Maine Coon Cat

By Joy Hinkson

This beautiful animal is 9 yrs old and treasured companion to Buck and Idella. They purchased him from a Maine Coon breeder on the recommendation of their veterinarian.

Buck says that Kimmie was a lively kitten, entertaining them with his antics and playfulness. He liked to get into cupboards and soon learned how to open the cupboard doors and drawers to retrieve his toys. Idella says that if her clothes closet door is open a crack she knows for sure that Kimmie is there taking a nap. They laughingly call him their “closet cat”. He maintains a lively curiosity and Idella has to be sure to stow visitors purses and packages out of sight least Kimmie open them to investigate. We had trouble getting him to pose for his portrait until he discovered my camera case, this took a great deal of looking into on his part affording me the time to snap a few pictures. Buck who likes to fool around in Print Shop made an adorable card called a Buc-0-Gram featuring Kimmie and his history. I had been curious about Maine Coons since I was introduced to my cousin’s Coon cat. I loved the history proffered by Buc’s card but decided to check on the “net” also. Buc cites one of a number of legends that surround the Coon cat’s origins featuring Marie Antoinette. This is what I found out. The Coon is one of the oldest breeds in North America, the Maine Coon is generally regarded as a native of the state of Maine and is the official Maine State cat. A native American long haired cat the Maine Coon was recognized as a specific breed in Maine where they were held in high regard for their mousing talent. This breed has developed naturally into a sturdy cat ideally suited to the harsh winters and varied seasons of the region. One of the legends that surround its origin is the wide spread though biologically impossible belief that it originated from the mating between semi-wild, domestic cats and raccoons. This myth, bolstered by the bushy tail and the most common coloring (a raccoon-like brown tabby) led to the adoption of the name Maine Coon. Originally only brown tabbies were called Maine Coon Cats; cats of other colors were referred to as Maine Shags. The following is the Marie Antoinette theory.

(The Legacy of Queen Marie Antoinette)

by Buck Webber

Before Queen Marie Antoinette had her ill-fated date with the guillotine, she had acquired several longhaired Angora cats from Turkey.  According to legend, her prized pets were to be sent ahead, to French Canada with other personal items, as she and King Louis XVI prepared to flee from the French Revolutionaries. Unfortunately, only her belongings escaped. As her cargo ship neared the American coast of Maine, her Captain, fearful of the consequences he would receive for transporting the Queen’s valuables, dumped the royal cargo over the side, and released the cats on the nearest shore. Unknowingly he had introduced a new breed of cat to America. Because of the raccoon like looks and markings, the locals began calling them the Maine Coon Cat.

Most breeders today believe that the breed originated in mating between pre existing shorthair domestic cats and overseas longhairs (perhaps Angora types introduced by New England seamen, or longhairs brought to America by the Vikings). Interestingly, the breed closest to the Maine Coon is the Norwegian Forest Cat which, although geographically distant, evolved in much the same climate, and lends credence to the theory that some of the cats responsible for developing the Maine Coon were brought over by the Vikings.

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 cats. They rarely meow but have a distinctive, chirping trill of which they use for everything from courting to cajoling their people into playing with them. While Maine Coons are highly people-oriented they are not, as a general rule, known as “lap cats” Most Maine Coons will stay close by, probably occupying the chair next to yours. They like to hang out with you and will follow you from room to room, waiting outside a closed door till you emerge. Coons will be your companion, your buddy, your pal but hardly ever your baby. The males tend to be clowns, the females retain more dignity but both remain playful throughout their lives.  Affectionately referred to as “the gentle giant”, the Maine Coon is one of the largest breeds of domestic cat, and is known for its great intelligence, playfulness, gentle nature, and distinctive physical appearance. They use their front paws extensively and easily learn to open cabinet doors, and, in the case of Kimmie, purses and packages. Maine Coons have medium-long, dense fur, with longer hair, or a ruff, on their chests similar to the mane of a lion. They are large cats growing to as much as 40 inches long, and can weigh up to 25 lbs. They are also distinguished by their long, bushy tail and large ears of which are tipped by tufts of fur.