iC51NerdyBitchxOGAHOWNERxHDsPORTxDNSxRGx's blog: "Caddy 101"

The Maine Coon Cat is America's first indigenous show cat. A dozen of these down-east, working class heroes were listed in the program of a show held in Boston in January 1878. Often called the "gentle giants" of the cat fancy, the Maine Coon's origins are shrouded in the mists of time and the legends told by their owners. Many people once believed the Maine Coon originated by interbreeding the American bobcat with the domestic cats brought to North America on the various sailing ships that came to the Northeastern seaboard. Probably the tufted ears and feet of the Maine Coon, which are similar to the bobcat's, gave some credence to this legend. The tuft curls outward from the inside of the ears and tufts of fur are found between the toes. Taking fantasy one step farther is the belief that the domestic cats of New England bred with raccoons. The early Maine Coons may simply have looked like raccoons to the natives, since the brown tabby, with its bushy ringed tail, occurs most commonly in nature. The Maine Coon also converses occasionally with an endearing trill or chirp, somewhat like the cry of a young raccoon. It is genetically impossible for domestic cats to breed with either raccoons or bobcats, as we in the cat fancy know, because they are of different genera and do not hybridize. Another tale is that the Maine Coon's ancestors came from Norwegian Skogkatts brought over by the Vikings. A letter from Mrs. Jack Bjonness to Mrs. Rod Ljostad describes them as follows: "The head is longer than that of the shorthaired domestic. The coat is about half as long as that of the Persian. They come in all colors, the ears are high with lynx tufts, the whole cat is 'tall' not Cobby like a Persian. But no one could say it is a slender cat. They are "hardy." More romantic versions of the Maine Coon's development have been handed down over the years. The first involves Captain Samuel Clough and Marie Antoinette. Captain Clough was one of the principals (or so the legend goes) in a plot designed to smuggle the French queen out of France and bring her to Wiscasset, Maine. The scheme was cut short, but not before Clough had loaded his ship, the Sally, with luxurious furnishings, priceless bric-a-brac, some of the queen's personal belongings, and six of her favorite pet cats. While Clough waited, there was a sudden outburst of violence. Marie Antoinette was seized, and eventually beheaded. Captain Clough had to make sail with all haste to escape repercussions for his part in the attempted rescue and with him went the queen's possessions and the six longhaired cats still in his care. It is assumed that the queen's cats bred with the American cats and voilˆ - the origin of the Maine Coon. Still another legend concerns an English sea captain, improbably named Coon, who was excessively fond of cats. He sailed up and down the New England coast with his army of cats. Predominant in the group were his longhairs - the Persians and Angoras that were popular in England. When the captain went ashore, so did his cats. When longhaired kittens began appearing in local litters, the owner's comment would be "one of Coon's cats." A more logical conclusion is that the Maine Coon developed from the domestic shorthaired cats of settlers who came to America with all their worldly goods and the family pet. Later, as the country became more civilized and the trading ships returned from their travels, the sailors returned with longhaired cats. The new longhaired cats in turn bred with the local shorthaired cats and began populating the Eastern seaboard, and thus began the survival of the fittest. Those cats that survived the harsh New England winters produced the next generation of kittens. After nature finished combining the genetic ingredients of form, coat, and substance of the Maine Coon Cat, man looked upon these cats and said, "that is some pretty good cat." It was to be expected that these intelligent cats would find their way into the settlers' homes and become beloved pets as well as good workers (mousers). It was during the 1860s that farmers would tell stories and brag about the powers and intelligence of their Maine Coons. During this decade these same farmers began having their own cat show at the Skowhegan Fair where Maine Coons from all over the territory competed for the title "Maine State Champion Coon Cat." Mrs. E.R. Pierce, who co-owned a black and white Maine Coon Cat named Captain Jenks of the Horse Marines, documents the early history of domestic cats in the United States and of the Maine Coon Cat in particular. She not only gives names and dates of cat shows along the Eastern seaboard, but also names the cats who won them. In 1878 a show was held in Boston where a dozen Maine Coons were entered and shown. Mrs. Pierce states emphatically that large shows were held in all the populous eastern cities, although not on a yearly basis. Some shows were held as far west as Chicago in the 1870s. The most famous and largest of the early shows was held at New York's Madison Square Garden in May of 1895. That show was won by a brown tabby female Maine Cat named Cosey owned by Mrs. E. N. Barker. The number of Maine Coon Cats entered in the show is not easily ascertained since they were classified along with Persians and Angoras as "longhairs." All cats were categorized first by hair length and then by sex. The show was a great success both financially and as a public relations showcase for the various breeds. What did the first place and best of show win? Cosey was awarded a silver medal marked "National Cat Show, 1895," with a cat face in the middle, a silver cat collar engraved "National Cat Show, 1895, won by Cosey," and a picture of "Cosey" wearing a collar ribbon marked "National Cat Show." The silver collar, an important piece of cat fancy history, was purchased by the CFA Foundation for its Jean Baker Rose Memorial Library housed at the CFA Central Office. This purchase was made possible thanks to a generous donation from the National Capital Cat Show. The New York show did not develop into the prestigious event hoped for, but the Boston show circuit did. One of Mrs. Pierce's brown tabby Maine Coon Cats, King Max, dominated this classic for three years, winning in 1897, 1898, and 1899, until defeated by his son Donald in 1900. At the beginning of the twentieth century "show fever" hit the fancy, and cat shows began to spread from the Northeast to the Midwest and finally to the West Coast. At about the same time, the Cat Fanciers' Association, founded in 1908, was keeping the only breed record books we have of this period, The CFA Stud Book and Registry. In Book I, 28 Maine Cats, as they were still known, were listed under a special proviso that depended on a sworn statement that the sire and dam were "same breed, long hair and that neither is a shorthaired." It is noteworthy that CFA Registration #5 is a tortoiseshell female Maine Cat named Molly Bond. Soon after this the Maine Coon Cat decreased in popularity as other longhaired cats with pedigrees came into greater favor. Slowly, the Maine Coon began disappearing from the ranks of the registry and shows. The Maine Coon had its last big recorded victory for over 40 years when a "longhaired blue Maine Cat" took first place in his class and best of show, out of an entry of 170 cats, at the Portland, Oregon show in 1911. After that, Maine Coons slipped into the background and were shown occasionally under the AOV category. Remaining in the background during the next four decades, the Maine Coon Cat was declared extinct in the late 1950s. The Maine Coon's extinction, like Mark Twain's death, was an exaggeration. In the early 1950s, Alta Smith and Ruby Dyer formed the Central Maine Cat Club (CMCC) as an effort to end the Maine Coon's slide into a regional oddity and to give impetus toward record keeping and showcasing for the breed. For the next 11 years the CMCC sponsored a combined cat show and exhibition of the photographs of cats. The club provided a means to call attention to all cats and the Maine Coon Cat in particular, and in doing so kept the image of the Maine Coon alive. By 1963, the CMCC shows outgrew the barn, the elementary school gym, the high school gym and every other workable large local meeting place. The organization became too large to continue its amateur status and the Central Maine Cat Club ceased to be. Before its demise, its achievements included creating one of the first written standards for the breed, keeping records in the breeding of the Maine Coon, and making people aware that the Maine Coons existed and had credentials. People in other parts of the country were starting to breed and show Maine Coons as well as keeping them as pets. They were still being shown as AOVs, but they were beginning to appear in the show halls from which they had disappeared. In the 1960s, Maine Coon breeders were few. Some of the people involved back then include Mrs. Robert Whittemore, Lillian Vanderhoff, Nancy Silsbee, Rose Levy, Henrietta O'Neill, Eugene and Lee Eminhizer, and Sonia Stanislow. In 1968, the idea to create a universal Maine Coon Cat club whose purpose was to preserve and protect the breed came from Nancy Silsbee. The will and guidance to see the project through was supplied by Dr. and Mrs. Rod Ljostad. These early "movers and shakers" were completely dedicated to the concept of the Maine Coon Cat. During the first part of the 1970s the Maine Coon breeders requested and were denied provisional status. In 1969-70 the first attempt was made to bring the Maine Coon to provisional status. At the March 3, 1970 meeting, the board felt that they would be acting prematurely to accept the Maine Coon for provisional status beginning April 1, 1971. They wanted to determine if there were sufficient numbers being registered. At the time, only 20 Maine Coons were registered. Provisional status was again denied at the board meeting held in February 1971. Following advice offered, the Maine Coon Cat Club was formed in 1973 with the following members: Rod and Betty Ljostad, Liz Eastman, Harold Hansen, Robert Wilson, Cynthia Wilson, Franklin Gullo, Lillian Vanderhoff, Maureen Jenkins, and Gerald Kastenbaum. At the Spring 1974 meeting, Mrs. Jean Rose announced that CFA now had a Maine Coon Cat breed club. The members stated that they had now fulfilled all the requirements for recognition of the Maine Coon Cat as a provisional breed: they had a standard, a breed club and 133 cats registered. Unfortunately, the timing for acceptance was off as per the existing rules; in addition, some board members thought the breed standard still needed clarification. The Maine Coon Cat was accepted for provisional status beginning May 1, 1975 at the October 1974 board meeting. Championship status occurred May 1, 1976. America's native American longhair was back on the show bench with championship status. The 1977 show season produced Best of Breed CH Lybe Christa's Katy, owned by Elizabeth H. Brouch, but no Maine Coon grand champion. 1977-78 produced CFA's first Maine Coon grand champion and Best of Breed, GC Purrbred's Silent Stranger, a copper-eyed white male owned by William and Ruth Patt. The next three show seasons saw a few more Maine Coons achieving their grand championship status. Three Tufpaws female grand champions were the national breed winners in 1978-79, 1979-80, and 1980-81: GC Tufpaws Reuelette, GC Tufpaws Schnitzel of Zookatz, and GC Tufpaws Rosana Dana of Zookatz. The 1981-82 show season produced the first national winning Maine Coon, GC NW Tufpaws Rosette. What an achievement for a female whose breed standard tends to favor the male! Rosie was the 19th Best Cat in 1983-84. The first national winning Maine Coon in premiership was GP, NW Tufpaws Pepe Le Peu of Cheyenne. "Pepe" was the first bi-color to achieve national winning status. The next five show seasons, 1982-1987, saw Maine Coons granding in both championship and premiership. The 1982-83 show season had six grands and 1986-87 had 44 Maine Coon grands for that year. CFA's next national winning Maine Coon was GC, NW Terrificats P.C. Gambit, DM. Gambit was 14th Best Cat in the 1987-88 show season, and later went on to become the first of CFA's seven male DMs. 1988-89 saw continued success for the Maine Coons on the show bench with eight regional winners in championship, premiership, and kitten classes. The 1989-90 show season found a Maine Coon back in the national rankings with GC, NW Kanab's Luanne's Mahogany Rush, DM placing 7th in Championship. This is the highest placement in the national rankings achieved by any Maine Coon to date. "Rusty" was a red tabby with white. During the 1990-91 show season GC, NW Terrificat's P.C. Gambit, DM's son, GC, NW Groovycats Alexander The Great was shown to 18th Best Cat in championship. "Alexander" was a brown tabby with white. A banner year for Maine Coons occurred in the 1991-92 show season, with three achieving the coveted National Winner title: GC, NW Bangor's Eskimo Pie, a black and white bi-color; GC, NW Buctales Dirty Dancer, a brown mackerel tabby with white ; and GC, NW Kanab's Luanne's Vincent, also a black and white bi-color, . "E.P.," "Dancer" and "Vincent" placed 14th, 15th, and 19th in the national rankings. That season also saw 116 Maine Coon grands of which 15 were regional winners. It was the best year for Maine Coons to date. The 1992-93 show season saw a return to tradition, when brown mackerel tabby GC, NW Coonsboro Calvin Coonidge became the season's 17th Best Cat. There were 134 grands, of which 20 earned a regional win. The 1993-94 national winning Maine Coon, GC, NW Noogats Renault Blanc was the 8th Best Cat that year. "Rennie's" sparkling white coat and gentle disposition made him a favorite in the show ring. Although a white Maine Coon was a departure from the now widely recognized tabby and tabby with white, one must remember that the first Maine Coon to grand in CFA was a white. GC, NW Coonsboro Beni Pussalini of Angtini was CFA's 18th Best Cat for 1994-95. "Beni," a lovely brown mackerel tabby with white was the second national winning Maine Coon to be sired by a national winner. His father is GC, NW Coonsboro Calvin Coonidge. This season produced a record 185 grands including 22 regional winners. While not producing a national winner, the 1995-96 show season did have 167 grands including 20 regional winners. GC, RW Kemosabe's Meshach made a valiant effort at trying to place in the top 25, but just fell short of the mark. "Meshach's" owners can be very proud of their national Best-of-Breed Maine Coon. As of this writing the 1996-97 show season has yet to end and anything can happen. Since the last article on the Maine Coon Cat by Martha Young and Tome Rodgers in 1991, our distinguished merits rose from six to 43. The first male to achieve this honor was GC Lovabacon's Tom Terrificat. "Terry" had his DM confirmed on September 7, 1991. On October 12, 1991, four weeks later, GC, RW Kanab's Luanne's Acoma was confirmed, with 15 grand offspring, as the second Maine Coon male DM. Both "Terry" and "Magoo" sired national winners who also achieved the distinguished merit honor. They are GC, NW Kanab's Luanne's Mahogany Rush, DM, confirmed on August 7, 1993, and GC, NW Terrificats P.C. Gambit, DM, confirmed with 15 grands on May 14, 1994. The first Maine Coon to achieve the distinguished merit status was CH Sundar Tiffany of Tufpaws. "Tiffany" was confirmed as a DM on January 13, 1983. She was also the dam of the two Tufpaws national winners. It was another four years before CH Heidi Ho's Coon Victoria was confirmed as a DM on January 14, 1987. The number of confirmed distinguished merits continues to grow. The 1994-95 show season had the largest number of DMs - nine. The 1996-97 show season has seven DMs so far. As a breed, the Maine Coon has a total of 43 distinguished merit cats, seven males and 36 females. The Maine Coon Cat is a massive, broad chested cat with a long rectangular body and the fur is long and flowing. The males average around 12 to 15 pounds, with some going 20 pounds or more. The females are smaller, averaging 9 to 12 pounds. The head is medium in width and length with a squareness to the muzzle. The cheek bones are high and the chin is firm and in line with the nose and upper lip. The nose is medium long with a slight concavity in the profile. The Maine Coon's coat is shorter on the shoulders and longer on the stomach and britches. The texture is silky with the coat falling smoothly. The Maine Coon is slow to mature, often not reaching full development until three to four years of age. The Maine Coon has five color classes: solid, tabby, tabby with white, parti-color, and other Maine Coon colors. Classic tabby, mackerel tabby and patched tabby are the only recognized patterns. Colors or patterns showing hybridization, such as chocolate, lavender, pointed pattern or ticked pattern, are not acceptable. The Maine Coon is a gentle, loyal breed. They make wonderful family pets and get along well with children and dogs. Depending on the breed of dog, the Maine Coon can be bigger than Fido. They are a vocal breed, with a variety of meows, trills and chirps to make up their vocabularies. They are sociable and like to help their owners with any project, especially when the owner is reading or working on the crossword puzzle. Since 1976, the Maine Coon Cat has been a rising star in the competitive reaches of the cat fancy. This popular breed of the late 19th century drifted into obscurity and imagined extinction well into the 1950s. Those of us who now work with and breed the Maine Coon owe a tremendous THANK YOU to those who worked and fought for recognition and the championship status we enjoy today. As any exhibitor can tell you, spectators can often be seen watching the Maine Coons being judged, exclaiming at the size, and even saying they have one or two like them at home - today, they probably do. The Maine Coon is the second most popular cat in CFA as seen by the numbers of kittens registered. America's first show cat is back, bigger and better than ever.

The Maine Coon is a breed of domestic cat well known for its distinctive physical appearance. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America, specifically native to the state of Maine,[1] where it is the official State Cat. Although the Maine Coon's exact origins and date of introduction to the United States are unknown, many theories have been proposed. The breed was popular in cat shows in the late 1800s, but its existence became threatened when long-haired breeds from overseas were introduced in the early 20th century. The Maine Coon has since made a comeback and is now the second most popular cat breed in North America, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).[2] The Maine Coon is generally noted for its large bone structure, its rectangular body shape, and a long, flowing coat. The breed can be seen in a variety of colors and are known for their intelligence[3] and gentle personalities.[2] Health problems, such as feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and hip dysplasia, are seen in the breed, but testing is available to detect the genes responsible for causing these abnormalities. Contents [hide] 1 History 1.1 Origin 1.2 Cat shows and popularity 2 Breed description 3 Health 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links [edit]History [edit]Origin The ancestral origins of the Maine Coon are unknown.[4] There are only theories and folktales. One such folktale involves Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, who was executed in 1793. Before her death, Antoinette attempted to escape France with the help of Captain Samuel Clough. She loaded Clough's ship with her most prized possessions, including six of her favorite long-haired cats. Although Antoinette did not make it to the United States, her pets safely reached the shores of Wiscasset, Maine, where they mated with short-haired breeds and evolved into the modern breed of the Maine Coon.[5] The face of a Maine Coon Another folktale involves Captain Charles Coon, an English seafarer who kept long-haired cats aboard his ships. Whenever Coon's ship would anchor in the New England ports, the felines would exit the ship and mate with the local feral cat population. When long-haired kittens began appearing in the litters of the local cat population, they were referred to as one of "Coon's cats".[6] A theory which is biologically-based, though genetically impossible,[7] is the idea that the modern Maine Coon descended from ancestors of semi-feral domestic cats and raccoons. This could have possibly explained the most common color of the breed (brown tabby) and the bushy tail, which is a characteristic trait. Another idea is that the Maine Coon originated between the matings of domestic cats and wild bobcats, which could explain the tufts of hairs that are so commonly seen on the tips of the ears.[8] There have been reports of domestic cats breeding with bobcats.[9] The generally-accepted theory among breeders is that the Maine Coon is descended from the pairings of local short-haired domestic cats and long-haired breeds brought overseas by English seafarers (possibly by Captain Charles Coon) or 11th-century Vikings.[8][10] The connection to the Vikings is seen in the strong resemblance of the Maine Coon to the Norwegian Forest Cat, another breed that is said to be a descendant of cats that traveled with the Vikings.[11][12] [edit]Cat shows and popularity Cosey, the winner of the first cat show in the United States The first mention of Maine Coons in a literary work was in 1861, when a black-and-white Maine Coon by the name of Captain Jenks of the Horse Marines was written about by co-owner F.R. Pierce. Pierce, who wrote a chapter about the breed in Frances Simpson's The Book of the Cat (1903), owned several other Maine Coons.[13] During the late 1860s, farmers located in Maine told stories about their cats and held the "Maine State Champion Coon Cat" contest at the local Skowhegan Fair.[6] In 1895, a dozen Maine Coons were entered into a show in Boston.[14] On May 8, 1895, the first North American cat show was hosted at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A female Maine Coon brown tabby, named Cosey, was entered into the show. Owned by Mrs. Fred Brown, Cosey won the silver collar and medal and was named Best in Show.[15] The silver collar won by Cosey was purchased by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Foundation with the help of a donation from the National Capital Cat Show. The collar is housed at the CFA Central Office in the Jean Baker Rose Memorial Library.[6] In the early 1900s, the Maine Coon's popularity began to decline with the introduction of other long-haired breeds, such as the Persian, which originated in the Middle East. The last recorded win by a Maine Coon in a national cat show for over 40 years was in 1911 at a show in Portland, Oregon. The breed was rarely seen after that. The decline was so severe that the breed was declared extinct in the 1950s, although this declaration was considered to be exaggerated and reported prematurely at the time. The Central Maine Cat Club (CMCC) was created in the early 1950s by Alta Smith and Ruby Dyer in attempts to increase the popularity of the Maine Coon. For 11 years, the CMCC held cat shows and hosted exhibitions of photographs of the breed and is noted for creating the first written breed standards for the Maine Coon.[6] The Maine Coon was denied provisional breed status—one of the three steps required for a breed not yet recognized by the CFA to be able to compete in championship competitions[16]—by the CFA three times, which led to the formation of the Maine Coon Cat Club in 1973. The breed was finally accepted by the CFA under provisional status on May 1, 1975 and was approved for championship status on May 1, 1976. The next couple of decades saw a rise in popularity of the Maine Coon, with championship victories and an increase in national rankings. In 1985, the state of Maine announced that the breed would be named the official State Cat.[17] According to the amount of kittens registered with the CFA, the Maine Coon is the second most popular cat breed in the world.[6] [edit]Breed description Illustrating the size difference between a mixed breed female (left) and a male Maine Coon (right) Maine Coons are one of the largest breeds of domestic cat. Males can weigh anywhere between 13 and 18 lb (5.9 and 8.2 kg) with females weighing between 8 and 12 lb (3.6 and 5.4 kg).[18] The height of adults can vary between 10 and 16 in (25 and 41 cm) and they can reach a length of up to 40 in (100 cm), including the tail, which can reach lengths of up to 14 in (36 cm)[19] and is long, tapering, and heavily furred. The body is solid and muscular, which is necessary for supporting their own weight, and the chest is broad. Maine Coons possess a rectangular body shape and are slow to physically mature; their full potential size is normally not reached until they are around three- or four-years-old.[20] This female Maine Coon is about a year old, and only about 3/4 her final size. In 2006, the Guinness World Records named a male purebred Maine Coon the "Longest Cat". Verismo Leonetti Reserve Red (better known as Leo) measures 48 in (120 cm) in length, from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, and weighs 35 lb (16 kg).[21] The Maine Coon is a longhaired, or medium-haired, cat. The coat is soft and silky, although texture may vary with coat color. The length is shorter on the head, and shoulders and longer on the stomach and flanks with some cats having a lion-like ruff around their neck. Minimal grooming is required for the breed, compared to other long-haired breeds, as their coat is mostly self-maintaining due to a light-density undercoat. The coat is subject to seasonal variation,[22] with the fur being thicker in the winter and thinner during the summer. Maine Coons can be seen in all colors. Colors indicating hybridization, such as chocolate, lavender, the Siamese pointed patterns or the "ticked" patterns, are unaccepted by breed standards.[6] The most common color seen in the breed is brown tabby.[23] All eye colors are accepted under breed standards, with the exception of the occurrence of blue-colored or odd-eyes (i.e., two eyes of different colors) in cats possessing coat colors other than white.[22] Maine Coon with a summer coat Maine Coons have several physical adaptations for survival in harsh winter climates. Their dense water-resistant fur is longer and shaggier on their underside and rear for extra protection when they are on top of wet surfaces or snow.[24] Their long and bushy raccoon-like tail is resistant to sinking in snow, and can be curled around their face and shoulders for warmth and protection from wind and blowing snow.[25][26] Large paws, and especially the extra-large paws of polydactyl Maine Coons,[27] facilitate walking on snow and are often compared to snowshoes.[24] Long tufts of fur growing between their toes help keep the toes warm and further aid walking on snow by giving the paws additional structure without significant extra weight.[26] Heavily furred ears with extra long tufts of fur growing from inside help keep their ears warm.[24] Many of the original Maine Coon cats that inhabited the New England area possessed a trait known as polydactylism (having one or more extra toes on the feet).[24] This trait is thought to have occurred in approximately 40% of the Maine Coon population in Maine at one time, but little evidence has been given to substantiate this claim.[28] Polydactylism is rarely, if ever, seen in Maine Coons in the show ring since it is unacceptable by competition standards.[29] The gene for polydactylism is a simple autosomal dominant gene,[30] which has shown to pose no threat to the cat's health.[31] The trait was almost eradicated from the breed due to the fact that it was an automatic disqualifier in show rings.[32] Private organizations and breeders were created in order to keep polydactylism in Maine Coons from disappearing. Maine Coons are known as the "gentle giants"[2] and possess above-average intelligence, making them relatively easy to train.[3] They are known for being loyal to their family and cautious—but not mean—around strangers, but are independent and not clingy.[25] The Maine Coon is generally not known for being a "lap cat" but their gentle disposition makes the breed relaxed around dogs, other cats, and children. They are playful throughout their lives, with males tending to be more clownish and females generally possessing more dignity.[24] Many Maine Coons have a fascination with water[25] and some theorize that this personality trait comes from their ancestors, who were aboard ships for much of their lives.[4] [edit]Health An all-white Maine Coon Maine Coons are generally a healthy and hardy breed and have evolved to survive the New England climate. The most severe threat is feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common heart disease seen in cats, that is genetically inherited in some breeds. In Maine Coons, it is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Middle-aged to older cats, and males are predisposed to the disease.[33] HCM is a progressive disease and can result in heart failure, paralysis of the hind legs due to clot embolization originating in the heart, and sudden death.[34] A specific mutation that causes HCM is seen in Maine Coons for which testing services are offered.[35] Of all the Maine Coons tested for the MyBPC mutation at the Veterinary Cardiac Genetics Lab at the College of Veterinary Medicine located at Washington State University, approximately one-third tested positive.[36] A female tabby Maine Coon Another potential health problem is spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), another genetically inherited disease which causes the loss of the neurons in the spinal cord that activate the skeletal muscles of the trunk and limbs. Symptoms are normally seen within 3–4 months of age and result in muscle atrophy, muscle weakness, and a shortened life span. A test is offered to detect the genes responsible for SMA.[37] Hip dysplasia, an abnormality of the hip joint which can cause crippling lameness and arthritis, can be seen in Maine Coons. In a research survey finalized by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) in 2007, comprising at least 100 evaluations for each breed studied between January 1974 and December 2008, Maine Coons ranked number 27 at 23.5% for 994 evaluations. The Maine Coon is the only cat breed listed in the survey.[38] Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a slowly progressive disease that is possible among Maine Coons and was thought to plague only the Persian and Persian-related breeds. Symptoms typically occur around seven years of age and the effects are incurable. PKD generally leads to renal failure and is genetically inherited, so careful screening and testing are the only ways to prevent the disease from occurring.[37] [edit]

One of the oldest natural breeds in North America, the Maine Coon is actually considered to be a native of Maine (and is the Maine state cat). Maine Coons were well established more than a century ago as a hardy, natural breed of domestic cat, well equipped to survive the hostile New England winters. With their long fur, fluffy tails, and big "snowshoe" paws, this isn't difficult to believe. The Maine Coon is a medium-to-longhaired cat with heavy, water-resistant fur. The fur is longer on the ruff, stomach and britches and shorter on the back and neck. Maine Coons have long bushy tails; big, round, tufted paws; large eyes and ears (well "furnished" with hairs to keep them warm); a squarish muzzle. Maine Coons develop slowly, and don't achieve their full size until they are three to five years old. Their dispositions remain kittenish throughout their lives; they are big, gentle, good-natured goofs. Even their voices set them apart from other cats; they have a distinctive, chirping trill which they use for everything from courting to cajoling their people into playing with them. (Maine Coons love to play, and many will joyfully retrieve small items.) They rarely meow, and when they do, that soft, tiny voice doesn't fit their size! While Maine Coons are highly people-oriented cats, they are not overly-dependent. They do not constantly pester you for attention, but prefer to "hang out" with their owners, investigating whatever activity you're involved in and "helping" when they can. They are not, as a general rule, known as "lap cats" but as with any personality trait there are a few Maine Coons that prefer laps. Most Maine Coons will stay close by, probably occupying the chair next to yours instead. Maines will follow you from room to room and wait outside a closed door for you to emerge.

Pictured: Best of Breed GC, BW, NW TRUTAILS COURT JESTER, Black-White Maine Coon Male Photo: © Chanan Myths, legend and lore surround the Maine Coon Cat. Some are amusing, some are fantastic flights of fantasy and some are merely plausible. They certainly provide good material for conversation. Books and articles dealing with these aspects of the Maine Coon Cat have been well received as people never seem to tire of the subject and are always eager to know more about this wonderful breed. The Maine Coon is the native American longhaired cat and was recognized as a specific breed in Maine where they were held in high regard for their mousing talents. Through nature’s own breeding program, this breed has developed into a sturdy cat ideally suited to the harsh winters and varied seasons of the region. The Maine Coon is well known for its loving nature, kindly disposition and great intelligence. Maines are especially good with children and dogs and have always been a popular and sought after companion. Pictured: Second Best of Breed GC, RW TEXAS BELLE BILLY BOB, Van Black-White Maine Coon Male Photo: © Blue Bayou The Maine Coon has always been admired for its beauty, and a Maine Coon was chosen Best Cat at the first major cat show ever held in this country. The transition from easygoing farm cat to CFA finalist was not an easy one, nor did it happen quickly. Although they lost favor and were conspicuously absent from shows for quite a long time, we are now seeing large classes of these beauties in most cat shows and it is not unusual for a Maine Coon to be named “Best Cat.”