Maine Coon Cat

The Maine Coon is the oldest cat breed in North America and among the largest in size among domesticated cats. They are stout in body shape with medium length dense silky-soft hair that needs little grooming. They are well adapted to cold winter environments with their large bone structure, thick heavy coat, long body of hair and large paws which are good for walking on ice and snow. Maine Coons are considered very intelligent compared to other cats. As a companion they are gentle, loyal, playful, independent and generally relaxed around family, strangers, any other cats or even dogs. They are known to be one of the few cat breeds that can make what appears to be talking sounds. Main Coons are the official cat of the state of Maine where they originated and are native to that area. The Maine coon is thought to have been around since at least the late 19th century, and recently has become a widespread, popular cat breed worldwide as well. It is most widely accepted that early seafarers used cats to maintain control of rats on their ships and brought them to the New World. On the northeastern coast some cats established themselves on farms and in barns of early settlers. In those extreme winter conditions only the breed's strongest and most adaptable cats survived so natural selection developed the Maine into the large, rugged hardy cat it is today.

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There are several different types of colored versions with the brown tabby as the most common but others can be from orange, to brown, to pure white, so you will find them in many different color variations. Maine coons are big, gentle cats, which are smart and easy to train. They are probably one of the easiest, and most sought after breeds of cats to own. They are generally friendly to strangers, and are very loyal to their family. Easy to keep loyal but not clingy or demanding, they will make noises, chirp, and do other noisy activities on occasion. Being the largest domestic cat, males weigh from 15 to 25 pounds while females range between 10 to 15 pounds. The Guinness World Record holder for longest domestic cat is a Maine Coon that weighed 35 pounds and was 48 inches long. They do not mature as quickly as other cats so can take from 3 to 4 years to reach full development.

The heavy all-weather coat which is shorter on the shoulders and longer on the stomach and britches, gives the appearance that these cats are larger than they really are. The coat texture is more smooth and silky so the coat doesn't mat as easily as the coats of some other long haired cats, therefore weekly or biweekly combing is sufficient to keep them well groomed.

Health Issues and Care of Main Coons

As far as health goes, they are one of the healthiest domestic cats. Maines usually don't have many health problems except for infrequent heart problems. Especially, feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a heart disease that will occasionally cause problems for a Maine Coon if not detected early. Another possible problem is spinal muscle atrophy, which causes muscles around the spine to lose size and strength. Health problems that are occasionally noticed in the Maine Coons, are generally preventable with regular checkups and can be reduced in terms of likelihood and/or frequency. Older Maine coons, expectedly, will be more predisposed to any medical conditions and will need more care.

The Maine Coon is a very intelligent cat that is easy to train, is playful, active and affectionate. Same as with most cats they can be very independent, with their affection towards their owners shown less through physical contact like cuddling and sitting on your lap but more through play interaction and vocalization.