The Maine Coon is one of the most popular pedigree cats. This may be due to their majestic appearance as well as their sociable and friendly nature.
Size: large
Weight: female/male 4.0 – 6.5 kg / 5.5 – 9.0 kg
Life expectancy: 12-15 years
Build: muscular, tall, and very robust, the body is not stocky but elongated
Coat colors: Almost all colors are allowed, only the colors chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, and fawn may not appear in combination with other colors or as markings;
Peculiarities in appearance: The Maine Coon is particularly noticeable because of its size and its majestic coat of hair;
Breed type: semi-longhair breed
Country of origin: United States of America
Cat breed recognized by CFA, TICA, GCCF, FIFE, WCF
Typical breed diseases: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, joint problems (hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, muscular atrophy, luxating patella), spinal kidney diseases.
The nature of the Maine Coon
The Maine Coon cat is also known as the American Forest Cat. She has a very friendly and playful nature, which makes her ideal for children and families. She also tends to be very affectionate and cuddly and is therefore also referred to as the “dog among cats”. Despite their closeness to humans, the Maine Coon is independent and needs freedom to let off steam and to satisfy their hunting instinct and curiosity. As a pure apartment cat, it is unsuitable. She is ideal if you want to keep dogs and cats together, as she gets along well with most barking four-legged friends.
In general, the Maine Coon can be described as very uncomplicated. Despite its length, grooming does not require much time and its calm, friendly and independent nature makes it a very pleasant cat to handle. In summary, the Maine Coon can be described as a gentle, intelligent and playful giant who just as much enjoys cuddling with his family as exploring the surrounding forest on his own.
History and origin
The Maine Coon is one of the oldest wild cat breeds in North America, so it is still unclear where it originated. However, there are many entertaining and sometimes absurd myths about the origin of the American Forest Cat.
One of the more insane myths is that the Maine Coon was created by mating a raccoon and a cat. While this isn’t biologically possible, the Maine Coon’s longer coat and bushy tail has led to the myth being established. It may also owe its name to the visual resemblance to the raccoon: Coon is the abbreviation of Racoon, which means raccoon in English.
Others believed that the Maine Coon was created by crossing with the long-haired cats of Marie Antoinette. The French queen is said to have had a fondness for fluffy animals and may have brought long-haired cats to the US to mate with the feral cats of America. The result was the Maine Coon cat, at least that’s what the myth says.
Since the Maine Coon resembles the Norwegian Forest Cat, the theory arose that the first ancestors of the Maine Coon came over the sea with the Vikings over 1000 years ago. The Norwegian Forest cat is said to have then mated with other cats in the USA and over the centuries the wild Maine Coon cat as we know it today emerged.
Another suggestion is that feral cats have adapted over centuries to the cold winters and harsh New England weather. Cats with thinner coats would not have survived and so naturally over time the Maine Coon cat would have evolved.
It is not clear which theory is actually correct. However, it is not unlikely that the Maine Coon is descended from several European cats. In the past, immigrants brought cats with them on almost every ship, some of which stayed in the USA and bred with the native cats.
It was not until 1960 that the forest and farm cat Maine Coon began to be specifically bred around 1980 they were recognized by all umbrella organizations, such as the Fédération Internationale Féline in 1982.
Interesting and worth knowing
A special feature of the large forest cats is that they love water. Her fur is water-repellent and, unlike most cats, she also likes to go for a swim.
Another special feature is that Maine Coons are not so uncommonly born with six toes. In the past, up to 40% of Maine Coons should have been polydactyl (i.e. many-toed). Nowadays, the six-toed animals may be used for breeding, but they are not admitted to exhibitions.
The Maine Coon known for film and television
Most of us have also seen a Maine Coon on the big screen: the role of Mrs. Norris in the Harry Potter films was played by several Maine Coon cats. Mrs. Norris is the cat of the odd caretaker Argus Filch, who often gets in the way of Harry Potter and his friend. Mrs. Norris is said to be a particularly intelligent and loyal cat, but Harry and his friends dislike her because she is a spy for Filch. One of the Maine Coon cats who impersonated Mrs. Norris was Pebbles: While Pebble’s talent wasn’t exactly for learning tricks, she always knew exactly where to stand and walk along. So if you saw Mrs. Norris scurrying down the halls of Hogwarts, it was probably Pebbles. Other Maine Conns who impersonated Mrs. Norris in the Harry Potter films were Maximus, Cornilus, Alanis, and Tommy.
