The ancestral origins of the Maine Coon are unknown there is only speculation and folk tales. One such folk tale involves Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, who was executed in 1793. The story goes that 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 favourite Turkish Angora cats. Although she did not make it to the United States, her pets safely reached the shores of Wiscasset, Maine, where they bred with other short-haired breeds and developed into the modern breed of the Maine Coon.
Another folk tale involves Captain Charles Coon, an English seafarer who kept long-haired cats aboard his ships. Whenever Coon's ship would anchor in 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."
A myth which is trait-based, though genetically impossible, is the idea that the modern Maine Coon descended from ancestors of semi-feral domestic cats and raccoons. This myth would account for the common colour of the breed (brown tabby) and its bushy tail. Another idea is that the Maine Coon originated between the mating of domestic cats and wild bobcats, which could explain the tufts of hairs that are so commonly seen on the tips of the ears.
Maine Coons are the largest breed of domestic cat. 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 three to five years old, while other cats take about only one year.
The breed of the Maine Coon is large framed with a square outline of the head, large ears, broad chest, solid bones structure, a long, hard muscled rectangular body and a long flowing tail. Good muscle tone and density give the cat the appearance of the power and robustness. All colour varieties of the coat are permitted except pointed patterns, lilac, fawn, chocolate and cinnamon, with or without any of amounts of white parts. All eye colours are allowed.
Maine Coons are known as the "gentle giants" and possess above-average intelligence, making them relatively easy to train. They are known for being loyal to their family and cautious—but not mean—around strangers, but are independent and not clingy. 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, yet both are equally affectionate. Many Maine Coons have a fascination with water and some theorize that this personality trait comes from their ancestors, who were aboard ships for much of their lives. Maine Coons are also well known for being very vocal cats. They are known for their frequent yowling, chattering, chirping, "talking" (especially "talking back" to their owners), and making other loud vocalizations.
Copyright © 1996 - 2010, Sukova.org, a.s. Created by PLAYzone s.r.o.