Maine Coon is a breed of cat and is recognized as the largest domestic cat breed. It is one of the oldest natural cat breed in North America. Maine Coon is  the official state cat of native to the state of Maine. It is one of the most popular cat breeds in the world.Sometimes it’s cited as ” dog like ” characteristics.

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Origin

The origins of Maine Coon are unknown. But there are several speculation and folk tales about the origins of Maine Coon. One such folk tale relates with the queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Before her death she wanted to escape France with the help of Captain Samuel Clough. So she loaded Clough’s ship with valuable things. Her most favorite six ”Turkish Angora” cats were also taken into the ship. Through she failed her mission but her cats safely reached the shores of ”Wisc asset” and breed with other short haired breeds.
Another folk tale is Captain Charles Coon, an sailor man kept long haired cat into his ship. When he anchored his ship his cat mate with the local feral cat. They produce long haired kittens. These kittens were referred to as one of ”Coon’s cat”. There are also some other myth about the origin of “Maine Coon”. But the most accepted hypothesis is that Maine Coon is originated from the local short haired domestic cat and long haired breeds brought possibly by Captain Charles Coon.

Physical Appearance

The Maine Coon is a large cat breed.Head of Maine Coon is medium in length and width. Cheek bones high.Nose is medium in length. Eyes are large,wide with green, gold or copper shades.White cat may be blue or odd eyes. Ears are large,moderately pointed and wide at base. Body is long, medium to large in size with a squareness to the rump.Legs are medium in length, paws are large and round.Tail is long and equal to body length.

Coat Color

This is basically a long or medium haired cat.The coat is very soft and silky. It has lion like hair around their neck. Hair is short near the head and shoulders but long in the stomach. Their coat become thicker in winter and thinner in summer season. There is a great variation in their coat color. White, black, silver, golden and different types of shade is observed in their coat.

Weight And Height

Average males weigh is 5.9 kg to 8.2 kg.Average females weigh is 3.6 kg to 5.4 kg. The height of the adults can vary between 10 to 16 inch or 25 to 41 cm. With tail its length is about 48 inch or about 120 cm.It’s body is supporting enough to support it’s weight.

Temperament And Personality

Maine Coon is very intelligence, playful and gentle personality. Sometimes it’s cited as ” dog like ” characteristics. They are playful throughout their lives. Males are more clownish.Females are possessing more dignity. They are both very affectionate.They have great attraction for water. They have a very loud vocal sound.They also retain their skill as a mouser. No rodents will be safe in a home where a Maine Coon lives. As well as any cat they can climb but usually prefer to stay on ground level.

Maine coon is very friendly and typically curious cat nature. They are very social cat and love his family member. Sometimes they follow them around the house. They are happy to receive attention but never demanding on their full attention. This cat have also very friendly with other cats and cat friendly dog. They are very smart and will happily learn tricks or play with puzzle toys. They are also enjoy playing fetch and will retrieve small balls, toys or wadded-up pieces of paper.

Diet

Because of being a large cat , it needs ample protein and nutrients in their diet’s. For it’s high level of energy it is best to feed them quality food.Both dry food and wet food should be included in it’s diet.Dry food should be mixed in with the wet food only 2-3 times in a week. Grain foods should be avoided.Because grain can lead obesity and diabetes.Foods containing lists soy should be avoided.It is best for the cat to eat out of a glass or stainless.Plastic bowls sometimes cause allergies to cats.

Cat Shows

In 1895, Maine Coon were first entered into a cat show in Baston. A female Maine Coon brown tabby was entered into the cat show. It’s name was Cosey, owned by Mrs. Fred Braw. Cosey won the silver collar and medel. Later the silver collar was purchased by CFA with the help of the National Capital Cat show. It is now housed at the CFA central office.

Popularity

In beginning of 20th century, popularity of Maine Coon began to decrease. This time many long haired breed also introduced. In 1911 Maine Coon last participated in the cat show but won the competition. After 40 years in 1950, Maine Coon was declared extinct. After that CMCC (Central Maine Cat Club ) was taken attempt to increase the popularity of Maine Coon again. It worked hard to make Maine Coon compatible in championship competitions. In 1973 a club named Maine Coon Cat Club was formed.Finally in 1975 CFA accepted the Maine Coon under provisional status. After that ,the next couple of decades people saw a rise in popularity of this cat. It won different championship. In 1985 it was declared as the official state cat of the state of Maine.