A photograph by Helmi Flick of a brown tabby Maine Coon kitten. The face is adorable. He (I think he’s a male) is looking intently at Ken Flick’s tease. This is a stick with a feather at the end. Or it is some other object, even a device which emits a squeak, which attracts the attention of the cat. Ken will find the cat’s preferences as he has a tool kit of cat teases.
You have to to get the cat to be focused on something and looking towards the camera or looking towards something outside of the camera. It is about intensity which keeps the eyes wide open and helps to bring the picture to life.
This shaggy appearance is the best for the Maine Coon. It looks more cuddly and natural. Helmi told me that The International Cat Association (TICA – a premier association) supports this look through their breed standard while the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) tends to prefer a more controlled and groomed appearance (please click to read about this).
A lot of people think the brown tabby is the best coat for the Maine Coon. Perhaps this is because this breed’s origins are as farm cats. A natural and functional environment. A Maine Coon won the top prize at the first American cat show in 1895. The cat was described as a ‘brown tabby’ and a ‘Maine cat’. This was before the name Maine Coon was created.
I have to criticise breeders again for sloppy breeding in creating hip dysplasia patellar luxation in the Maine Coon. These are leg joint issues which can cause lameness. In my opinion this should not have happened. I am sure that the Maine cats living on farms in the mid-to-late 19th century did not have these joint issues.
SOME MORE PAGES ON THE MAINE COON:
