Some people search for Cat breeds mancoon when they mean cat breeds Maine Coon. The Maine Coon is a very popular cat breed, the second most popular and the best pictures of the best cats can be seen on this page plus a full description and more links:
Maine Coon Cats
Cat breed mancoon to Home Page
Showing posts with label Maine Coon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maine Coon. Show all posts
Monday, 6 October 2008
Monday, 1 September 2008
American Snughead
Dutch (left) and Daisy at 6 months of age - photo by OneofThem
The American Snughead is an alternative name, I suppose an informal name, coined by cat fanciers for the great, the wonderful, the lovable, Maine Coon, America's cat.
You can see the best and I mean the best photographs of Maine Coon cats by clicking on this link:
Maine Coon cats
Lets get technical, what does "snughead" really mean? I guess a head against which we can snuggle. The definition of "snuggle" is "to lie or press close together" (src: answers.com - we already knew).
Yep, you could do a lot worse than press your face into the soft luxurious fur of this fantastic cat breed the second most popular by my reckoning after the Siamese cat. I love the American Snughead.
American Snughead to Siamese cat
photo published under a creative commons license - Attribution License
Friday, 20 June 2008
Maine Coon Cat Health
The health of cat breeds and in this instance Maine Coon Cat Health is important to people. In fact it is often one of the most important aspects of a cat breed. It must be and it should be. The welfare of cats should be our primary concern.
This Maine Coon cat ("Hugo") is not ill as far as I am aware. He is here because it is a nice picture (copyright stevegarfield) and is reproduced under a creative commons license.
The Maine Coon is a fine looking cat with a long American history. This cat is large and looks robust. This is not surprising, after all, as their origins are in the barns of Maine, USA, as a semi-feral mouser cat. You've got to be pretty tough to live like that.
One difficulty in discussing cat health problems is to make sure that the problem is breed specific. Some conditions are found in all domestic cats. But if that is the case sometimes a particular cat breed has a predisposition to a disease (i.e. it is found more often in a certain cat breed because the disease is genetically inherited).
These are the diseases that are known to be found more commonly in the Maine Coon cat than in other breeds - Maine Coon Cat Health problems. Note: Maine Coon breeders are aware of the need to manage and eliminate these diseases through screening and wise breeding so this post should not frighten anyone off from adopting a Maine Coon cat.
Maine Coon Cat Health - Hip Dysplasia
It is well known in the cat fancy that this disorder is more common in the larger cats and the Maine Coon is the largest domestic cat as registered by the CFA. This disease impairs mobility. As I understand it, it is more common in larger cats because the condition is more apparent in larger cats as the extra weight exposes the weakness in the hip joint.
The word "dysplasia" means an abnormal development or growth of organs, cells or tissue in the body.
In this instance the growth occurs in the hip with bone tissue being replaced by fibrous tissue. This is because the hip joint is ill fitting causing wear. Cartilage is produced to repair the joint. The disorder is both inherited and caused by environmental factors. If severe it causes painful arthritis and is crippling. (Wikipedia says it also affects the Siamese cat - link to Siamese cat health problems).
Patellar luxation is sometimes found in Maine Coons and can "occur concurrently to hip dysplasia"). The knee cap slides to the inside of the leg. Can cause lameness and reluctance to jump (source: Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats).
Maine Coon Cat Health - HCM
This stands for Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It is an inherited disease. This means that the cat in question (not all cats in a breed) is programmed genetically to acquire the disease. HCM is late onset (adult onset - becoming noticed when the cat is an adult) meaning that it is not congenital (symptoms present at birth). HCM is the most common heart disease reported in domestic cats. It is known to be present in the Maine Coon cat breed. About one third test positive apparently. This seems a high percentage.
I have a friend Valley Girl who cares for a wonderful polydactyl Maine Coon. Maine Coons have a predisposition to be polydactyl as well but this is not a health problem. She has contacts in the Maine Coon world! And she reports what seems like a high percentage of Maine Coons dying young of HCM and one dying of hip dysplasia complications. I don't wish to harp on about genetic illnesses but I have always kept moggies and it has never entered my head that my cats might die, at say aged four, of a heart disease. I find the high percentage worrying. I don't know how other people feel but a poll on my site indicates that people are concerned about a cat's underlying health. On that basis inherited diseases damage the reputation of a cat breed and the MC is a very popular cat.
The symptoms are a thickening of the left thickening of the left ventricular free wall & interventricular septum. As it affects the Bengal cat as well I have made several posts about this disease in relation to the Bengal cat:
But not all breeders do screen as far as I am aware, which is a shame as it means they perpetuate the disease in their breeding lines (this may apply more to Bengal cat breeders who are just coming to terms with the fact that their cats may contract HCM). It also means they may pass on the disease to other breeders if they loan or sell their stud to another breeder.
In Maine Coons substantial research has been carried out (I believe) and as a result the gene involved is known to be autosomal (not sex related - a gene located on a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome) dominant with variable penetrance. On the following page is an abstract of some research carried out on the Prevalence of HCM in Swedish Maine Coon cats that were asymptomatic. It is reproduced under a creative commons license fully complied with to the best of my knowledge.
Maine Coon Cat Health - PKD
Maine Coon Cat Health - photo reproduced under Wikimedia commons license photo credit: CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr. This picture is of human kidneys as far as I am aware.
This stands for Polycystic Kidney Disease. It is a Maine Coon Cat Health problem. It is present in Persian cats as well amongst other breeds. It also occurs in humans. This is also a genetically inherited disease.
Cysts form in both kidneys (see photo above). Kidney function is impaired and it deteriorates with renal disease at aged 3-10 years. The gene responsible is autosomal dominant. The symptoms are weight loss, depression, occasional vomiting and increased thirst and urination. PKD cats need not be euthanized unless deemed necessary, but it is a fatal disease.
Maine Coon Cat Health - Gingivitis
This disease affects any cat but is mentioned in relation to the Maine Coon so is probably more commonly present in this cat breed (i.e. a genetic predisposition). Symptoms are swollen gums that bleed. This causes discomfort and loss of appetite.
Maine Coon Cat Health - Spinal muscular atrophy
The symptom of this disease is the death of neurons in the spinal cord. These neurons control muscle function. Accordingly, the muscles fail to work properly and muscle weakness ensues resulting in a non normal gait and a less athletic cat (cats are usually very athletic). The cat's life is impaired but it is not fatal (it seems).
It is transmitted by an autosomal recessive gene. It has been transmitted widely. Breeders can now test for this disease.
The Maine Coon has more than the usual genetic predispositions to certain diseases from my research or at least this is the impression that I have. This may be due to careless breeding early on in the breeding program (i.e. many decades ago). It would seem that modern breeders are more in tune with the need to control and manage these diseases - I hope so.
One last point. A concerned Italian breeder is worried that enough is not being done in Europe to eradicate HCM from the breed. He emailed me. This is his email: Maine Coon Cat Health in Europe.
Maine Coon Cat Health - Sources:
This Maine Coon cat ("Hugo") is not ill as far as I am aware. He is here because it is a nice picture (copyright stevegarfield) and is reproduced under a creative commons license.
The Maine Coon is a fine looking cat with a long American history. This cat is large and looks robust. This is not surprising, after all, as their origins are in the barns of Maine, USA, as a semi-feral mouser cat. You've got to be pretty tough to live like that.
One difficulty in discussing cat health problems is to make sure that the problem is breed specific. Some conditions are found in all domestic cats. But if that is the case sometimes a particular cat breed has a predisposition to a disease (i.e. it is found more often in a certain cat breed because the disease is genetically inherited).
These are the diseases that are known to be found more commonly in the Maine Coon cat than in other breeds - Maine Coon Cat Health problems. Note: Maine Coon breeders are aware of the need to manage and eliminate these diseases through screening and wise breeding so this post should not frighten anyone off from adopting a Maine Coon cat.
Maine Coon Cat Health - Hip Dysplasia
It is well known in the cat fancy that this disorder is more common in the larger cats and the Maine Coon is the largest domestic cat as registered by the CFA. This disease impairs mobility. As I understand it, it is more common in larger cats because the condition is more apparent in larger cats as the extra weight exposes the weakness in the hip joint.
The word "dysplasia" means an abnormal development or growth of organs, cells or tissue in the body.
In this instance the growth occurs in the hip with bone tissue being replaced by fibrous tissue. This is because the hip joint is ill fitting causing wear. Cartilage is produced to repair the joint. The disorder is both inherited and caused by environmental factors. If severe it causes painful arthritis and is crippling. (Wikipedia says it also affects the Siamese cat - link to Siamese cat health problems).
Patellar luxation is sometimes found in Maine Coons and can "occur concurrently to hip dysplasia"). The knee cap slides to the inside of the leg. Can cause lameness and reluctance to jump (source: Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats).
Maine Coon Cat Health - HCM
This stands for Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It is an inherited disease. This means that the cat in question (not all cats in a breed) is programmed genetically to acquire the disease. HCM is late onset (adult onset - becoming noticed when the cat is an adult) meaning that it is not congenital (symptoms present at birth). HCM is the most common heart disease reported in domestic cats. It is known to be present in the Maine Coon cat breed. About one third test positive apparently. This seems a high percentage.
I have a friend Valley Girl who cares for a wonderful polydactyl Maine Coon. Maine Coons have a predisposition to be polydactyl as well but this is not a health problem. She has contacts in the Maine Coon world! And she reports what seems like a high percentage of Maine Coons dying young of HCM and one dying of hip dysplasia complications. I don't wish to harp on about genetic illnesses but I have always kept moggies and it has never entered my head that my cats might die, at say aged four, of a heart disease. I find the high percentage worrying. I don't know how other people feel but a poll on my site indicates that people are concerned about a cat's underlying health. On that basis inherited diseases damage the reputation of a cat breed and the MC is a very popular cat.
The symptoms are a thickening of the left thickening of the left ventricular free wall & interventricular septum. As it affects the Bengal cat as well I have made several posts about this disease in relation to the Bengal cat:
- Cat heart disease (general discussion)
- HCM and Bengal cat an update (including link to other posts)
But not all breeders do screen as far as I am aware, which is a shame as it means they perpetuate the disease in their breeding lines (this may apply more to Bengal cat breeders who are just coming to terms with the fact that their cats may contract HCM). It also means they may pass on the disease to other breeders if they loan or sell their stud to another breeder.
In Maine Coons substantial research has been carried out (I believe) and as a result the gene involved is known to be autosomal (not sex related - a gene located on a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome) dominant with variable penetrance. On the following page is an abstract of some research carried out on the Prevalence of HCM in Swedish Maine Coon cats that were asymptomatic. It is reproduced under a creative commons license fully complied with to the best of my knowledge.
Maine Coon Cat Health - PKD
Maine Coon Cat Health - photo reproduced under Wikimedia commons license photo credit: CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr. This picture is of human kidneys as far as I am aware.
This stands for Polycystic Kidney Disease. It is a Maine Coon Cat Health problem. It is present in Persian cats as well amongst other breeds. It also occurs in humans. This is also a genetically inherited disease.
Cysts form in both kidneys (see photo above). Kidney function is impaired and it deteriorates with renal disease at aged 3-10 years. The gene responsible is autosomal dominant. The symptoms are weight loss, depression, occasional vomiting and increased thirst and urination. PKD cats need not be euthanized unless deemed necessary, but it is a fatal disease.
Maine Coon Cat Health - Gingivitis
This disease affects any cat but is mentioned in relation to the Maine Coon so is probably more commonly present in this cat breed (i.e. a genetic predisposition). Symptoms are swollen gums that bleed. This causes discomfort and loss of appetite.
Maine Coon Cat Health - Spinal muscular atrophy
The symptom of this disease is the death of neurons in the spinal cord. These neurons control muscle function. Accordingly, the muscles fail to work properly and muscle weakness ensues resulting in a non normal gait and a less athletic cat (cats are usually very athletic). The cat's life is impaired but it is not fatal (it seems).
It is transmitted by an autosomal recessive gene. It has been transmitted widely. Breeders can now test for this disease.
The Maine Coon has more than the usual genetic predispositions to certain diseases from my research or at least this is the impression that I have. This may be due to careless breeding early on in the breeding program (i.e. many decades ago). It would seem that modern breeders are more in tune with the need to control and manage these diseases - I hope so.
One last point. A concerned Italian breeder is worried that enough is not being done in Europe to eradicate HCM from the breed. He emailed me. This is his email: Maine Coon Cat Health in Europe.
Maine Coon Cat Health - Sources:
- Tufts Oct 2003
- Wikipedia
- Picture of cats.org
- Robinson's Genetics
- http://www.mcbfa.org
- http://www.winnfelinehealth.org
Maine Coon Personality
 |
| Maine Coon. Photo by Helmi Flick. |
Intro
You have to be realistic and sensible when discussing Maine Coon Personality or the personality of any cat breed. All domestic cats have similar personalities, whether they are mixed breed cats, feral cats or purebred cats. Wild cats including early generation wild cat hybrids have different personalities but even then the underlying desires and motivators are the same so most of the character is the same too. All humans have similar personalities, why should cats be different? In humans you get some fairly slight variations from country to country but the variations from individual person to individual person is greater, much greater. The same applies to cats and cat breeds.
Clowns?
All that said, Maine Coon cats have noticeably nice personalities. People who keep Maine Coon cats say that they act like clowns. They may act more foolishly than other domestic cats but I doubt it. All domestic cats do things that are charming to us but seem a little silly sometimes. We find this amusing and it is a major reason why we like living with a domestic cat.
Meow?
A meow is not quite part of the Maine Coon Personality but a trait nonetheless. The Maine Coon has a distinctive voice, more a chirp than your standard meow. They are fairly quiet cats and the cats I have seen at cat shows (the best ones, perhaps) are very laid back, well behaved and quiet.
Smart?
Some breeders say they are intelligent. Once again I think a bit of caution is required when talking about cat intelligence. To differentiate in intelligence from breed to breed seems almost impossible. Some cats are less active perhaps because they are more naturally anxious. This may give the impression that they are less intelligent. This applies to the Persian cat for instance. At the opposite end of the spectrum the Sphynx and the skinny cats (e.g. Oriental Shorthair) are more active and considered intelligent.
I can confirm that the Sphynx cat acts intelligently and is active. Higher levels of activity can be seen in the wild cat hybrids too (e.g. Bengal cat). These cats may have brains that are perhaps used more (more stimulation) which makes them seem more intelligent. A survey found that the Maine Coon was mid range in intelligence for what it is worth
Water babies?
Unlike many domestic cats the Maine Coon likes to play with water. This may be a throwback to the semi wild barn Maine Coon cats of the 19th Century, who know? Feral and wild cats will like water because it is a source of food and drink. While most domestic cats don't have the same need to depend on natural resources to survive.
Laid back?
The Maine Coon Cat Club says that this cat breed is affectionate and doesn't mind being loved by any member of the household. I think this a well balanced cat and quite laid back provided she/he is well socialized as part of the breeding process.
Combo
I think that the attraction to the Maine Coon (and this is a very popular cat - the second most popular currently based on the Pictures-of-cats.org popularity poll after the Siamese) is the combination of characteristics meaning the Maine Coon Personality plus the fantastic looks and that ever so touchable tail and fur.
Maine Coon Personality to Maine Coon Cats
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Maine Coon Cat Rescue
Introduction
I think we all realize that we owe it to the cats to start at a Maine Coon cat rescue center or organization if we are thinking about adopting a Maine Coon cat. It may take a little longer to find a cat that suits but the rewards are much higher. The underlying pleasure of rescuing and re-homing a cat, any cat, purebred or not has a very valuable and enduring benefit to the person, which adds immensely to the relationship with the cat. I should know as I have lived with a cat that I rescued about 15 years ago. She has been a wonderful companion.
I've made several posts about the Maine Coon cat on this website. They are about the Maine Coon cat's appearance, character and health. You'll also see some great pictures if you follow these links:
And now down to Maine Coon Cat Rescue:
You will find and see Maine Coon cats in your search for rescue cat. Lots of them will not be purebred or have a pedigree. They will be mixed breed cats with some Maine Coon. If you don't mind this, it's great as the cat doesn't mind either. In fact the cat doesn't know whether he or she is purebred, it is completely irrelevant to a cat and adopting a cat is always about what is best for the cat.
Another point. There are fewer rescue operations than breeders. It is easier to find a purebred Maine Coon than a rescued one. And rescued ones could be mixed breed. The reason is money. Breeders are essentially in it to make money. Rescue is run by volunteers. If there was more money in rescue there would be less rescue cats.
Purebred Cat Rescue
However, if you do really want to keep a purebred Maine Coon, I have a fairly comprehensive page on the website that lists a lot of ways to find one from specialist purebred cat rescue centers, to non-purebred organizations and Yahoo Groups of which there are a considerable number. Click on the sub-heading link above to go to this information.
Here are some Maine Coon cat rescue organizations by country. A lot of the organizations do not ship (for the sake of the cat) so location of the cats and distance is all important. The location of the Maine Coon cat rescue organizations is not always relevant as it doesn't tell you where the cats are unless they have a proper shelter facility:
-UK-
The Maine Coon Cat Club has a re-homing section. I don't know how current the page is and there are only 2 cats available at the time of this post but this is a nice and valuable service. They say where the cats currently are.
-USA-
Texas Maine Coon Rescue and Friends
I have a personal interest in this rescue center as some of the proceeds of revenue from this website goes towards a monthly payment to this shelter. Click on the link to see where the money goes. See also donations to Texas Maine Coon Rescue. Here is a picture of me and Christie at her place of work with one of the rescue cats. He is not a Maine Coon cat as this rescue group handle all breeds including Maine Coons.
Photo above: Christie Montgomery on the left who runs Texas Maine Coon Cat Rescue with me on the right with Meeney a lovely boy cat. He is not a Maine Coon just a great and lively cat. He was in the cage to the left for customers to the shop to see. The boarding cattery attached to the shop where Christie works also boards some of the rescue cats. Other rescue cats stay with foster people.
United Maine Coon Cat Rescue League
I really don't know how current this operation is as "recent placements" are dated August 2006! The website when visited at the date of this post has faults so I am not sure about this rescue operation. I am not sure where they are located. This really should be clear from the beginning.
Maine Coon Rescue
This seems to be the premier Maine Coon cat rescue in the USA. They work with Petfinder to publish available cats and have a Yahoo group. I'd certainly recommend joining their Yahoo Group. They are located in Franklin, Kentucky.
Maine Coon Rescue Alliance
This group of volunteers seem to be active recently, which is a good sign. The website indicates activity in re-homing cats in June 2008. As expected and mentioned above the cats in their charge are Maine Coon mixed breed cats, so not purebreds. They are needy and lovely cats all the same. This group is located in Austin, Texas although that doesn't mean much sometimes as many rescue centers/groups are simply making arrangements from a base and the cats are located elsewhere in various places. The catchment areas though will be Texas.
Arizona Maine Coon Cat Rescue
Once again I have difficulty in working out how current things are on this website. Located Scottsdale, Arizona. So I guess the catchment area in Arizona.
Maine Coon Adoptions - Cat Rescue Northern California
Adopt a Maine Coon Cat. This rescue center produces videos of their rescue cats needing rehoming. Here is one of their cats for adoption at 24-2-09:
Maine Coon kitten -the cats photographed by Helmi are show cats. This cat probably isn't but I love the expression, very Maine Coon and so much a cat. Photo copyright Vironevaeh
Yahoo Groups
Yahoo Groups are a network of people working in the field of cat rescue (in this case for the Maine Coon) and those people looking to adopt. In fact, anyone interested for whatever reason in Maine Coon cat rescue. You'll need to join with the administrator's permission but this is usually a formality (but not always).
Some of these groups may be part of the organizations listed above but I don't think they are. One last point, I have selected these. A number of groups have memberships that are too small to be useful, which I have rejected. These have substantial memberships and activity as a result.
Maine Coon Alliance Rescue Network
This group seems active; 22 new messages in the last 7 days. This group will also educate people (if they feel they need it). You can learn a lot from the best Yahoo Groups. I don't know how good they are but activity levels are important obviously.
MCATS: The PEDIGREED MAINE COON CAT
This is not a Maine Coon cat rescue group but a network of people who want to exchange information about pedigree Maine Coon cats. You might therefore get some ideas about adoption. Nice and active with 48 messages in 7 days.
Maine Coon cat rescue to Maine Coon Cats
 |
| Photo copyright Helmi Flick |
I think we all realize that we owe it to the cats to start at a Maine Coon cat rescue center or organization if we are thinking about adopting a Maine Coon cat. It may take a little longer to find a cat that suits but the rewards are much higher. The underlying pleasure of rescuing and re-homing a cat, any cat, purebred or not has a very valuable and enduring benefit to the person, which adds immensely to the relationship with the cat. I should know as I have lived with a cat that I rescued about 15 years ago. She has been a wonderful companion.
I've made several posts about the Maine Coon cat on this website. They are about the Maine Coon cat's appearance, character and health. You'll also see some great pictures if you follow these links:
- The main page on Maine Coon cats with links to the other pages.
- A great slide show of the best pictures by the best photographer of the best cats - true....see for yourself.
- Maine Coon cat colors an overview on the coat colors and patterns allowed by the cat registries.
- Orange Maine Coon cats are great looking, see some here.
- Large Maine Coons - This breed is the biggest in the CFA register but there are probably some exaggerated claims going on. See some large Maine Coons here but they are not giants. This cat is more long and flexible than pure bulk.
- Maine Coon health issues are always important. Most people consider them important to very important when selecting a cat breed and some cat breeds are healthier than others.
- MC cat facts - an overview of this famous cat breed with links.
 |
| Maine Coon cat - photo copyright Helmi Flick |
And now down to Maine Coon Cat Rescue:
You will find and see Maine Coon cats in your search for rescue cat. Lots of them will not be purebred or have a pedigree. They will be mixed breed cats with some Maine Coon. If you don't mind this, it's great as the cat doesn't mind either. In fact the cat doesn't know whether he or she is purebred, it is completely irrelevant to a cat and adopting a cat is always about what is best for the cat.
Another point. There are fewer rescue operations than breeders. It is easier to find a purebred Maine Coon than a rescued one. And rescued ones could be mixed breed. The reason is money. Breeders are essentially in it to make money. Rescue is run by volunteers. If there was more money in rescue there would be less rescue cats.
Purebred Cat Rescue
However, if you do really want to keep a purebred Maine Coon, I have a fairly comprehensive page on the website that lists a lot of ways to find one from specialist purebred cat rescue centers, to non-purebred organizations and Yahoo Groups of which there are a considerable number. Click on the sub-heading link above to go to this information.
Here are some Maine Coon cat rescue organizations by country. A lot of the organizations do not ship (for the sake of the cat) so location of the cats and distance is all important. The location of the Maine Coon cat rescue organizations is not always relevant as it doesn't tell you where the cats are unless they have a proper shelter facility:
-UK-
The Maine Coon Cat Club has a re-homing section. I don't know how current the page is and there are only 2 cats available at the time of this post but this is a nice and valuable service. They say where the cats currently are.
-USA-
Texas Maine Coon Rescue and Friends
I have a personal interest in this rescue center as some of the proceeds of revenue from this website goes towards a monthly payment to this shelter. Click on the link to see where the money goes. See also donations to Texas Maine Coon Rescue. Here is a picture of me and Christie at her place of work with one of the rescue cats. He is not a Maine Coon cat as this rescue group handle all breeds including Maine Coons.
Photo above: Christie Montgomery on the left who runs Texas Maine Coon Cat Rescue with me on the right with Meeney a lovely boy cat. He is not a Maine Coon just a great and lively cat. He was in the cage to the left for customers to the shop to see. The boarding cattery attached to the shop where Christie works also boards some of the rescue cats. Other rescue cats stay with foster people.
United Maine Coon Cat Rescue League
I really don't know how current this operation is as "recent placements" are dated August 2006! The website when visited at the date of this post has faults so I am not sure about this rescue operation. I am not sure where they are located. This really should be clear from the beginning.
Maine Coon Rescue
This seems to be the premier Maine Coon cat rescue in the USA. They work with Petfinder to publish available cats and have a Yahoo group. I'd certainly recommend joining their Yahoo Group. They are located in Franklin, Kentucky.
Maine Coon Rescue Alliance
This group of volunteers seem to be active recently, which is a good sign. The website indicates activity in re-homing cats in June 2008. As expected and mentioned above the cats in their charge are Maine Coon mixed breed cats, so not purebreds. They are needy and lovely cats all the same. This group is located in Austin, Texas although that doesn't mean much sometimes as many rescue centers/groups are simply making arrangements from a base and the cats are located elsewhere in various places. The catchment areas though will be Texas.
Arizona Maine Coon Cat Rescue
Once again I have difficulty in working out how current things are on this website. Located Scottsdale, Arizona. So I guess the catchment area in Arizona.
Maine Coon Adoptions - Cat Rescue Northern California
Adopt a Maine Coon Cat. This rescue center produces videos of their rescue cats needing rehoming. Here is one of their cats for adoption at 24-2-09:
Maine Coon kitten -the cats photographed by Helmi are show cats. This cat probably isn't but I love the expression, very Maine Coon and so much a cat. Photo copyright Vironevaeh
Yahoo Groups
Yahoo Groups are a network of people working in the field of cat rescue (in this case for the Maine Coon) and those people looking to adopt. In fact, anyone interested for whatever reason in Maine Coon cat rescue. You'll need to join with the administrator's permission but this is usually a formality (but not always).
Some of these groups may be part of the organizations listed above but I don't think they are. One last point, I have selected these. A number of groups have memberships that are too small to be useful, which I have rejected. These have substantial memberships and activity as a result.
Maine Coon Alliance Rescue Network
This group seems active; 22 new messages in the last 7 days. This group will also educate people (if they feel they need it). You can learn a lot from the best Yahoo Groups. I don't know how good they are but activity levels are important obviously.
MCATS: The PEDIGREED MAINE COON CAT
This is not a Maine Coon cat rescue group but a network of people who want to exchange information about pedigree Maine Coon cats. You might therefore get some ideas about adoption. Nice and active with 48 messages in 7 days.
Maine Coon cat rescue to Maine Coon Cats
Friday, 13 June 2008
Orange Maine Coon
Orange Maine Coon or in other words a Red Maine Coon cat. This is a solid red Maine Coon cat although you can see the faint banding on the legs. Photo copyright Helmi Flick
I dedicate this short post to a cat only a few people knew in his short life. He caught a killer infection apparently and died only weeks old some times in late 2007. Here is his picture:
Photo copyright Great Beyond (published under creative commons). His name was Skyfire. He is 5 months old in this photo. He had an estimated 3 weeks to live. He stopped eating shortly after this photo was taken. His coat looks like a red mackerel tabby and white or a red classic tabby and white. As it is faint it may be due to being a kitten or be cameo (silver). We'll meet you over the rainbow bridge one day and love you again.
The red or orange color (orange is a more accurate description I think but cat fanciers call orange, red), is the result of the actions of the O orange gene, which is sex linked. The O gene is carried on the X chromosome. Females have 2 X chromsomes and males have one X chromsome. Females therefore can carry 2 O genes, which results in the cat being red.
Update 4th March 2010: I believe that the above is incorrect regarding females being orange as there is apparently a 3:1 ratio of males to females that are red. You can see another red Maine Coon on this page: Orange female Maine Coon. On the linked page I talk some more on the prevalence of males to females being orange.
The O gene makes cats red as it converts the black pigment, which is called eumelanin, to phaeomelanin and orange pigment giving us an Orange Maine Coon cat.
Red classic or mackerel (can't see the body or perhaps an expert can tell by the face) tabby Maine Coon cat and white. Photo copyright Vironevaeh.
This is another handsome Maine Coon cat. The cat associations allow an extraordinary range of colors for the purebred Maine Coon cat. The cat at the top of the page photographed by Helmi is almost certainly a purebred cat while the other 2 here are probably not but I don't know.
Associated page:
My affectionate Orange Maine Coon
Orange Maine Coon to Maine Coon cats
Thursday, 12 June 2008
Big Maine Coon Cat
The big Maine Coon cat (MC) is very impressive and the biggest purely domestic cat in the world (I am excluding the wildcat hybrids) but not all Maine Coons are huge. The MC is also the largest native American purebred cat. I suppose that is obvious.
Sometimes people think that Maine Coons weight 30-40 lbs (13.5 to 18 kgs). This is not true. One breeder says that the average female MC weighs between 8-12 pounds and males weigh up to 18 pounds. These are cats in good condition.
Obviously fat MCs are going to weigh 25 lbs sometimes. The shaggy fur covering a long lean body probably adds to the impression of size. Also when you compare them with some of the svelte, slender and slight modern oriental style cats they look enormous. I am thinking of the Oriental Shorthair for example.
That said the Maine Coon below has a head which is similar in size to the head of the person carrying him - there are some huge Maine Coons:
It can take 4-5 years for an MC to reach maximum size. The factors that dictate size are genetics (selective breeding probably played a part here too), diet and exercise! Intact males (not neutered) are more likely to achieve higher weights in meeting the cat's full potential due to the contribution of the cat's hormones to his development. By contrast a male cat that is breeding may have reduced coat density making him look smaller.
Other than selective breeding since the late 1800s to the present (the duration of the cat fancy) what makes the Maine Coon so big? Well this cat is not as big as people think as mentioned. Secondly, if the Maine Coon originates in ships cats imported from Europe about 400 years ago, these cats were probably large in the first place and then they developed/evolved naturally as farm cats. The farm cat/mouser lifestyle probably lead to the natural selection of larger cats.
Jordy the 5 year old Maine Coon above, full name: Nascat Jordache of Coonoquan was featured in the Atlanta Magazine in 2007. Does be look a little bit overweight? Apparently he has a very laid back character and looks regal. He does look docile and well mannered in this picture.
Photo above: The judge said the cat "unfolds" indicating that Maine Coons are long and flexible more than simply big. Many breeders testify to their MCs being 5 feet from nose to tail (about 1.5 meters).
Photo above: His name is Shooter. I think he is the biggest Maine Coon I've seen - photo is copyright wendyophoto - this is a very impressive photograph. Wendy says, "This HDR was made from a single RAW photo taken at ISO 1600". See this image in large format. See also a lot of Maine Coon cats and great information.
There is a certain fascination with big animals including cats. In the UK there is the perennial sighting of the escaped big cat roaming around some parkland or farmland in the dusk. We never see evidence other than a poor quality picture. There are supposed to be dozens of wild beasts in England and someone I recall is setting up remote cameras to try and get that elusive evidence. Some think they might be large feral domestic cats. People do tend to exaggerate what they have seen.
In the same vein there is a fascination about the Maine Coon cat's size. We know that this breed can throw up some big cats but they are not all that big normally. And in any event if we are to compare cat breeds we should look at the average weight of male and female cats of each cat breed. The averages are much less than the one off large male.
All that said the Maine Coon is the largest cat breed if you're talking about CFA registered purebred cats. TICA register more cats and some are wild cat/domestic cat hybrids such as the Savannah and an F1 or F2 Savannah is bigger than a Maine Coon normally. The world's tallest "pet cat" was Magic an F1 Savannah of great presence.
You'll get some oddities caused by an illness and you'll get some very fat cats, one is illustrated on this page. These are larger than normal but not for the right reasons. It is, I feel, rather pointless to isolate large domestic cats that are large because they are overweight or ill. Worse it is a kind of freak show.
One classic way of breeding larger domestic cats is through hybridization with wildcats as they are sometimes but not always larger than domestic cats. In fact I made a comparison between the large domestic cats and wild cats on the page linked to above. The Savannah is the classic large domestic cat/wildcat hybrid at F1-2 level. The thing is, it is impractical to have domestic cats that are large beyond a certain threshold as keeping them requires special arrangements. In addition breeders need to breed the wildcat hybrids back to domestic cats for character. You can't really live with a wild cat in the house. This automatically reduces the size of the cat.
Abnormally large domestic cats of any breed including the Maine Coon is unlikely to happen because selective breeding over the years has dramatically narrowed the gene pool. Purebred cats often have a high Coefficient of Inbreeding as breeders search for the perfect appearance. This limits the occurrence of oddities in regards to size.
Apparently a Maine Coon has been 49 inches in length, that is about 4 feet. The world's longest domestic cat (now deceased sadly and he died young) was Stewie a Maine Coon at 48 and one half of an inch. Maine Coon cats are actually long rather than purely big. So a big Maine Coon cat will be very long and this is amply demonstrated in the pictures.
One last thing, photographic evidence requires some sort of scale to compare size with. A very big Maine Coon cat would look small against a very large person. And similarly you cannot tell a big Maine Coon cat from a photograph unless there is something in the picture to compare size with. There are also a number of hoax photographs on the internet. These are photographs manipulated using Photo shop type software.
Each picture on this page have been selected as showing a big Maine Coon cat with something to scale by (except for Jordy! but his weight is recorded as correct). It is for that reason I am showing people where possible as well as cats in the photograph.
All the photos are published here under creative commons licenses granted by the photographers and each is credited below as requested under the terms of the license.
Update 30 March 2010:
Here is another big Maine Coon cat being shown off for his or her size:
Go to the Largest Domestic cat breed analysis
Photos - note: the credits have been superceded by the inclusion of fresh pictures in the public domain:
That said the Maine Coon below has a head which is similar in size to the head of the person carrying him - there are some huge Maine Coons:
It can take 4-5 years for an MC to reach maximum size. The factors that dictate size are genetics (selective breeding probably played a part here too), diet and exercise! Intact males (not neutered) are more likely to achieve higher weights in meeting the cat's full potential due to the contribution of the cat's hormones to his development. By contrast a male cat that is breeding may have reduced coat density making him look smaller.
Other than selective breeding since the late 1800s to the present (the duration of the cat fancy) what makes the Maine Coon so big? Well this cat is not as big as people think as mentioned. Secondly, if the Maine Coon originates in ships cats imported from Europe about 400 years ago, these cats were probably large in the first place and then they developed/evolved naturally as farm cats. The farm cat/mouser lifestyle probably lead to the natural selection of larger cats.
 |
| 25 lb Maine Coon - Jordy - He was a national champ in 2004 |
Photo above: The judge said the cat "unfolds" indicating that Maine Coons are long and flexible more than simply big. Many breeders testify to their MCs being 5 feet from nose to tail (about 1.5 meters).
Photo above: His name is Shooter. I think he is the biggest Maine Coon I've seen - photo is copyright wendyophoto - this is a very impressive photograph. Wendy says, "This HDR was made from a single RAW photo taken at ISO 1600". See this image in large format. See also a lot of Maine Coon cats and great information.
In the same vein there is a fascination about the Maine Coon cat's size. We know that this breed can throw up some big cats but they are not all that big normally. And in any event if we are to compare cat breeds we should look at the average weight of male and female cats of each cat breed. The averages are much less than the one off large male.
All that said the Maine Coon is the largest cat breed if you're talking about CFA registered purebred cats. TICA register more cats and some are wild cat/domestic cat hybrids such as the Savannah and an F1 or F2 Savannah is bigger than a Maine Coon normally. The world's tallest "pet cat" was Magic an F1 Savannah of great presence.
Abnormally large domestic cats of any breed including the Maine Coon is unlikely to happen because selective breeding over the years has dramatically narrowed the gene pool. Purebred cats often have a high Coefficient of Inbreeding as breeders search for the perfect appearance. This limits the occurrence of oddities in regards to size.
Apparently a Maine Coon has been 49 inches in length, that is about 4 feet. The world's longest domestic cat (now deceased sadly and he died young) was Stewie a Maine Coon at 48 and one half of an inch. Maine Coon cats are actually long rather than purely big. So a big Maine Coon cat will be very long and this is amply demonstrated in the pictures.
 |
| At a CFA cat show. Tabby and white. Photo by semarr |
One last thing, photographic evidence requires some sort of scale to compare size with. A very big Maine Coon cat would look small against a very large person. And similarly you cannot tell a big Maine Coon cat from a photograph unless there is something in the picture to compare size with. There are also a number of hoax photographs on the internet. These are photographs manipulated using Photo shop type software.
Each picture on this page have been selected as showing a big Maine Coon cat with something to scale by (except for Jordy! but his weight is recorded as correct). It is for that reason I am showing people where possible as well as cats in the photograph.
All the photos are published here under creative commons licenses granted by the photographers and each is credited below as requested under the terms of the license.
 |
| Big Fingol - almost 28 lbs - Photo by Jackdaw (Flickr) |
Update 30 March 2010:
Here is another big Maine Coon cat being shown off for his or her size:
Go to the Largest Domestic cat breed analysis
Photos - note: the credits have been superceded by the inclusion of fresh pictures in the public domain:
- 3rd down on right this cat according to the person in the photo weighed about 25 lbs, the top end for a Maine Coon cat. copyright BeryIM
- 4th down shows how long the Maine Coon can be copyright BeryIM
- 5th down well yes a big Maine Coon Cat and fat one too - copyright Foxtonque
- 6th down another large cat but the scaling is misleading because the cat is nearer the camera. photo copyright semarr. Taken at a CFA cat show
Maine Coon Cat Colors
Above: Daydream van Siduroy a Black Tabby Classic with White, for me one of the nicer Maine Coon cat colors. This fine cat lives with Dani and Rick at cattery Yeri Shaes in the Netherlands. The photograph is by Dani and is copyright Dani.
You don't want me to list all the Maine Coon cat colors with photographs do you? That would be a bit tricky as the cat associations allow a very wide range of colors for the purebred Maine Coon breed. It is almost limitless. However....
Gloria Stephens in her book Legacy of the Cat says that the Maine Coon colours are:
- Traditional color: Black, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, fawn, red, cream and white.
- Sepia and mink color: seal, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, fawn, red and cream.
- Pointed color: seal, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, fawn, red and cream.
- Pattern: solid colour, tortoiseshell, agouti tabby, mackerel tabby, spotted tabby, classic tabby, silver, tipped colour and parti-colour.
The Maine Coon is recognised in all colours and divisions of the traditional category. Early Maine Coons were brown tabbies. Patterns and colours were added as the breed developed.
 |
| These three are probably siblings. Two have a very unusual coat pattern with a dark mask over the face while the third is a grey tabby. All three are tabbies, however. |
The range of colors does depend a bit on the association though, as there are some restrictions. For example although the CFA list over three pages the various colors and patterns, they do say that in competition a cat will be disqualified if there is evidence of white lockets (small patch of white in the chest), white buttons or white spots. The same fate awaits cats with signs of hybridization (crossing/mating with another cat breed) that results in the Himalayan pattern (pointed), the all over ticked coat of the Abyssinian and chocolate or lavender colors. Other than that for the CFA anything pretty much goes and you can see the entire list if you click on this link.
Here are the CFA colors. It is a very long list which I have presented poorly but completely!
Brown tabby, brown patched tabby, silver tabby, silver patched tabby, red tabby, blue-silver tabby, blue-silver patched tabby, blue patched tabby, cream tabby, cream silver tabby, cameo tabby, brown tabby and white, brown patched tabby and white, silver patched tabby and white, red tabby and white, tabby and white, patched tabby and white, black and white, blue and white, red and white, cream and white, tortoiseshell, blue-cream, calico, dilute calico, tortoiseshell and white, blue-cream and white, chinchilla silver, chinchilla blue silver, shaded blue silver, shell cameo, shaded cameo, shell cream, shaded cream, shell tortoiseshell, shaded tortoiseshell, shell blue-cream, shaded blue-cream, black smoke, blue smoke, cameo smoke, cream smoke, tortie smoke, blue-cream smoke, chinchilla silver and white, shaded silver and white, chinchilla blue silver and white, shaded blue silver and white, shell cameo and white, shaded cameo and white, shell cream and white, shaded cream and white, shell tortoiseshell and white, shaded tortoiseshell and white, shell calico, shaded calico, shell blue-cream and white, shaded blue-cream and white, shell dilute calico, shaded dilute calico, black smoke and white, blue smoke and white, cameo smoke and white, cream smoke and white, tortoiseshell smoke and white, blue-cream smoke and white, calico smoke, dilute calico smoke, OMCCC - other Maine Coon cat colours.
As for TICA all colors are acceptable with a penalty in competition of a cat that has lockets (as for the CFA). They also say the cats with "particolors should have white feet. Particolors as I understand it and as listed by the Maine Coon Breeders and Cat Fanciers Association are cats with these colors: Tortoiseshell, Calico (Tortoiseshell and white), Blue/cream calico, Blue/cream, Blue/cream white and the Van pattern.The combined set of colors could be bracketed as per the Maine Coon Breeders and Cat Fanciers Association:
Solid, Parti Colors, Bi-Colors, Tabbies, Tabbies with White, Shaded, Shaded with White
The GCCF recognizes over 60 Maine Coon Cat Colors. All colors come with or without white. For example, a black Maine Coon with white would be bicolor and a Tuxedo possibly (if the white was down the chest). The GCCF Standard of Points states that the colors include: solids, tortoiseshell, tabby mackerel and classic tabby patterns - without and with silver, shaded coats and smoke coats, particolor and bicolor,
I don't have access (because of copyright laws) to photos of all the colors but I can do three things:
- Show a slide show of some great champion Maine Coon cats in a variety of coat colors.
- Links to some other pages on this site about cat coats generally.
- Links to the relevant pages of the cat associations or clubs with their list of colors and pictures.
The original slide show is busted because Google stopped running the software. Below is a substitute which shows some Maine Coons:
Links to pages on cat coats:
- Black
- Tabby
- Torbie
- Dilution
- Black Tortoiseshell
- Tortie Torbie and white
- Tabby and White
- White
- Solid and White (bicolor)
- [UK] The Maine Coon Cat Club - this is the UK club affiliated to the GCCF. Click Maine Coon Cat Colors for their gallery of colors.
- [USA] Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Assocation. Their list of colors
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Maine Coon Cat Facts
Here are the most important facts as I see it:
Size - Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when you think about this cat breed is her size. This is a major factor in this cat's popularity. By my reckoning (at that of most others) the Maine Coon is the biggest domestic cat breed. But it is not quite as straightforward as that. This is because if you work out the largest cat breed by cat association you are bound to include the Savannah under TICA, for example. And the Savannah rivals the Maine Coon for size. If you bring into the equation the first-generation Savannahs as I think you must for the Savannah as people like first generation wildcat/domestic cat hybrids, then the Savannah is the biggest cat breed under TICA. See more analysis on this page on the sizes of the breeds.
 |
| Huge Maine Coon silver tabby with black feet. Image in the public domain. |
History - Another important element in the makeup of this cat is her history, particularly for Americans. The Maine Coon is a natural cat. That's a stand out plus factor in the modern world of the cat fancy when there seems to be an increase in the number of hybrid cats born out of a desire in the cat fancy to create another cat. It is possible that the beginnings of this cat in the USA originate in the importation of the Norwegian Forest Cat from Norway with the Vikings.
That is the classic story anyway and it makes some sense as they are very similar cats. Indeed, they may have been identical but cat breeders would have had to separate them if they were to be two distinct breeds. Any difference may be to do with selective breeding rather than natural evolution. If I am wrong, please tell me by commenting.
There are though a gazillion stories about how the Maine Coon came about. Some outrageous some more based on common sense, which are preferable. She is basically a hardy barn cat developed into a purebred stunner. I honestly think sometimes though that we have screwed up with the breeding.
Health - The wonderful pluses about this truly handsome cat (probably the best domestic cat breed if one was honest) is spoiled at least a bit by the health issues. It seems that purebred cats have more health issues than mixed breed cats. That may be because we talk about them more but it is probably true as the inbreeding and line breeding required to produce fine looking cats with the right attributes for that breed carries a downside, the manifestation of and breeding in of defects (sometimes).
A lot of cat breeds including moggies, I am told, suffer from heart disease.
Humans suffer from it too, but to what degree? And I have never seen or heard first hand of a mixed breed cat having a predisposition to heart disease but that is the case with a number of purebred cats (but not all purebred cats) including the Maine Coon. If it is a number of purebred cats that are predisposed to this disorder then it must be due to breeding.
Other purebreds that can contract HCM (a heart disease in which the heart muscle of the left ventricle thickens lessening the efficiency of the heart and causing illness) are the British Shorthair (another great and popular cat) and the Bengal cat (once again a very popular cat). Is this condition linked to popularity in some way?
Other health issues are a hip disorder causing lameness. This is more prevalent apparently than the heart disease. Gum disease is also mentioned but this affects many cats.
But it may affect Maine Coons more than others. It can be hard sometimes to get good information because (and this is completely understandable) cat breeders have a tendency to not be completely candid about defects in the breed with which they are concerned for commercial reason.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and patellar luxation also afflict this breed.
Character - Common sense tells us that all domestic cats and even wildcats are going to have similar characters. Their main characteristics are hard wired. There are differences from individual cat to individual cat which can mask any differences between breeds, which tend to be talked up by breeders to distinguish one breed from another.
A well socialized Maine Coon will have a nicely balanced character. I don't think you'll have a problem provided your behavior towards your cat is appropriate.
A couple of points are worth raising. She may be smarter than average (a legacy of her semi-feral heritage?). She likes water (or some do) as well. This also seems to be a legacy of cats used to fending for themselves (e.g., wildcat hybrids). Read more here.
When you watch judges handle the best cats at the shows and see how tolerant the cats are it confirms how fine the character is of a well brought up.
Appearance - What can you say but compliment the beautiful coat that this cat has. Very touchable. Very strokable. There is a huge range of allowable colors and patterns. Are there any restrictions? - there seems not, but the CFA lists out the colors so I guess it is not a completely open situation. You very commonly see this cat in a tabby coat, but a very well-defined coat and special version of this much loved and practical coat type.
Great tail and great ears too (love the tufts at the top of the ear and the "ear furnishings"). Oh, and the hair growing between the toes, love that too (see above).
Popularity - As at the date of this post (2008 and this could change a bit over time). The Maine Coon is the second most popular cat, just fractionally behind the Abyssinian (another balanced all round cat of natural origins). As at 2022 the MC is third most popular by one major poll. The breed maintains its standing.
Go to the home page and vote to see the rankings (when you vote you are taken to the rankings for all the cat breeds). You can also go to the breeds categorization page to vote and see the top 10 most popular breeds.
Maine Coon Cat Facts to Maine Coon Cats
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