by Dorothy Stuart
(Green Bay, Wisconsin)
Max at 2 years old
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 him.
Max could be considered a throw-away because that's what happened to him before I got him.
I was with my Mom at the cemetery where my father is buried. It was the beginning of May 2004 had been only 6 months since he passed away. I was feeling badly enough that I had lost my father and was at his grave. If that weren't bad enough I was unemployed, the COBRA coverage of my insurance had just expired, and no job was in sight.
While at my father's grave, I saw some people walking through the cemetery. I also saw something else--a creature that looked like a dog running back and forth through the graves along the path. As the people and the animal were at a distance a way, I could not make out what the animal was right away and that's why I assumed it was a dog because people were walking along as the animal ran around in the cemetery.
When the people and the animal got to where my mother and I were, imagine my surprise when the "dog" turned out to be Max, a small kitten. The people told me they had seen some people shove Max out of a car and then drive off. By then, I had called the kitten to me and then picked him up. I fell in love with him right away. My mother and I made the decision to bring him home. A vet check confirmed he was about 10 - 12 weeks old.
That kitten, thrown away for whatever reason is now Max the Cat. At nearly six years old, he's the darling of the house. I suspect he has quite a bit of Maine Coon in him because he grew to weigh close to 14 pounds. He's got a beautiful brown mackerel tabby coat with a patch on his chin as his only white spot. I showed pictures of him at a cat show to someone who raised Maine Coons and they said he had a classic Maine Coon head. He also has the thick coat, with longer hair on his belly, britches and chest/ruff. He also has a bushy, long tail and tufts of hair on the feet. And, he has the Maine Coon ability to chirp and trill as well as meow. He's extremely smart and has a personality as big as he is. He quickly learned how to shake hands. He is capable of playing games (soccer is his favorite when I roll a ball to him and he blocks it or swats it and sends it flyig back to me). And he is quite gentle and affectionate.
The picture I have here is a couple of years old, but it shows just what a handsome fellow Max is.
And, this is the story of my cat Max.
Dorothy
From Part Maine Coon--one person's trash another person's treasure to Maine Coon Cats
So sorry to hear this Dorothy. Thank you for sharing your loss. I wish you the best and may he rest in peace.
Sadly, I know longer have Max. At age 13, I had to have this sweet kitty put down a few weeks ago. I noticed he only seemed to eat his canned food, and I thought it was something with his teeth. Then one day he seemed to be very uncomfortable and cried out when I petted him on his abdomen. A visit to an emergency vet brought a diagnosis of some kind of urinary tract inflammation. The next day he was still in pain so I took him to my vet where he was given pain medication. That helped, and he seemed to be getting better. But 2 days later he was in pain again. An x-ray and an ultrasound revealed a mass in his intestines and inflammation of some lymph nodes. Surgery might have helped, but he would have needed chemo on top of that, and there was no guarantee it would have helped. So, sadly I had him put down. His ashes are now buried near my parents’ grave sites, under a peony bush. He came from that cemetery and it was only fitting that I returned him there.
RIP, little buddy. I miss you.
He is what is really sad is he was limping when I found him, I coaxed him to me and he was so hungry he ate 3 cans of cat food (I own cats). The next day I took him to the vet they x-rayed his arm and discovered someone shot him with a 22! His arm healed over crooked. My vet said I can take him to Port Washington vet and they can re=break his leg and cast it. I am debating if that should be done.
He sounds beautiful and what a shame he was reduced to eating bird seed. I am pleased you took care of him.
I rescued a Maine Coon that is identical to Max one month ago in our backyard. Poor guy was eating bird seed under the bird feeder out of the snow. My vet says he is approximately 1 to 1 1/2 years old and he weighs 13 pounds now. He is beautiful affectionate and smart, but looks absolutely like he could be the twin brother to Max 🙂