Maine Coon cat – all about character, price, breeding and pictures.

A massive-sized cat, that can reach 14 kilos without being overweight, its temperament is at the same time sweet and rough.

Breed origin

Didn’t you know that BIG is beautiful in America? In fact the Maine Coon comes from North America, exactly from Maine.
This breed originated from the crossing between the semi-wild autochthonous cats of North-East USA forests and the Angora cats, brought by the first English colonists. It is not also excluded the melting of this breed with the lynx who lived in North America, more precisely with specimens imported in North America from Vikings.
Someone else thinks this amazing big cat descends from Queen Maria Antonietta Angora cats, who , during the French revolution, had been rescued on a boat to North America. By the way, its arrival from Norway it’s more probable, because of its great likeness with the Norwegian Forest Cat.
Another “metropolitan legend” tells that the Maine Coon comes from the crossing between a raccoon and a Maine native cat, genetically improbable too. By the way it seems that the Maine Coon loves water like the raccoons. The name derives in fact from this characteristic. So, there are plenty of stories and legends about this cat. It was recognised for the first time in 1861, but it appeared in Italy in 1986. The breed has been officialised in 1976.

Maine Coon temperament

Despite its massive size, it’s a docile cat, suitable for a domestic life. But it needs space! It is a very playful pet. It loves to hunt and it has maintained its predatory instinct. It loves water and it’s suitable also for living at open-air. Its temperament is a mix among safety, kindness and loyalty.
It builds a loyal and equal relationship with its master, with whom it is sweet and cuddly.

Aspect and Features

Its main characteristics are the big sizes. The coat is fluffy and long, especially on the tail, where it is very long. It is resistant to water and repairs from cold.
The body is big and muscled, with a large, strong, long chest, but not slim.
The head is big, the ears are large and wide. Big and well-separated eyes.
The tail is as long as its distance from the shoulders and slimmer on the tip.
The hair is shorter on the shoulders, it gets gradually longer on the flanks, and it is long on the belly. It has a soft and tender undercoat, never downy.
All colours are accepted except for the point, the chocolat and lilac colour.
It differs from the Norwegian because the Maine Coon bridge of the nose must make a hump, which is technically called stop. Furthermore, the Maine Coon eyes are more almond-shaped.
Weight: large size, males from 7 to 15 kg and females from 5 to 7 kg. Females are appreciably smaller than males.

Maine Coon cat breed standards

Category II: semi-long hair.
Code EMS: MCO
Associations that recognise the breed: AACE, ACF, ACFA, CCA, CFA, FIFé, GCCF, LOOF, SACC, TICA, WCF

• General aspect:
  The Maine Coon cat has a huge structure, characterised by a square head shape, big ears, large chest, strong bone structure, rectangular body shape, strong muscles, long flowing tail. The muscular system tone and strength give the Maine Coon a powerful and solid aspect.
  – Size: Large
• Head:
  Shape: medium-size; squared contours. The profile has a slight concavity.
  Forehead: slightly curved.
  Cheeks: high and protruding cheekbones
  Face / Nose / Snout: face and nose of medium length, with a squared jaw area. The passage from the cheekbones to the snout can be clearly felt.
  Chin: strong, it forms a vertical line with the tip of the nose and the upper lip.
• Ears:
  Shape: big, large at the base, slightly pointed. Hair tufts, like those in the lynx, are appreciated. The tufts visibly come out from eyes contour.
  Position: they are placed on the head with a slight external tilt. The distance between an ear and another should equal the width of the ear base. The distance hardly tends to increase in the elderly. The ear lower base is placed slightly back compared to the upper one.
• Eyes:
  Shape: big and well-separated.
  Slightly ovals, but not almond-shaped, they appear round when wide opened. They are placed slightly oblique towards the external ear base.
  Colour: all colours are admitted and there is no correspondence between eyes and coat colour. A well-defined colour is preferable.
• Neck:
  Males have a very muscled neck.
• Body:
  Structure: the body should be long with a strong bone structure. Strong and powerful chest with strong muscles. Large size, the proportions of the whole body parts give it a rectangular shape.
• Legs:
  Strong, of medium-length, as forming a rectangle with the body.
  Feet: large, round and rich of tufts between the toes.
• Tail:
  It is as long as the body, from the shoulder blades from the tail base. It’s large at the base, it becomes thinner at the tip with thick and flowing hair. The hair on the tail is long and always waving.
• Hair:
  Structure: the coat is suitable for any weather condition. Thick. Short on head, shoulders and legs, it gradually becomes longer on the back and on the flanks, with large and bristly “shorts” on the back legs and fluffy fur on the belly. Ruff is desirable. Silky texture. The abundant fur falls harmoniously. The undercoat is soft and thin, covered by the external upper coat, coarser and falling.
• Colour:
  Every colour is admitted, exceptionally for pointed patterns and these colours: chocolate, cinnamon, lilac and fawn. The white colour is always admitted (ex: white flame, white medallion, on the chest, belly and legs). Please refer to the table for colour varieties.
• Condition:
  The Maine Coon should always be well-balanced, well-proportioned and in good conditions.

Cures:

The hair only need cures, it needs to be brushed regularly on the groin area, under the armpits and inside the thighs above all.

Maine Coon cat prices

Maine Coon prices may vary $250 – $450 USD

Maine Coon Photo Gallery