg for meet …

My Three Maine Coon Cats  I am owned by three Maine Coon cats. They range in age from 8 years down to 5 years and having been a cat lover and owner all my life, have never received …

In Memory of Pumpkin My Maine Coon  This is a page in Memory of my part Maine Coon Tortoiseshell cat who was the love of my life.

Trying to Get a Kitten  Well, my mom is telling me and my sister to get us a cat because my cat Cocoa died a few months ago. So my mom said we will get it March. We waited like …

Luna Main Coon Mix  This is Luna… from an normal Housecat. But in Genetic from the Cats before there is Main Coon in this…sorry my english is not very good^^ 😉 Hi …

Introducing Saxon and Star Maine Coon Kittens  After having Dexy, a beautiful, loving and gentle Shaded Silver Chinchilla, who sadly passed away one week before her 19th birthday, we decided to introduce …

Free Maine Coon Kittens  This is a realistic look at the process of searching for free Maine Coon kittens And it is not intended to be critical of anyone. I notice that some …

Maine Coon Cats www.emilitacoon.lt   I am – Almina. My husband is called Arunas. We have got two sons- Vidmantas and Lukas. My family lives in a very nice town – Prienai. It is located in …

Maine Coon Cat Vet Bills  I just read that Maine Coon cat vet bills are higher than any other cat breed, so say Sainsbury’s Bank (UK company). They were looking at the cost of …

Maine Coon Pride and Sophistication  I adopted my cat from a rescue shelter. She was about 7 months old. She caught my attention as she was very talkative and reaching through the cage with …

African Main Coon  Hello, my name is Lilbridge and I am the owner of four Main Coons. But I will only talk about one of them for right now; her name is Symmetria Okoye-Keymah …

Can Maine Coons Not Be Fluffy?  Can a cat still be a Maine coon and not be Fluffy? I’ve heard Maine Coons have black on the roof of their mouth and he certainly does. He’s gorgeous …

THIS IS TARGET  TARGET is our MAINE COON male. He is the KING of the house. He’s called TARGET because he has perfect bullseyes on either side. His last weigh-in was …

Maine Coon Indiana Jones  Our Indiana (Indy) was the best. He was our baby and he could get away with murder and we didn’t care, because he brought joy & happiness to us. He was …

Huggie Bear Maine Coon Cat  I was 4 months pregnant when I visited a farm and set eyes on some kittens, not knowing that they where Maine Coons. I was still living at home with my …

Proud Owner of 2 Great Maine Coon Cats  My wife got me two Maine Coons for Christmas this year. Their names are Bam Bam and Boomer , they are only 8 months old. They are tiger colored and …

Black Smoke Maine Coon Cat  Last month I visited Ken and Helmi Flick in Texas. They live with four cats, two of which are Maine Coon cats. They are Quin and Zak. Quin is a black …

Mac the Knife  This is our Maine Coon, Mac. A very alpha, independent, curious, intelligent guy. Can be homicidal to small wild animals, but generally very affectionate …

Is My Cat a Maine Coon?  I was told that he might be a Maine coon and after looking up the info, decided that he was. The vet tells me she doesn’t think so. How can I tell? I’…

Is Bella a Maine Coon??????  I got Bella from a lady who was too allergic to keep her. She said that she was at the animal hospital in the window. Even when i got her i knew she was …

My Maine Coon (Booger)  Hello, my name is Sherie, and my Maine Coon cat is name Booger. I got him from my sister, who lives in California and who has plenty of wild cats, two …

This is Simon  Simon was saved from a shelter.. He is an orange and white Maine Coon i believe. He came with no papers and the person running the shelter knew very …

Fantastic Maine Coon  We first decided to get a Maine Coon in 2006. We did some research on the breed and thought it sounded amazing. We bought our baby boy home at Christmas …

Sir Caviar My Maine Coon  Hi. My name is Paula and I am a happy Maine Coon cat owner. My kitty’s name is Sir Caviar and he is a total joy. I met Cavy when he was nine weeks old….

Ming Ming Monster Kitty in the Crown Jewels…  This is a picture of Ming Ming Monster Kitty, boss of Siena, Amara, and Dave. This is what happens when you leave your “Dali Lama” cat alone with your …

My Maine Coon Got Anal Cancer  My story is sad. My Main Coon cat died of cancer in his anal cavity because we tried to paint him for Halloween with special paint that we thought would …

I am sure he is a Maine Coon!  Our cat, “ENZO”, is a delight. He is a little bit crazy, loves playing in water, a great hunter, and after seeing this website I am sure he is a Maine …

Albus  I responded to a newspaper advertisement and picked out Albus when he was a kitten. He is a little over a year old now and I couldn’t live without him….

Pepi My Buddy  I rescued Pepi from neighbors of my sisters. She had got him out of a drainage pond that the “owners” kid had thrown him. He had never been inside and …

My Mizjwea and Trouble Were Mixed Maine Coon Cats  I know that my Mizjwea and Trouble were mixed Maine Coon cats, but they sure did look just like particolored with white MCs! They’re personality and …

Maine Coon Cat Portrait  From time to time I like to do something simple like searching for a really good picture of a cat and just talk about it. And here is a cracking picture …

Is Poncho a Maine Coon?  This is Poncho, is he a Maine Coon? I am wondering if this fellow looks to you like a Maine Coon cat? I found a picture in a cat book that looked like …

Turbo – The Cat Sat on the Mat  Just another pic of Turbo who loves sitting on our mat at the front door and looks out across the swimming pool..we also found out that he has to be allergic …

Maine Coons OF MOONLIGHT CATS  Hi, I would like to promote my Maine Coon cattery. It is called Of Moonlight Cats . It is based in Cottbus, Germany. Cottbus is about 80 miles (about …

George our Main Coon Cat  George was a lost cat and I took him in. He loves to talk and loves everyone around him. He is by far one of the most smartest cats I have ever seen….

A new family member  I was visiting a friend this past weekend about 325 miles from home. The weather was cold and rainy and my friend told me about a stray cat that had been …

Freddy My Maine Coon Cat  We live in Michigan and this winter was so cold with lots of snow. One day my husband was outside and out of nowhere there was this poor Coon cat. She …

Catty life the will never be…  My family wanted a cat so bad that when our mom’s friend was giving away cats we took one that was only 7 weeks old. After, that we went to buy cat supplies …

Maine Coon?  Was wondering if you think this is a Maine Coon. I got her from a shelter?? Hi Linda: Your cat is probably a tabby and white moggie with possibly …

Big and Beautiful  Opal is nine years old, very healthy and affectionate. She weighs in at 13.4 lbs. Friends think she is fat, but she is just big-boned and fluffy – a perfect …

CROSBY – Maine Coon Cat  I love my cat Crosby. He was a rescue and his birthday was 2 weeks after we got him. He can be very lazy and stupid but I love him. Hi Selina : Crosby …

Lucey is a Maine Coon I Think  We got our cat from a rescue shelter as well, though we are not completely sure she is a Maine Coon, but she strongly resembles Maines. She’s the most …

Maine Coon is the Most Popular Cat Breed  The Maine Coon is the most popular cat breed on the basis of almost 1,500 votes from a poll conducted on this website (at 16-3-09 – things will or …

Owned by a Maine Coon Cat  I am owned by a Maine Coon cat. My cat is a retired show/breeding female who I got as a 4 year old. She’s a silver blue classic tabby who at ten years …

Is my Digit a Maine Coon?  Digit is polydactyl (hence his name as he has extra digits) and is now 10 months old. We bought him when we lost our beloved cat Tibbles aged 10 July last …

My Maine Coon, Baggins.  About 5 years ago, a boy that I worked with mentioned he had a new kitten. He was living in a boy’s home (a home designed to care for troubled teen boy’…

The Feline Zen Master is a Maine Coon  My book, Choosing to Be: Lessons in Living from a Feline Zen Master , tells the story of how my wonderful cat, Poohbear Degoonacoon, and his little brother,…

Have you seen Cygnus?  Well, my fiance had this Maine Coon. And before I had a chance to come get him and keep him with me, his sister-in-law (who was pregnant at the time) took …

Too Cute To Resist!!!…  My mum had a new kitten and he was lonely then seems as we had a new kitten my sister wanted one!!! So in the end my sister was buying a kitten so she …

God Sent Our Maine Coon Kitten  We have had 2 cats for the last 15 years. 5 months ago a little, maybe 6 weeks old, kitten just showed up in our driveway. We knew we could not keep him …

Bailey and Captain Morgan – Deaf and Mute  Fourteen years ago a woman called and asked if I wanted 2 kittens. No!, I replied. Until I heard their story. Both walked in the rain separately….

Maine Coon Cat Pepe Le Pue   Pepe was a stray kitten (I named him after the cartoon skunk because he looks like one!) one very cold winter night last year. I had just come in from …

References other than as stated below:

1. Maine Coon Breeders & Fanciers Association

2. American Cat Fanciers Association

3. Wikipedia authors

4. Robins, Sandy. “Training Day”. Popular Cats Series (BowTie Magazines) 2: 118–125

5. Simpson, Frances (1903) (pdf). Chapter 28: Maine Cats.. Cassell & Company, Limited. pp. 325–331. http://www.russianblue.us/Book_of_the_Cat/
TBOC_Ch28_Maine_Cats.pdf. The Book of the Cat

6. “Kitten History: Maine Coon”. CatChannel.com. BowTie, Inc.
breed_history/maine_coon_kitten_history.aspx.

7. Cat Fanciers’ Association. .

8. “Title 1, § 217: State Cat”. Maine State Legislature. .

9. Mattern, Joanne; Pedley, Carol A. (2000). The Maine Coon Cat. Minnesota: Capstone Press. pp. 4

10. Maine Coon Breeders & Fanciers Association

11. http://www.cfa.org/Breeds/BreedsKthruR/MaineCoon.aspx

12.

13. The URL referenced is broken at 2012.

14. The URL referenced is broken at 2012.

15. http://www.acfacat.com/maine_coon_synopsis.htm

16. Legacy of the Cat by Gloria Stephens and TETSU – pages 96 – 98

17. Encyclopedia of the Cat by Dr. Bruce Fogel – pages 202 – 204

18. The Cat, Its Behavior, Nutrition and Health by Linda P Case page 25 pubished by Blackwell Pubishing ISBN 978-0-8138-0331-9

Sources:

• Wikipedia
• Majesticoons cattery
• Helmi Flick
• Stockexpert
• CFA
• “That Yankee Cat: The Maine Coon” by Marilis Hornidge
• Legacy of the Cat by Gloria Stephens