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
Maine Coon Cats – photo strictly ©copyright Helmi Flick
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.
Good luck. Here is one of the most beautiful and she is deaf. Not infrequently all-white cats are deaf:
http://cat-chitchat.pictures-of-cats.org/2008/12/deaf-cat.html
looking for a white main coon cat
Here’s the pic. First one didn’t upload correctly.
Another cute picture of him. The rescue group I got him from thought he was part Maine Coon, but weren’t sure of the other part. I know there’s no real way to tell what he is since he came from a cat hoarding household.
Well I think my cat Dino (Parker’s buddy who I got at the same time as Parker) is part Maine Coon. He chirps like my friend’s Maine Coon, and he’s large and poofy. He also has a fascination with my fish tank full of convicts, as proven by the submitted photo.
Susan, he is such a beautiful looking cat. He does look very contented and he has a little bit of Maine Coon in his appearance (the ruff, for example). Thank you for showing us your cat. I see that he is an orange tabby and white. Orange cats, I always think, have good characters but that is entirely anecdotal but I have gleaned that from reading lots about cats while managing this website.