Maine Coon

History of the Maine Coon The origin of this breed can be led back to the state Main in North-America, with its short summers, cold winters with thick snow layers and his rough climate. There are many stories about the past of the Maine Coon. There aren’t concrete evidences however and the origin of the only natural half-long-haired cat of North-America will always remain a mystery.
 

One of the most famous legends is the legend of the crossing between a house cat and a raccoon. The tail of the Maine Coon resembles the luxuriant and striped tail of the raccoon. A crossing between these animals is however impossible.

Another theory is that the house cat would have been crossed with local “bobcats” in Maine. In the region Maine there are many wild cats amongst others the Bobcat, the Lynx and other small wild cats. There are reports of eye witnesses who had seen the mating between the cats. Bobcat kittens resemble the present Maine Coon kittens by a solid body, powerful paws and plumes on the ears. This is a more plausible idea than the mixture with a raccoon. However, the mentioned wild cat has a short blunt tail; this could not lead to the full long tail of the Maine Coon.

The most romantic myth concerning the origin of the Maine Coon is the one about Captain Samuel Clough from Wiscasset (Maine), Marie Antoinette (queen of France) and her royal cats. Documents prove that plots were machinated during the French Revolution in order to bring the queen from France to the USA with the cooperation of the captain. The queen would live with the captain and his family; the letters he wrote to his wife to make his house as comfortable as possible for the queen still exist. It is a fact, that the captain had various expensive things on board of his ship, amongst others six royal long-haired cats. After the decapitation of Marie Antoinette in France nobody claimed the royal things; the cats stayed in Maine and some people consider them the ancestors of the Maine Coon.

There also is a theory about the Norwegian wildcat which was taken by the Vikings on their journeys to the USA. The cats resemble each other heavily and since the sailors often kept cats on their ship in order to avoid rodent plagues, it is possible that they used the Norwegian wildcats, which are good hunters, for this.

The evolution theory is the most plausible of all these nice legends and myths which causes a natural selection. The first cats were taken with ships to the USA, where they came ashore and wandered around. Animals adapt themselves to their surroundings and the climate which exists. The weak animals died, the strong survived and adapted themselves to the cold climate of Maine.  The inhabitants of the state Maine took charge of the cat and used the cat on their farms to hunt the rodents.

Long before the well-known cat exhibitions started (around 1830), the inhabitants of Maine already organized festivals and markets. The Maine Coon cats were also present. The festivals grew into various matches around 1860 amongst others beauty contests between the “Coons”, like they were called at that time.

In 1870 the Maine Coon was acknowledged as a breed on the larger cat shows. The Maine Coon was a beloved cat on these exhibitions. As the exhibitions became more popular the interest for exotic European cat breeds grew. The Maine Coon became less popular after being declared Best in Show in 1911. Admirers of the breed put the Maine Coon back on the stage again around 1970. At this moment this breed is one of the most popular ones in Holland.

The character of the Maine Coon
The Maine Coon is known for his huge adaptability qua surroundings; he can live in an apartment but can also enjoy the open air. The Maine Coon can get along with cats and dogs and is used to new roommates fast

They are always good-humored and are often described as the clown among the cats with their funny caprioles and tricks. They can amuse themselves for hours with the smallest flies and balls of paper. Maine Coons can sleep in, at first sight, impossible positions; you will often find them sleeping on their back.
The wild, impressive appearance covers a soft character, which isn’t obtrusive but enjoys human attention. They remain playful until they are old and sometimes forget their size while playing around. They don’t lie on your lap often but always remain in your neighborhood.

They are intelligent and are very interested in their surroundings; a bit curious even. Most Maine Coons love streaming water and they don’t even hate a rain shower. Typical features of Maine Coons are “talking” to their owners and eating with their forepaws; they actually shovel the food out of the eating trough.

Most people are surprised when they hear the soft voice of the Maine Coon for the first time. You would expect a totally different sound if you look at the size and appearance of the cat. Most Maine Coon owners will tell you that once they purchased a Maine Coon, they don’t wish anything else ever again. People jokingly talk about the Coon Virus.