Maine Coon Characteristics

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This is an American cat. The breed almost certainly has origins in semi-long haired ships cats that immigrated with the pilgrims in the early 1600s. They landed at Maine, hence the name of this cat. The cats would have been moggies as there were no cat breeds at that time.

The Maine Coon is with the American Shorthair one of the first breeds to be developed in the USA.

There is no connection between the Maine Coon and the raccoon! See history of the Maine Coon.

The Maine Coon is the world's most popular purebred cat on my reckoning.

The Maine Coon is the largest of the cat breeds excluding the F1 wildcat hybrids. The Maine Coon is allowed by the cat associations to have a wide range of the usual coat colors and patterns.

The tabby colors are probably the most popular.

This is a cat known for its chirrup and trills, a version of the meow, I suspect that is probably a verbal expression of excitement.

The Maine Coon coat is shaggy and less full than the British Longhaired cats and the Persians.

In the breeding programs the cat associations don't allow outcrossing.

The Maine Coon is a long cat - see world's longest cat - and a rangy cat with longish legs. It is athletic as a consequence.

As to health issues the Maine Coon has a propensity to suffer from hip dysplasia and a heart disease that causes thickening of the left ventrical of the heart - HCM - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is a page on Maine Coon Cat Health.

I have a very comprehensive page on the Maine Coon cat for lots more info.

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