Ginger tabby Maine Coon with huge plumed tail outside on leash

This is a picture of a very impressive Maine Coon cat with a ginger tabby coat, a huge, plumed tail who is enjoying the outside on a leash. It is nice to see such a handsome cat on a leash outside the home. It is the only way such a cat could safely enjoy the outside so this photograph ticks all the boxes. This appears to be a backyard (garden).

Ginger tabby Maine Coon with huge
plumed tail outside on leash. Photo: Twitter.

The most noticeable feature is of, course, the tail and Maine Coons are meant to have tails just like this one: long fur, flowing or in the language of cat breeders "plumed". A tail like this is part of the breed standard and all good cat breeders will aspire to this sort of appearance. It is one of the special features of this breed as is the square muzzle and the large ears which are lynx tipped. The fur should be shaggy (TICA) and there should be lots of tufts of hair sticking out between the toes!

I don't know how many try to take their cat outside on a lead but if you are one of them I bet your cat struggled at first. Domestic cats tend to go limp when they are wearing a harness. I've seen someone dragging their cat along the ground wearing a harness because the cat refused to move! It wasn't actually that bad because it was more fun than abuse but it made the point. Something happens to their brains when they wear a harness. I think it's something to do with reliving their life as a kitten when they had kittens either side of them pressing on them.

It is actually quite rare to see a Maine Coon wearing a leash. I'm convinced that 99% of the world's Maine Coons spend all their time inside the home. That's the way should be because it's safe but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that it is also rather sad that it is unsafe outside for domestic cats (and women at night!).

I recently wrote a very brief story about outdoor cats in the UK. Gangs of thieves are shaving female indoor/outdoor cats to check whether they have been spayed and if they aren't they are stolen to breed from them. This is due to the coronavirus pandemic which has led to a surge in adoptions of mainly puppies but also of cats. This has forced the prices of companion animals through the roof, which of course has led enterprising criminals to jump on the bandwagon and make some quick money.

Dogs and cats have become moneymaking commodities rather than companion animals because the marketplace created these unusual circumstances. The pandemic has distorted the companion animal marketplace to the detriment of animal welfare because often animals get abandoned once had been adopted and the kitten mill breeders are unscrupulous and unconcerned about animal welfare. They focus on making a quick buck.

They are likely to breed animals which are poorly socialised and in poor health. People who want to adopt should be very careful if they're paying exorbitant prices from online retailers without seeing the cat first with their mother and without talking through the details with the breeder. There is only one way to do it that is to go to the facility. Buying online is inherently dangerous. There are scams being played out when money is paid upfront. Never, ever pay money upfront for anything as a basic rule of life. You expose yourself to scams and losing your money.