The Maine Coon Cat Breed
By HollywoodPet.net |
Sun, 30 Sep 2007
The Maine Coon Cat breed is a long haired cat that is native to North America. The Maine Coon Breed was recognized as a specific breed in the state of Maine. Known as good cats for catching mice the breed developed with a thick coat for handling the cold winters of the northeast. The Maine Coon Breed developed naturally into a large sturdy cat and evolved into a very loving and intelligent cat with a very nice disposition. This is the gentle giant of the cat world. The Maine Coon is good with children and dogs and they make good companions too.
The Maine Coon Cat Breed is basically a large farm cat that developed over two hundred and fifty years into a breed with origins from the wild. It is very likely that these cats came over on trading ships from Scandinavia and are the ancestors of other long haired cats. They are large gentle and popular cats. Many stories have surrounded this cat breed. One story is that they are cats that were crossed with raccoons. This is not true. It is true however that the Maine Coon is one of the largest cat breeds and one of the only truly American breed of cats.
Maine Coons are very curious cats with an almost clownish personality. They are people oriented, relaxed and easy going cats. These cats are companions for life. Smart, good companionship and a kind personality have made these gentle giants well loved over the years. Male Maine Coons can reach up to eighteen pounds in weight with some being even heavier. These are large muscular cats with a long rectangular body and come in many colors. Their coats lean more towards shaggy than even coated. They come in most colors but not pointed colors like Siamese Cats and have very long whiskers and long teeth too from their days in the wild hunting at night. Maine Coons also have three layers of thick fur developed from their adaption to cold climate.
Over the years, the Maine Coon has become a common sight at cat shows. Their friendly nature and expressive eyes and face have made them more popular over time. American born and developed from the wild, the Maine Coon is a handsome cat that's easy to love.
