The Gentle Giant – Meet the Maine Coon

Of all the breeds of domestic cat we live with, one of the largest is the Maine Coon.  Yet it really does live up to its nickname of the ‘gentle giant’ with its sociable personality, beautiful looks and loyal behaviour.  Meet the Maine Coon.

Background

No one knows for certain where the breed first appeared but there are some great stories to make up for this lack of knowledge – and who knows, one of them may be true!  One story is that Marie Antoinette, the famous Queen of France, was attempting to escape the country just before her execution in 1793 with the help of a captain called Samuel Clough.  She sent her prize possessions along with her six Angora cats onto the ship bound for the US and while the Queen didn’t make the boat, the cats did.  There they bred with local cats and the Maine Coon breed was created.

Another one says that one Captain Charles Coon kept long haired cats on his ships and wherever he anchored around New England, the cats mated with the local feral cats.  When the long haired kittens started popping up, they were known as Coon’s cats.  Alternatively, the Vikings are said to have brought their large and furry Norwegian Forest Cat to the American shores and this was the root of the breed.

The first definite mention of the breed was in 1861 when a black and white cat named Captain Jenke was mentioned in a cat book by Frances Simpson.  By the 1890s, the cats were being entered into a show in Boston and in the first North American cat show in Madison Square Gardens, New York, a female called Cosey won a silver collar and medal and the title Best in Show.

The proliferation of other long haired breed in the early 20^th century saw a drop in numbers in these cats and the last show win for a Maine Coon was recorded in 1911 then not another for forty years.  By the 1950s, it was prematurely reported to be extinct but the Central Maine Cat Club set about increasing the popularity and numbers of the breed.  It was accepted by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1976 and was named state cat for Maine in 1985.  Today, the breed is the third most popular in the US.

Description

At 21-35 lb in males and 15-29 lb in females, the Maine Coon is the largest breed of domestic cat.  Adults can be as tall as 10-16 inches and have a total length of up to 48 inches.  They are solid cats with good musculature and a very broad chest.  Their overall body shape is rectangular and they are slow to mature, taking 3-5 years to so do.  Their coat is long or medium in length, soft and silky with a lion-like ruff around the neck.  They come in all different colours and patterns with the brown tabby being the most popular.   Their fur is particularly water resistant as an adaption to their northern climates and their bushy raccoon like tail doesn’t sink into the snow, even acting as a protective barrier when curled around them. 

These cats possess above average intelligence and are easy to train.  They are very loyal to their owners and cautious but not mean to new people.  Their overall demeanour is independent and not too needy, not being a lap cat.  They are good around kids and other animals, retaining a playful element all of their lives.