THE MAINE COON CAT

Olivia was born on January 16, 1996 and she was delivered to me by the breeder on April 9, 1996. Well enough about Olivia and on to what you came here for.

I will try to give a little information about the Maine Coon cat. I am not a breeder nor do I show Olivia, but in my eyes she will always be the most beautiful of any cat on Earth !!!

Well the origin of the Maine Coon cat depends on whom you talk to. Some people believe that the Maine Coon cat came from a cross breeding of the American bobcat or Canadian lynx and the domestic cats that were brought to North America by sailors. This theory is highly unlikely even though there are some similarities in the tufts of hair on the ears and the rough around the neck.

Another belief is that the domestic cats in New England cross bred with the raccoon. This theory is considered genetically impossible as is the theory of the bobcat or lynx.

Yet another theory is that the Maine Coon is the descendant of cats which at one time had belonged to Marie Antoinette. When the queen had learned during the French Revolution that her life was in danger she shipped many of her worldly goods, including her 6 cats to the United States on a ship that was owned by Captain Clough. The queen never made the journey here to join her beloved cats because she was beheaded before she could escape. It is said that some of the queen's furniture can still be found in Wiscassett, Maine, which lends some belief to this theory.

Now for the most logical theory but not as intriguing as the others. It is thought that this cat developed naturally over the centuries due to matings between short and long haired cats. The short haired cats were brought over by the settlers to kill mice and the long haired cats came later when the appeal for long haired cats increased.

The mystery that surrounds the origin of the Maine Coon cat will always exist as long as the breed does. These stories only help to enhance the mystery of the breed.

The Maine Coon cat is the only natural breed of domestic cat there is. Man has not been breeding this breed long enough to breed any "flaws" into the breed. The New England climate is extremly cold and the terrain is rough and rugged. In order for this breed to have survived in this climate it had to adapt over the years. During the years that the Maine Coon was developing we have to keep in mind that there were not many homes and not much shelter.

The coat of the Maine Coon is short at the shoulders and continues to gradually get longer on the back and sides. This enables the cat to move through the wooded areas and not become tangled in low growing brush and briars.

The hair on the back and sides are called "guard hairs". These guard hairs help to keep the cat warm and dry. The hair that is on the "britches", stomach and ruff around the face are very soft and enable the cat to lie in the snow without sinking into the snow. It also provides the cat with warmth and protection from the cold.

The ears on the Maine Coon have long tufts of hair that help to keep the Maine Coon warm and also provides for better hearing from all directions. They have the ability to position their ears in many directions in order to tell where different sounds are coming from.

The large feet and the thick hair that grows between the toes enables the cat to have its own built in snow shoes. The large feet also help to distribute the weight of the cat over a larger area.

One of the most beautiful parts on the Maine Coon is its long tail with its long beautiful hair. Mother Nature had a purpose in mind for this tail also. When the cat lies down, it can wrap the tail around itself and this helpes to provide added insulation and warmth. The tail also helps the cat to maneuver in its movements and sharp turns.

The color of the Maine Coons varies widely today. They come in several different colors. I will not go into all of the individual descriptions of each color but will list them.

• White
• Black
• Blue
• Red
• Cream
• Classic Tabby
• Mackerel Tabby
• Silver Tabby
• Red Tabby
• Brown Tabby
• Blue Tabby
• Cream Tabby
• Cameo Tabby
• Patched Tabby
• Tabby with White and Patched Tabby with White
• Tortoiseshell
• Tortoiseshell with White
• Calico and Dilute Calico
• Blue-Cream and Blue-Cream with White
• Bi-Color
• Chinchilla
• Shaded Silver
• Shell Cameo and Shaded Cameo
• Black Smoke, Blue Smoke and Cameo Smoke

I tried to group some of the colors together to save on space. As you can tell there are a lot of them. The next time there is a cat show in your area, please go and look for the Maine Coons.

One of the last things that I wanted to discuss was the weight of the Maine Coon. Before I got Olivia, my husband told me he was not going to have a 30 pound cat in the house because the cat would be bigger than our Shelties. I informed him that this was an old wives tale about this cat. The average weight for full grown female is 9-12 pounds. The males will grow up to 18 pounds. Although I have personally seen one altered male Maine Coon that was 22 pounds. That was one big beautiful cat. I saw in that cat why this breed is also called "The Gentle Giant". These cats do not reach their full maturity until they are 3 to 5 years old.

If you are interested in getting a Maine Coone cat, I can highly recommend 2 books for you to get and read.

• This is the Maine Coon Cat by Sharyn P. Bass
• That Yankee Cat, The Maine Coon by Marilis Hornidge

Both of these books have real good information on the breed. Both books have color and black and white photographs. The photos in both books are excellent.This is the Maine Coon Cat has a real good listing of all of the colors and a real good descritptions of each one.

Thank you for helping me honor the little gentle giant that I have. Most of the owners of this breed that you talk to will tell you that after you have one Maine Coon live with you, this will be the only breed that you will ever want to have share your life and your heart. I am here to tell you this is true.