Maine Coon's homeland is the North American state of Maine, where, in the harsh climatic conditions reminiscent of Siberia, this unusually large breed of cats spontaneously formed. The origin of the breed is shrouded in many secrets and legends. One of the most beautiful legends takes us back to the distant times of the Great French Revolution and is associated with the name of the unfortunate Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Trying to escape death, the queen decided to flee to distant America. She sent ahead a young favorite, a certain Captain Samuel Klu, giving him the most precious thing - six Norwegian Forest cats, a gift from the Swedish prince. But, as we know, Queen Marie Antoinette was executed by order of Robespierre, and her cats safely crossed the ocean and reached America. They have lived a long and happy life, having entered into many marriages with local aboriginal cats. The Americans themselves, calling the Maine Coon their national pride and a symbol of America, claim that raccoon blood flows in the veins of these cats. However, the relationship with raccoons in Maine Coons is limited only by the external similarity of the striped pattern of the muzzle and the triangular shape of the collar in adult animals.

 

Felinologists are still arguing about the origin of the breed. Many believe that the wild forest cats that live in the forests of North America may have taken part in the formation of the breed of these large cats.

 

But all these are only legends and versions, and the first official mention of the breed dates back to 1860. It is known that in the 60s of the nineteenth century they were the only existing modern cat breed that participated in agricultural exhibitions as working cats and were very popular among farmers in North America.

But the Great Economic Depression of the beginning of the last century led to the ruin of many farms, and Persian cats that appeared in the cities became fashionable. All this led the breed to almost complete extinction, and perhaps these giant cats would forever have gone into legends and fairy tales if a miracle had not happened in 1953. Having united several American felinologists, they decided to save the endangered national breed. They organized the National Maine Coon Club. A long painstaking selection work began to restore the breed. And the Maine Coons more than rewarded their saviors. After the adoption of the first breed standard in 1967, these large cats began their victorious march through the shows in America and Europe. Having arrived in Europe in the 70s, they immediately won the sympathy of conservative Europeans. The Maine Raccoon cat has become one of the most popular breeds. According to European sales ratings, Maine Coon kittens were twice ahead of all other breeds.

 

The first representatives of this breed came to Russia only in the 90s and quickly gained popularity among cat lovers and professional felinologists. Well, in Moldova, everything is just at the very beginning...

 

But the breed received such worldwide love not only for its external beauty, but to a greater extent thanks to its soft, livable and very cheerful character. These severe-looking giant cats are completely devoid of aggression towards humans and other animals. That is why they easily get along in large families with small children or many cats and dogs.

However, if you need a cat that all day long will be lying on the sofa, the Maine Coon, with all its merits, is clearly not your breed. In the house, the coons are mobile and playful, and most importantly, they are very curious.

In one American atlas of cat breeds, the author wrote: if you prevent the Maine Coon from poking his nose in all corners, he will become truly unhappy.

 

Indeed, no matter what happens in the house, the Maine Coon will always be in the center of events as a full member of your family. But, possessing a natural tact, cats not only do not become obsessive, but on the contrary do not cease to amuse the owners by always studying the lively and intelligent expression of their faces. In general, I would not recommend getting Maine Coons to people who think cats are stupid soulless toys. Because Maine Coons, like no other breed, will very quickly make them convinced of the intelligence of the representatives of the feline world.

And about two more amazing features of this breed. Firstly, all Maine Coons are very fond of water in any of its forms, from a trickle from a tap to a pool in the yard. They are happy to play with water and bathe, even if annoying owners lather them with shampoos several times during bathing. And, secondly, they have a very gentle and quiet voice, and instead of the usual feline meow, Maine Coons communicate with each other and with the owner with quiet melodic purring sounds, expressing with them the whole gamut of their emotions and feelings.

Once having got into your house as a small kitten, the Maine Coon will quickly turn from a spoiled baby into a fabulous, good-natured giant and for many years will become your real great friend.

Excerpts from the Maine Coon Official Breed Standard

International Felinological Federation FIFe.

 

Group II - semi-long-haired.

The Maine Coon is a natural breed with a friendly disposition. Their origins date back to working cats living on farms in North America.

Appearance. Large standing with a square head line, large eyes, broad chest, smooth bone structure, long, heavy, muscular, with a rectangular body and a long, flowing tail. Good muscle tone and body density give the cat an impression of strength and power.

The size. Medium to large.

Head. Medium in size, square lines. Profile with a gently curved transition. The forehead is gently rounded. The cheekbones are high and prominent. The face and nose are of medium length with a square muzzle line. The chin is firm, in line with the nose.

Ears. Large, wide at the base. Moderately pointed. Tufts of hair like a lynx are desirable. Tufts of hair in the ears extend beyond the outer edge of the ear. Set high on the head with a very slight outward slope, one ear width apart.

Eyes. Large and set wide apart. Slightly oval. All colors are acceptable.

Body. Should be long with a strong skeleton. Well muscled, strong, with a broad chest. All parts of the body in proportion give the impression of a rectangle.

Paws. Big ones. Round, with tufts of hair between the toes.

Tail. As long as the body from the shoulder blades to the base of the tail.

Wool. “All-weather”, short on the head, shoulder blades and legs, gradually lengthening towards the lower back and sides, with long, thick trousers on the hind legs and a fluffy belly. The collar is assumed. The texture is silky. The undercoat is soft and thin, covered with a coarse, even outer coat.

Color. All color variations are allowed, excluding point patterns, chocolate, purple, cinnamon and fawn. Any amount of white is permitted.

Note:

Type should always take precedence over color.

The very slow maturation of the breed must be considered.

Females are proportionally smaller than males.

Coat length and density depend on the season.