Maine Coon toe tufts - to trim or not to trim??

Maine Coons have tufty toes! It is part of their appearance and desirable. The breed standard mentions them and therefore Maine Coons have to have them! But, interestingly, a mother and cat owner on the mumsnet.com website did raise a question about these fluffy appendages. She asked whether you should trim tufts of fur which stick out between the toes of a Maine coon cat in order to stop the fur picking up bits of poo from the cat litter. 

It's a worthy question and I guess sometimes bits of dirt and detritus might get trapped within these tufts of fur but they should not be trimmed. I don't believe that any part of the domestic cat, whether they are a moggy or a purebred, pedigree cat, should be altered unless it is for a vital medical reason and only if it is in the interests of the cat. For instance, it might be necessary to give a Maine Coon a lion cut for medical reasons. It would be rare.

Fortunately, the mother who asked the question got the same answer from another mother who applied common sense.

Maine Coon with magnificent toe tufts. Pic: Pinterest.

Other parts of a cat's anatomy that should not be removed are the claws (for any reason other than strict medical reasons) the canine teeth (yes, some people do this albeit very rarely), the tail (I'm told that sometimes breeders of Manx cats and other tailless cats dock the tails). There is one accepted minor amputation which is carried out millions of times in America annually which is ear tipping. The top fifth of a feral cat's ear is removed I guess with a pair of scissors which doesn't harm the cat that much if at all to indicate that the cat has gone through a TNR program and been spayed or neutered and vaccinated.