Your Maine Coon Guide

Continuation of this story. See chapters one and two by clicking on the respective links. By December, Seattle was blanketed in a rare, thick layer of powder snow. For Lily, this winter felt completely different from the last. The lonely fog was entirely gone, replaced by the crisp, biting excitement of a winter wonderland right outside her backdoor. Barnaby sat at the glass patio door, his nose twitching as he watched the thick flakes fall. His coat had grown into a dense winter armour, his silver-and-charcoal ruff so thick he looked like he was wearing a heavy wool scarf. The Snow Monster Lily and Maya, bundled up in thick parkas and colorful beanies, opened the back door. Barnaby did not hesitate. He stepped out onto the porch, lifted one massive paw, and pressed it into the fresh snow. The Big Freeze : He immediately lifted his paw, shook it vigorously, and looked at Lily with an expression of deep, personal betrayal. The Snowshoes : Within minutes, his wild genetics kicked in. M...

This is the second chapter of a Maine Coon story. Please click this link to see the first . The following spring, the grey Seattle rains finally broke, yielding to a brilliant blue sky and the sharp scent of damp earth. Barnaby sat on the back porch, his ears twitching as he watched a robin hop through the tall grass. He was an indoor cat by rule, but his wild ancestry called to him through the screen door. Lily noticed his longing. That afternoon, she surprised him with a sturdy neon-green walking harness and a matching leash. Fitting a twenty-pound Maine Coon into a harness was like trying to dress a hairy boulder. Barnaby did not struggle; he simply went entirely limp, turning into a giant puddle of silver fluff. Lily giggled, adjusting the straps around his thick chest. "Okay, buddy," she whispered, opening the screen door. "Let's explore." Into the Wild The moment his giant paws touched the real grass, Barnaby transformed. He dropped low to the ground, his ...

The rain in Seattle did not just fall; it blurred the world into a smudge of grey charcoal. For eight-year-old Lily, the weather matched the heavy, quiet fog that had settled inside her chest since her family moved across the country. Her father’s new job meant a bigger house, but it also meant leaving behind her best friends, her familiar school, and the oak tree she used to climb when she needed to feel tall. In this new house, Lily felt smaller than ever. She spent her afternoons tucked into the window seat of her bedroom, pulling her knees to her chin, watching droplets race down the glass. Her parents tried everything to coax her out of her shell. They tried Friday night pizza, trips to the local science museum, and a bright red bicycle that sat untouched in the garage. Lily remained a ghost in her own life, answering in monosyllables and drifting through the corridors. The shift began on a Tuesday in late October. Lily’s mother, desperate to see a spark in her daughter's eyes...

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...

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...

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...

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...