Maine Coon Note: if the slide show doesn’t show in Internet Explorer make sure the Google slide show script can run by clicking on the ActiveX bar at the top of the screen. If is still doesn’t show refresh the page and all should be OK.
Photo ©Helmi Flick
This is a brief overview of the CFA breed standard to accompany these fine photographs of winning cats. The cats in the show above should meet the standard in a large number of areas. You can see and read more about the slight differences between TICA and CFA standards in relation to the Maine Coon together with stills from this slide show by clicking on this link. This link opens in a new window so you can cross reference if you wish. The slide show is just an easy way to see a lot of fine cats. The pictures in the slide show below are of Flame an MC living with Dani Rozeboom, who took the photographs.
The Maine Coon is right at the top (almost) in the popularity charts of pure-bred cats. It is not difficult to see why. Perhaps she is my favorite pure-bred cat. This cat is imbued with its distinguished history in North America. She was a working cat on farms of the early American settlers. This makes her “rugged” as the CFA describe her. Perhaps the first thing you notice is the substantial size (she is one of the biggest breeds and some say the biggest domestic cat breed is a Maine Coon). And then the “shaggy” but smooth coat. The coat is absolutely beautiful. My favorite is the 2nd cat in the slide show (I’ve forgotten her name), natural and so cute.
Photos in Slide Show © Dani Rozeboom -note this slide show does not run anymore since I moved the site – shame. But you can used the drop down menu to see the various pictures of some beautiful Maine Coon cats that have lived with Dani.
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The coat should be heavy, “shorter on the shoulders” and “longer on the stomach and britches” (fur that is longer on the upper rear area of the legs). The frontal ruff is something that breeders and the CFA look for. There are some gorgeous ruffs on the cats in the slide show.
The coat is so important that if it is short or uneven the cat will be penalized in competition. A worse fate awaits a cat that has a coat that demonstrates that she is the result of hybridization producing coat colors of, for example, the Himalayan pattern or the Abyssinian type ticked coat (no pattern and agouti ticking). Another particularly noticeable feature rarely found to the same extent are the tufted. Miss Kate’s ears (the first cat in the slide show) are sensational. The ears should be tufted to some extent, be wide at the base and tapered to appear pointed (due to the tufting).
The body as we know should be long and muscular and the legs of medium length and substantial. Another feature I particularly like is the tufted paws and in the case of the Maine Coon this is a requirement under the breed standard. Finally the head should be a bit longer than wide with a square muzzle.
