It seems that people search for information on a comparison between the Maine Coon and the Persian. Both are breeds that have been around since the beginning of the cat fancy but on either side of the pond (Atlantic Ocean!). They are very different in appearance and somewhat different in temperament. I say "somewhat" because although you could say they are different in temperament you have to factor in the character of each individual cat. You will meet some Persians that behave a bit like a Maine Coon and vice-versa. People tend to forget that an individual cat's character can outweigh the breed's character. The latter is a bit of a myth anyway. In general the Maine Coon is described as relaxed and people orientated but not overdependent. While the Persian is described as laid back and decorative (Gloria Stephens). The Maine Coon is a large, rangy cat with an uneven shaggy medium long hair. It can be bred to be refined and delicate (CFA style) or a bit more rou
A cat association breed standard dictates what eye color is acceptable for the Maine Coon purebred cat. So, I'll have to quote a breed standard. The International Cat Association (TICA), one of the big players, says this: "Color: Any shade of green and/or gold. No relationship to coat color. Blue and odd-eyes accepted in whites and particolors.". The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), said to be the world's largest cat association has a very similar breed standard with respect to eye color . We should be seeing green and/or gold eyes with what I consider the best coat, the tabby and white, for this cat. Let's look for a picture of a tabby Maine Coon and see if the eyes meet the breed standard. Maine Coon cat eye color - gold on a tabby Maine Coon Photo by DreamShoot by Marcel Steger Well, this handsome boy meets the standard with respect to eye color - beautiful gold eyes. Kittens have blue eyes until the pigmentation settles in into the iris of t
Maine Coon ear tufts - classic tabby and white appearance - Photo by foxypar4 (Flickr) One of the defining characteristics of the Maine Coon's appearance is the ear tufts, the hair that grows from the tips of the ear flaps (the outer ear). They are called "lynx tips". They are reminiscent of the caracal, a wild cat . The caracal has the best ear tufts of all cats, wild or domestic. They are used to communicate . The lynx also has lynx tips, of course! But of all the domestic cats, the Maine Coon has the most prominent ear tufts. They are enshrined in the breed standard: "EARS: Shape: large, well-tufted ". Maine Coons also have long ear hair inside the ear that flops out as the picture above shows. The ear tufts fall into the category of "ear furnishings". This is cat fancy language. In humans, ear hair is undesirable - quite the opposite in the cat fancy. Most moggies, random bred cats, have hair inside the ear but it is less extravagan
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