Maine Coon Cats | Big Maine Coon Cats

Maine Coons are longhaired cats that were native to North America. This breed was located in Maine. There are many stories about the origin of the Maine Coon. Though biologically impossible, this breed probably got its name from one story that claimed that the Maine Coon cat resulted from domestic cats in New England interbreeding with raccoons. The Maine Coon cats were valued for their beauty and mouse-catching ability. At the first cat show held in the United States, a Maine Coon received the highest honor. Maine Coon cats continue to be frequent prize-winners at cat shows.

Maine Coons are a large, sturdy breed as they would have had to tolerate Maine winters and higher temperatures during the summer months. The Maine Coon has a smooth, shaggy coat. The coat is shorter at the shoulders and longer along the stomach and hind quarters.

The Maine Coon cat’s head is slightly longer than its width and has a squared muzzle. The Maine Coon cat’s eyes can be gold, copper, green, or blue. The ears of a Maine Coon are large and distinctively tufted giving the appearance of pointy ears. The tail of the Maine Coon is long with long hair.

The colors of the Maine Coon can be solid, tabby, bicolor, parti-color, or shaded or smoke. The solid colors are white, black, blue, red, or cream. Bicolor cats are white and one of the typical solid colors. Parti-color cats can be tortoiseshell, calico, or blue-cream. There are several variations of the shaded and smoke coloring including chinchilla silver and black smoke. Unlike Persian and Siamese cats, Maine Coon cats do not have seal-point coloring.

Big Maine Coon cats are typically friendly. They are generally good with children. Maine Coons are intelligent, playful cats. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a potentially fatal heart condition is prevalent in some breeding lines of Maine Coons. Responsible breeders screen their cats for this condition. Although Maine Coon cats are generally healthy, they can be prone to hip dysplasia and polycystic kidney disease. When buying a Maine Coon kitten from a breeder, the buyer should ask about the health of the lineage of the kitten.