Maine Coon Cat Breed - Information, Pictures and Videos

Maine Coon cat breed adults and kittens in pictures, photos and videos. Information on Maine Coon cat origin, history, temperament, size, care, grooming, health issues and other characteristics.

History & Origin: The Maine Coon is a very popular cat breed world wide & is one of the oldest breeds in North America. The Maine Coon is native to the state of Maine USA where it is the official state cat since 1985. The Maine Coon breed has been traced back as far as the 1800’s. A female Maine Coon named Cosey won a silver metal in May 1895 at the first North American cat show in New York City. Unfortunately as a result of the introduction of other long haired cats such as Persians, the Maine Coons popularity drastically declined in the 1900s, some breeders in the 1950s even declared the Maine Coon extinct but, thankful due to many years of hard work the Central Maine Cat Club regained the Maine Coon’s popularity & introduced breed standards. The Maine Coon presently according to the Cat Fancier’s Association is the second most popular cat breed.

Characteristics & Temperament: MaineCoon’s are considered to be a loving & intelligent cat breed with a gentle disposition. Most Maine Coons are affectionate, but not clingy to their owners & have the tendency to be wary of strangers. One unique characteristics of the original Maine Coon is a tendency to have one or more toes on the paws of their feet, this trait is called “polydactylism”. Although polydactylism is unacceptable by breed standards & having a Maine Coon with extra toes would disqualify you from a show ring some private breeders continue to keep this unique trait from disappearing. Maine Coon’s also have unique coat that is heavy & water resistant that has adapted from their harsh climate. The Maine Coon coat typically is longer on the stomach & rear, which historically was used to give the breed protection from wet & snow. The Maine Coon has a long bushy tail that adds additional warmth when curled up to sleep & have heavier fur on their ears. Maine Coons adapt well to family life & are considered good with children. Maine Coon’s also for a larger size cat have an unusual small voice that has been described as sounding like ‘chirping’.

Size: Maine Coon’s are sometimes referred to as “gentle giants” as they are one of the largest domestic cat breeds. The average weight of a male Maine Coon is between 15-25 pounds & the female Maine Coon between 10-15 pounds on average. A male purebred Maine Coon in 2006 was declared the longest cat by the Guinness World Records & measured 48cm in length & weighed 35 pounds.

Grooming & Care: The Maine Coon breed are a playful breed that enjoy, activity around the house such as fetch. Maine Coon’s historically have good hunting skills & make good mousers; they also enjoy playing with catnip mice. Maine Coon’s have a natural curiosity with water & enjoy ‘pawing” bath water & dripping faucets, they however like other cat breeds do not enjoy bathing or being wet. The Maine Coon’s coat is easily cared for & requires combing 3-4 times a week with a steel comb, during shedding seasons your Maine Coon may require more grooming.

Health Issues:The Maine Coon breed is considered to be a healthy breed with relatively few health problems. Some of the health concerns would be feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ( a common health disease for cats), and hip dysplasia due to the larger size of the breed.