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'The Gentle Giant'. A story of an autistic child and a Maine Coon

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Title: The Gentle Giant. A story about a Maine Coon cat and an autistic boy. This is an entirely fictional story but based on the known benefits of companion animals to children on the autism spectrum in order to promote prosocial behaviours. In a quiet town nestled between rolling hills and dense forests, lived a young boy named Ethan. Ethan was a bright and curious child, but he faced the world differently than most. Diagnosed with severe autism, he found comfort in routines and struggled with social interactions. His parents, loving and supportive, sought ways to help him connect with the world around him. One sunny afternoon, while walking through the local animal shelter, Ethan’s eyes met those of a large, fluffy Maine Coon cat named Max. Max had a regal appearance with his tufted ears, bushy tail, and a coat that shimmered in the sunlight. But it was his gentle, understanding eyes that drew Ethan in. Without hesitation, Ethan reached out, and Max, sensing the boy’s need for comp...
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Online Maine Coon purchase NIGHTMARE

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This is a salutary warning to be extremely cautious about buying a Maine Coon cat or indeed any other purebred cat online. If you do buy online you really must do a load of careful research beforehand and be extremely cautious. Firstly I would strongly not recommend buying a Maine Coon cat online, sight unseen, without knowing the person who's Selling the cat/kitten. It frequently just doesn't work and here is a story from near Munich, Germany which supports what I said and indeed would any other sensible person would say. Although, I understand why people sometimes do purchase Maine Coon cats online without doing careful research. It's because they love Maine Coon cats. They desperately want to adopt a Maine Coon cat and make them part of their loving family. They might have aspired to living with a Maine Coon cat for a very long time. You see many stories on the Internet of superb Maine Coon cats living in great homes, living great lives with a loving caregiver. These enc...
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Location: Munich, Germany
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Hyped up story of a 'Maine Coon' who 'pants like a dog' at playtime

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A Maine coon kitten has gone viral on social media after her owners caught her unusual playtime behaviour on camera. Well, this whole story is a fabrication really.  Sorry to be a killjoy but I like reality. The internet has run out of ideas so it makes up stories. Normal. The news media describes this cat as a Maine Coon and, frankly, I don't see that this cat is a Maine Coon cat judging by its appearance. The appearance of this cat is of a standard calico cat. If the cat is a Maine Coon cat it is non-standard and would not pass the breed standard in my view. Secondly, although slightly unusual, it is not very rare for cats to pant like dogs. It happens all the time but often we don't notice it. Perhaps it is the comparison between cats and dogs which makes a cat panting look unusual and rather strange but in truth it is not. MORE: Cat panting - click for more on this . And lastly, the video hasn't gone viral. It's attracted some attention but nothing special because i...
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Cat breeds predisposed to diabetes includes Maine Coons

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Here are some questions and answers on cat breeds and contracting type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects more cats today than in the past because of there are more obese cats nowadays than in the past. The conclusion is that the Maine Coon is one of those breeds predisposed to feline type 2 diabetes which is very similar to human type 2 diabetes.  This is one of a list of inherited diseases (sorry for the bad news) that should be taken into consideration when adopting and considering the cost of caregiving which for this breed would normally include pet health insurance. Which cat breeds are predisposed to contracting diabetes? Some cat breeds that are known to have a higher predisposition to developing diabetes include: 1. Maine Coon - This breed has a genetic tendency towards insulin resistance and obesity, both of which are risk factors for feline diabetes. 2. Norwegian Forest Cat - Like the Maine Coon, this breed is prone to obesity and insulin resistance, increasing their ris...
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Story about a Maine Coon rescue cat that saved the life of a man with cancer

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Image: MikeB This is a fictional story, custom made for this website. It is entirely unique and can be found nowhere else other than on this page (which might be considered a good thing by readers of the page of which there will be very few 😢😻). Here goes: Whiskers of Hope In the quiet corner of a bustling city, there lived a Maine Coon named Oliver. His once-lustrous fur was now matted and dull, a testament to the hardships he’d endured. Oliver had been rescued from an abandoned building, his emerald eyes wide with fear. But fate had other plans for him. Across the street, in a small apartment, lived Mr. Henry Thompson. A retired professor, he battled cancer with the same determination he’d once applied to unravelling complex theorems. The disease had taken its toll—his once-vibrant spirit now waned like a fading star. One rainy evening, as Henry sat by the window, he noticed a pair of luminous eyes staring back at him. Oliver, drenched and bedraggled, sought refuge on the windowsil...
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Charming Maine Coon travels in car without seatbelt

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Screenshot. The title might sound a bit weird but it isn't. I'll explain but before I do we should enjoy this charming video. The Maine Coon is on the front passenger seat intensely interested in what is going on outside the vehicle. My guess is that this is an indoor cat that doesn't get out in the car a lot so it is nice to see him/her being mentally stimulated and loving every minute of it. But there is this seatbelt observation and I am not being critical because if I were to be critical I'd be a hypocrite as I have allows my cat to do this as well. As for seat belts for cats, it is advisable to attach the harness to a seatbelt for human passengers to prevent a cat from flying around the cabin if the driver has to stop suddenly. And if the cat is in the rear they can be thrown forward and impact the windscreen or the people in the front.  It is wise to harness up a cat who is a passenger. There are various ways one of which is to attach the harness to the seat belt ...
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Aficamten for the treatment of HCM in the Maine Coon and other cats

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Aficamten for the treatment of HCM in the Maine Coon and other cats. Image: MikeB A study - referred to at the end of the article - concludes with the words below in testing a new drug called aficamten  for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats of which the Maine Coon is perhaps the best known cat breed to suffer from this inherited disease. "A single dose of aficamten significantly decreased LV systolic function and improved LVOTO, both of which are harmful aspects of this disease process that contribute to the pathogenesis." The sentence above describes the effects of this medication called aficamten on a condition that causes abnormal function in the left ventricle of the heart which is how HCM is manifested in cats and people. The left ventricle becomes enlarged and malfunctions. Here's a breakdown: A single dose of aficamten significantly decreased LV systolic function: Aficamten reduces the pumping ability of the left ventricle (LV) to a noticea...
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The extreme Maine Coon face

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This is an example of extreme breeding. This is a Maine Coon but this cat is an extreme and rare example of this breed. This is not the way they look normally. This face is almost like an aggressive robot with the piercing eyes and the huge muzzle.  Or like a lion's head. The head looks enormous and very heavy. It looks unreal. But it also looks very impressive.  And purchasers like impressive-looking domestic cats. But this not the face of a Maine Coon that wins cat show competitions as it does not fit the breed standard as accurately as the more moderate winners (see below).  In fact, the CFA standard is clear in that the cat should have a balanced appearance although this cat was not bred under the CFA breed standard as I understand it (see below).  Click here for more on the kind of MC which wins at shows . Maine Coon selectively breed to have an extreme face. Image in the public domain. And the Maine Coon is meant to be a large cat, the largest domestic cat b...
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No part of a Maine Coon cat should be exaggerated

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It is interesting to read that the premier cat association, the CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association) - the cat association which really dictates (with TICA) how Maine Coons should look - makes it clear that no part of the cat should be exaggerated, and the cat should be "well-proportioned and balanced".  In other words, any form of extreme appearance such as a particularly heavy muzzle or particularly large ears with extra-long lynx tips are not going to be seen as advantageous in terms of winning cat shows or in terms of having an ideal appearance. As soon as I read that no part of a Maine Coon should be exaggerated, I immediately thought of the extremely large, extreme-bred Maine Coon cats that often come from Russia. These cats have very heavy muzzles.  Lion-faced Maine Coon with exaggerated features. Image in public domain now. In fact, their heads look like the heads of lions. I get the impression that breeders have selectively bred their cats over years to look like male...
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Eerie picture of a Maine Coon sitting like a human on a chest of drawers

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This is a slightly scary picture according to those who've seen it. One social media user said it was the devil and "If I walked into a room and saw that, I would assume some shit is about to go down". There is a ghostly stillness and sinister feeling about the image. 'Eerie' is a better description. This attractive cat appears to be completely at ease and comfortable sitting on top of a chest of bedroom drawers. The lighting from below (deliberate?) enhances the eerie effect. It seems possible that this is a photo-edited image but if so, it has been done with great skill. However, I don't think this is Photoshopped. Rethink: to be honest, the more I look at the picture, the more I feel that this is a photo-edited image. It is just too unnatural to be real. Although some domestic cats get themselves into some very strange positions. Maine Coon calmly sitting just like a human on a chest of drawers. Picture source unclear. Image deemed to be in the public d...
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Black smoke Maine Coon Richie with a black face and diamond eyes

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Black smoke Maine Coon Richie with a black face and diamond eyes. Photo: Instagram. OMG, this is a Maine Coon with an amazing face. His full name is "Richie du Mont d’Even". I think he has a black smoke coat which has created this black face with the assistance of other genes (polygenetic influence?) and ears with piercing, diamond eyes. This is a very special cat. Richie looked very interesting but relatively plain as a kitten. Image: Instagram. His paws are balls of fluff. He has a mane that goes over his head like a halo. He's angelic and other-worldly. The lynx tips on the end of his ears are smoky grey which makes them stand out. They are a bit like the opposite to the black lynx tips of the wild caracal.  He lives in France with his human: Adriana Piraino. He was born on 7th November 2020. He is still very young. They say Maine Coons reach adulthood at around the age of 4. He is going to be enormous as well. Richie with Adriana. Photo: Instagram Richie was bred b...
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Comparison of a black smoke Maine Coon at 6 weeks and 6-years-of-age

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This is a cross-post as the image is so damned good. It is amazing because the cat is amazing. To put the same cat at different stages of their life in the same photograph is a nice idea especially with this Maine Coon (MC) who has an amazingly heavy face. It is so mightily masculine to be almost unbelievable. He has a priceless expression on his face too. Very serious compared to the innocence of his face when he was 6 weeks old. He looks a bit coy when 6 weeks old and a slightly grumpy middle-aged man when 6 years old. Comparison of a black smoke Maine Coon at 6-weeks and 6-years-of-age. Image in pubic domain. No doubt he is huge too. You get a clear sense of that in the image. There is a serious and less impressive side to this image. It's the backstory that people don't really want to read about and discuss or in fact do anything about: heart ( HCM ) and joint disease. The bigger and heavier the MCs are the more predisposed to heart disease they are. Here is the posts on...
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Parisian Maine Coon 'crème et blanc'

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PARIS: This is a handsome Parisian Maine Coon described by his human caretaker as: "My little lynx Jiyuu of Roswell Maine Coon crème et blanc 19 mois mâle". The translation is: his name is Jiyuu of Roswell. His coat is cream and white. He is 19 months old. Oh, and his is damned handsome. The photo is by his guardian: Lunatique- girl . Cream and white Maine Coon living in Paris, France. Photo: Lunatique Girl. It is a really nice Maine Coon photo of a really nice Maine Coon with an interesting coat colour. I think the main colour is more milk chocolate, cappuccino or fawn! Anyway, super-looking cat. Is he a cream tabby? I think so.
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Maine Coon size versus dog size?

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People want to know how the size of the Maine Coon compares to the size of a dog. You probably realise that it is impossible to answer this question because dog size varies enormously. This is due to selective breeding over about 20 years or more. And, it has to be said, the size of the Maine Coon also varies considerably.  A Beagle versus a large Maine Coon comparing size. Image: MikeB based on images in the public domain. Here is another image comparing a Beagle and a standard Maine Coon from a YouTube video: Standard Maine Coon versus a Beagle comparing size. Screenshot. Small-to-medium-sized dog compared to a Maine Coon size. Image in public domain. This looks like a small Maine Coon. And here is a Golden Retriever and Maine Coon playing. This dog breed is quite large: People get the impression that all Maine Coons are always huge but they are not. Maine Coons can be a little larger than standard domestic cats (small female for instance) but in general they are considerably ...
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2 top Russian Maine Coon cat breeders which ship internationally

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I am writing this from the West; specifically, near London, UK. There will be quite a few people living in the West who'd like to adopt a Maine Coon cat and they would like to adopt one from a Russian breeder because they do have a certain style.  I sense, although I don't have hard evidence to support this feeling, that the top Russian breeders of Maine Coon cats might be superior to breeders from other countries.  I am putting aside Putin's invasion of Ukraine when writing this article. Some people might object to dealing in anyway with a Russian business on account of that barbaric and illegal invasion. We should remember that Russia has quite a strong cat fancy. They like their cats and they love their purebred cats particularly the Maine Coon. It is in fact a cat breed which is quite naturally suited to the Russian way of life and climate. There's lots of space in Russia with a relatively low population and therefore there are going to be houses with large grounds ...
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5 Maine Coon transformations from kitten to adult (video)

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Maine Coon kitten and his adult self. Photo: Robert Silka. This is a series of photographs by the very famous Maine Coon photographer: robert_sijka. I think he presents his photographs too dark as there is not enough information in the photographs for my liking but he takes great photographs of great Maine Coon cats. In this series he photographs a kitten and their adult version. Each individual cat is a wonderful example of the Maine Coon breed. I can count five examples. In my experience, these Google Blogger videos only work if you click the centre play button and then, immediately afterwards, the play button bottom-left! It sounds bad but the short video is worth watching.
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Difference between Maine Coon and domestic long hair

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The difference between a Maine Coon cat and a domestic longhaired cat comes down to the fact that the former has been artificially bred (selective breeding) whereas the latter has usually procreated according to natural selection. Natural selection is random breeding and therefore the domestic longhair is a random-bred cat whereas, selective breeding produces a purebred, pedigree cat registered with a cat association.  Difference between Maine Coon and domestic long hair. Infographic by MikeB. And because each individual Maine Coon cat is registered with a cat association, if they are in genuine Maine Coon, their appearance should comply with the association's breed standard . The breed standard tells breeders what their Maine Coon cats should look like in order that they can win cat show competitions if they want to enter their cat into these competitions. And so, as the appearance of Maine Coon cats is moulded to the guidance of a breed standard (see a section below from the...
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