Maine Coon Cats: The Gentle Giants
Maine Coon Cats are one of the largest breeds of domestic cats and is the second most popular breed of cats today. The Cat Fanciers' Association refers to Maine Coon Cats the "native American longhaired cat."
Maine Coon Cats have a long heritage. Originally from Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, domestic cats faced long harsh winters in New England where only the most winter-resistant cats survived. Because of natural selection, Maine Coon Cats developed into a large breed wit water resistant, rugged and thick coat. However, there are spectacular stories that represent the origin of Maine Coon Cats. One story tells that Maine Coon Cats came from a mix of the different wild animals in Maine and a raccoon. A second story talks about a ship captain named Coon that helped these cats reach the shores of Maine. Still, another story tells about six breeds of cats that Marie Antoinette had when she was trying to escape to Maine in the height of the French Revolution. However, most breeders today find Maine Coon Cats as a breed originating from domestic short-haired cats and foreign long-haired cats brought about by the Vikings in New England.
Maine Coon Cats are more known as outdoor cats with great mousing skills. Its outdoor nature allows them to be large in size where males reach as much as 30 lbs and more. The average weight of Maine Coon Cats is in the range of 9-12 pounds for females and 13-18 pounds for males. The largest of the Maine Coon Cats is Leo, which is consequently the record holder for the largest cats weighing 35 pounds with a length of 48 inches from the tip of his nose to his tail.
One can distinguish Maine Coon Cats by their physical features. Aside from being large they also have incredibly long whiskers and long, smooth, and shaggy coat signaling to as much as three layers. Maine Coon Cats also have longer hair around the ruff. Their faces are quite distinguishable with extra large ear tufts and large expressive eyes. They seem to be the body builders of all cats as they have a large frame, deep broad chest, big round feet and bushy tails. Thee physical features do a lot more to adapt to their environment. For example, Maine Coon Cats can cut through the harsh bush with their well built chest and their big round feet can easily walk through snow during the winter. Their shaggy coat is water-resistant that can help them survive the immense cold during harsh winters.
Maine Coon Cats' body built makes them a healthy breed. It will take time before they reach their physical maturity and even at age five they still have small purrs that is very cute for such large cats. However, the size of
Maine Coon Cats does not make them imposing as they are a rather quiet breed. They are very smart, playful, and terribly silly. They can carry their silliness to the family by getting those gerbils or trying to catch a goldfish in the aquarium. However, they adapt well to the surroundings and they make for very good family companion.