Maine Coon cats are unsuitable for a life without attention from humans

The title might sound a little bit strange because Maine Coon cats are always under the attention and care of humans but a point needs to be made; a general point about cat coats. Long-haired cats are rarely seen in feral cat colonies. It is believed or speculated that the reason for this is that the long coat is a disadvantage to a free-living cat because it easily becomes matted. The only way to remove the matts is for a human to be involved. The cat herself cannot prevent this happening.

Maine Coon. Photo: Image by Joness from Pixabay 

It isn't so much about the cat getting hot in warm conditions because their coat is long it is about the health concerns as it becomes matted. Although, of course, a long coat is beneficial to outdoor cats in cold climates. However, in temperate climate it is not for the reasons stated above and Maine Coon cats are found anywhere across the globe more or less.

There are two reasons why the Maine Coon coat is medium-longhaired. The original cats were imported into America from Europe including England with the early settlers. We talking about the 1600s in America. There must have been some short-haired and some long-haired cats on the ships but the long-haired cats did well in the state of Maine because the coat was suited to the colder winters.

But once they became a purebred cat in the latter part of the 1800s and were, thereafter, selectively bred perhaps to increase the length of the coat and were then exported around the continent, in hard practical terms the coat became unsuited to the cat and it requires the intervention of people. Of course I'm talking about practicalities which are hardly relevant because the Maine Coon cat does not have to be practical. They have to be good companions and adorn the house.

The same issues concern the Persian and indeed the other long-haired purebred cats. They are artificial because they are artificially bred. When a domestic cat requires the constant intervention of their human caretaker there is something wrong evolutionarily. Evolution would not have created this situation. Evolution is created by random selection, the opposite to artificial selection.

Another thing that is said to be rarely seen in feral colonies is cats meowing to each other as the meow is a feline vocalisation developed to communicate with humans.