First recorded in cat literature in 1861 with
a mention of a black and
white cat named "Captain Jinks of the Horse
Marines," Maine Coons
were popular competitors at early cat shows
in Boston and New York. A
brown tabby female named "Cosie" won Best
Cat at the 1895 Madison
Square Garden Show.
Unfortunately, their popularity as show cats
declined with the arrival in
1900 of the more exotic Persians. Although
the Maine Coon remained a
favorite cat in New England, the breed did
not begin to regain its former
widespread popularity until the 1950's when
more and more cat fanciers
began to take notice of them, show them, and
record their pedigrees. In
1968, six breeders formed the Maine Coon Breeders
and Fanciers
Association to preserve and promote the breed.
Today, our membership
numbers over 1200 fanciers and 200 breeders.
By 1980, all registries had
recognized the Maine Coon, and it was well
on its way to regaining its
former glory.
Maine Coons were well established more than
a century ago as a hardy,
handsome breed of domestic cat, well equipped
to survive the hostile
New England winters. Nature is not soft-hearted.
It selects the biggest,
the brightest, the best fighters, and the
best hunters to breed successive
generations. Since planned breedings of Maine
Coons are relatively
recent and carefully monitored, these cats
still have their strong, natural
qualities. Maine Coons are healthy, disease-resistant,
rugged cats.
Interestingly, the breed closest to the Maine
Coon is the Norwegian
Forest Cat which, although geographically
distant, evolved in much the
same climate, and lends credence to the theory
that some of the cats
responsible for developing the Maine Coon
were brought over by the
Vikings.
Everything about the Maine Coon points to its
adaptation to a harsh
climate. Its glossy coat, heavy and water-resistant,
is like that of no other
breed, and must be felt to be truly appreciated.
The coat is longer on the
ruff, stomach, and britches to protect against
wet and snow, and shorter
on the back and neck to guard against tangling
in underbrush. The coat
falls smoothly, and requires little maintenance
– a weekly combing is all
that is usually required to keep it in top
condition. The long, bushy tail
which the cat wraps around himself when he
curls up to sleep can
protect him from cold winters. His ears are
more heavily furred (both
inside and on the tips) than most breeds for
protection from the cold, and
have a large range of movement. Big, round,
tufted feet help them
negotiate uneven terrain and serve as "snow
shoes." Their large eyes and
ears are also survival traits, serving as
they do to increase sight and
hearing. The relatively long, square muzzle
facilitates grasping prey and
lapping water from streams and puddles.
Although the Yankee myth of 30-pound cats is
just that, a myth (unless
the cat is grossly overweight!), the Maine
Coon is one of the largest
domestic breeds. They are tall, muscular,
and big-boned; males
commonly reach 13 to 18 pounds, and females
normally weigh about 9
to 12 pounds. Add to that two or three inches
of winter coat, and people
will swear that they're looking at one big
cat.
Maine Coons develop slowly, and don't achieve
their full size until they
are three or four years old. Their dispositions
remain kittenish throughout
their lives; they are big, gentle, good-natured
goofs – the gentle giants of
the cat world. Even their voices set them
apart from other cats; they
have a distinctive, chirping trill which they
use for everything from
courting to cajoling their people into playing
with them. Maine Coons
love to play, and many will joyfully retrieve
small items. They rarely
meow, and when they do, that soft, high-pitched
voice doesn't fit their
size!
The important features of the Maine Coon are
the head and body shape,
and the texture and "shag" of the coat. The
head is slightly longer than it
is wide, presenting a gently concave profile
with high cheekbones and
ears that are large, wide at the base, moderately
pointed, and well tufted
inside. They are set well up on the head,
approximately an ear's width
apart. Lynx-like tufting on the top of the
ears is desirable. The neck
should be medium-long, the torso long, and
the chest broad. The tail
should be at least as long as the torso. One
of their most distinctive
features is their eyes, which are large, round,
expressive, and set at a
slightly oblique angle. Overall, the Maine
Coon should present the
appearance of a well-balanced, strongly-built,
rectangular cat.
Throughout their history there has been no
restriction on the patterns and
colors acceptable, with the exception of the
pointed Siamese pattern. As
a result, a wide range of colors and patterns
are bred. Eye colors for all
coat colors range through green, gold, and
hazel (green-gold). Blue eyes
and odd eyes (one blue eye and one gold, green,
or hazel eye) are also
permissible in white cats. There is no requirement
in the Maine Coon
Standard of Perfection for particular combinations
of coat color and eye
color. The only color-related restrictions
in Maine Coons intended for
breeding are buttons, lockets, or spots on
any solid color (tabbies or
non-tabbies without white), and deafness in
white cats.
Many people consider Maine Coons the perfect
domestic pets, with their
clown-like personalities, very affectionate
natures, amusing habits and
tricks, willingness to "help" with any activity,
and easily groomed coats.
They make excellent companions for large,
active families that also enjoy
having dogs and other animals around. Their
hardiness and ease of
kittening make them a satisfying breed for
the novice breeder. For
owners wishing to show, the Maine Coon has
reclaimed its original glory
in the show ring. Welcome a Maine Coon into
your home, and you will
join the thousands who sing the praises of
this handsome and lovable
cat!