Maine Coon

Overview

The Maine Coon is North America's only native longhaired cat breed and one of the oldest natural breeds on the continent, believed to have descended from longhaired cats brought by Viking explorers or New England seafarers. They are among the largest domestic cats, and the CFA notes it is not unusual for a mature male to reach or exceed 20 pounds, with females usually smaller. They are known for tufted ears, bushy raccoon-like tails, and a repertoire of chirps and trills, though the CFA describes them as fairly independent and not a talkative breed, which sits awkwardly with the popular dog-like framing. The size has a documented cost: the severity of feline hip dysplasia in the breed is genetically correlated with body mass, so selecting for the gentle giant look selects for worse hips at the same time.

Quick Facts

History

The breed had a show career, lost it, and won it back. A dozen were entered at a Boston show in January 1878, and in May 1895 a brown tabby female named Cosey took Best Cat at the Madison Square Garden national show, winning an engraved silver collar the CFA Foundation still holds. Imported longhairs then took over the ring: the last major Maine Coon win came in Portland, Oregon in 1911, and the cats drifted into the any-other-variety class and out of the registries. Declared extinct in the late 1950s, a claim the CFA calls exaggerated, they were kept in front of the public by the Central Maine Cat Club until CFA granted provisional status in 1975 and championship in 1976.

Fun Facts