Maine Coon Key Facts

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Brown Tabby & White Maine Coon
Photo copyright Helmi Flick

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General

Date when breed started: 1860s

Place where breed started: United States

Breed Ancestry: Farm cats in the USA and before that British moggies (it is thought).

Allowed breeding outcrosses: None

Other names: Maine Shag, American Longhair (old name?), American Snughead.

Weight range: 4-10 kg or 9-22 lbs (the largest fully domestic cat - non-wildcat hybrid).

Temperament: Gentle, quiet authority.

Cat Associations: GCCF (UK cat association), FiFé (mainland Europe), CFA (USA), TICA (USA).

Breed Colours

Self (solid) and tortoiseshell:

Black, cream, blue, red, totoiseshell, blue tortie, white (Blue-, Green-, Odd-, Orange-eyed).

Smoke and Shaded:

Colors as for self and tortie colors except for white.

Tabby - classic (blotched) and mackerel (stripes):

Brown, red, blue, cream, tortie, blue tortie.

Silver Tabby:

Colors are as for standard tabbies.

Bi-colors:

All self, tortie and tabby colors with white.

Misc

Known for chirrups and trills (murmur sounds). Largest cat registered at CFA. Most popular purebred cat.

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The extreme Maine Coon face

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