Difference between Maine Coon and domestic long hair

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The difference between a Maine Coon cat and a domestic longhaired cat comes down to the fact that the former has been artificially bred (selective breeding) whereas the latter has usually procreated according to natural selection. Natural selection is random breeding and therefore the domestic longhair is a random-bred cat whereas, selective breeding produces a purebred, pedigree cat registered with a cat association. 

Difference between Maine Coon and domestic long hair
Difference between Maine Coon and domestic long hair. Infographic by MikeB.

And because each individual Maine Coon cat is registered with a cat association, if they are in genuine Maine Coon, their appearance should comply with the association's breed standard.

The breed standard tells breeders what their Maine Coon cats should look like in order that they can win cat show competitions if they want to enter their cat into these competitions.

And so, as the appearance of Maine Coon cats is moulded to the guidance of a breed standard (see a section below from the CFA) there is a particular appearance which is desirable. 

RELATED: Maine Coon breed standard points score tells us which are the more important aspects of appearance.

In contrast, the domestic longhair has no such standard. It is nature dictating how they look and therefore the appearance is more functional. Nature designs animals for functionality. Cat breeders create animals for appearance primarily.

In nature, there is no human intervention as is the case with Maine Coons and all purebred cats. So how does this demonstrate itself on appearance?

The infographic on this page shows you. In essence, the key appearance characteristics of the Maine Coon cat are as follows:

  • square, solid and pronounced muzzle
  • large, triangular lynx-tipped ears
  • a large and substantial body
  • medium-longhair and the hair is shaggy with a ruff and hair protruding between the toes of large paws
  • the tail is always plumed and very grand and beautiful.

Taking the last point as an example, because Maine Coon breeders focus on achieving a plumed tail and natural selection does not, the Maine Coon tail will be more impressive in general than the random-bred longhaired tail.

In short, these particular features of appearance are exaggerated in the Maine Coon cats. Sometimes breeders can breed to extreme and go too far. This is quite noticeable. The cat begins to look unnatural. And it can affect their health detrimentally.

The domestic longhaired cat, a natural domestic cat, always looks more natural and in general will be healthier because they are not inbred as are Maine Coons.

Inbreeding causes inbreeding depression which is a compromised immune system and there can be a general predispositions to ill health if inbreeding is carried out unethically plus congenital diseases such as hip dysplasia in the case of the Maine Coon and HCM.

The genetic diversity inherent with natural selection ensures that domestic longhaired cats are in general going to be healthier than Maine Coon cats.

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