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MAINE COON
BACKGROUND There are many legends about the origin of this natural and long-established American breed, some unlikely, and some genetically impossible. They include, in the unlikely category, the story that Marie Antoinette, at the start of the French Revolution in 1789, planned to flee to the United States and sent on her possessions, including her Persian or Angora cats, in advance. These cats, the story goes, escaped and interbred with American domestic or feral cats and the Maine Coon was the result. ORIGINS OF THE BREEDUnfortunately, there is no evidence at all for this romantic tale or for the theory, which gave the breed its name that the original Maine Coon kittens resulted from a liaison between a domestic cat and a raccoon. In any case, such a cross-species match is impossible. Slightly less unlikely is a mating between a domestic cat and the spotted wild bobcat, Felis rufus, which is to be found from southern Canada to central Mexico. Another idea is that the first Maine Coons were in fact, Norwegian Forest Cats which came to North America round about AD 1000 with the Viking explorers of Vinland. There is nothing to support this theory other than that it is quite likely that Leif Eriksson or his followers may have landed in Maine on their voyage to Vinland to the south. Yet again, a sea captain named Coon is said to have brought Angoras or Persians to North America in the early nineteenth century. Disregarding the captain’s name as a red herring, something like this is the most probable and simplest explanation for the Maine Coon: accidental crossbreeding between a domestic shorthair descended from one brought over by the early settlers and later imported escaped longhair. The mythology of the Maine Coon also extends to its size, with stories of cats of the past weighing up to 18 kg (40 lb). This, too, is unlikely, if only because life in the semi-wild is too harsh to permit a surplus of weight so far beyond the norm for the type, which is 5 – 7 kg (11 – 15 lb) and still makes the Maine Coon physically one of the largest breeds. The Maine Coon, however, has been one of the favourite farm and household cats for generations before it became a show cat. It’s reputation for agility, bravery and toughness is well merited, and its independence and resourcefulness match the pioneer spirit of the society from which it sprang. The Maine Coon has adapted to survive in harsh winter conditions. Maine is the most north-easterly of the United States, on the border with Canada, with an average annual snowfall of 211 cm (83 in) and frost for over seven months of the year, so it is not surprising that over the generations the Maine Coon developed a rugged coat and a solid build. CHARACTERISTICSNot surprisingly in a breed with such a long heritage, albeit much of it spent in obscurity, Maine Coons come in a vast range of colours and coat patterns – selfs (solids), tabbies, calicos, bi-colours, tortoiseshells, chinchillas, cameos and smokes, in white, black, blue, red and cream. The archetypal and original Maine Coon, however, and a show favourite still, is the classic (blotched) brown tabby. This and the plume-like tail are similar to the colouring of the raccoon, the tree-dwelling mammal common across North and Central America, and no doubt played a part in the naming of the breed as well as giving rise to the raccoon ancestry myth. COLOUR VARIETIESThere are no fewer than 25 acceptable colours, together with eight tabby colourings; in fact, Maine Coons come in all colours and patterns except for pointed colourings. The eyes may be green, gold or copper, with no relationship required between eye and coat colour. Whites (and whites only) may have blue or odd eyes. As with bi-coloured varieties of other breeds, American standards require that at least one-third of the body coat should be white, while the British standard is less demanding, though agreeing that the bib, stomach and all four paws must be white. TEMPERAMENTMaine Coons make excellent household cats, being good natured, quiet, adaptable and fun-loving. They often adopt one particular member of the family as a favourite. As one would expect with their backgrounds, they are champion hunters and really need access to the outside. Perhaps reflecting their semi-wild background, they are famous for choosing unusual places and positions for sleeping, and seem relatively impervious to cold conditions. Some are unusually adept with their paws, using them to play with water and even to eat. CAREGrooming is not particularly demanding, but the long hair on the stomach and chest tends to tangle. Maine Coons should be brushed and combed at least once a week, with any knots being gently teased out. The females usually have their litters – two or three is the most common number of kittens – without any problems. Maine Coon kittens are deceptive. They look like rather disorganised balls of fluff, nothing at all like the solid, no-nonsense cats that they will grow into, reaching maturity at about the age of four years. The fluff will be replaced by the heavy, shaggy coat, the apparently uncoordinated body will develop into a compact, broad-chested form, the tail will lengthen and grow its long, flowing adult hair, and in tabbies, the markings will become particularly strong. Information sourced from : The Encyclopaedia of The Cat by Michael Pollard For further information, check out these websites: http://www.fanciers.com/breed-faqs/maine-coon-faq.html http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/maine.html http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2250/nmcca.html
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