Is humankind's obsession with big things doing a disservice to the Maine Coon cat?

Discussion topic

You could say that humankind has an obsession with big things. It doesn't apply to everybody but it does to a lot of people. And America seems to be the leader in the world of big things. That is not a criticism. Big is often good. Big and bold seems to be an American motto. This may account for the fact that their cat breed, the American Cat, the Maine Coon is the largest domestic cat breed on my estimation. 

Big is attractive

If you decide to adopt the Maine Coon cat you might be tempted to go for the biggest you can find. Part of the attractiveness of this breed is its size.

Comparing size!

People like big Maine Coon cats. On social media today there is a Maine Coon owner asking about the weight of other Maine Coon cats at six months of age. They say that they have always wanted a monster and are curious as to whether their cat is about average or bigger or smaller than usual at 6-months.

It chimes with humans comparing their appearance on social media. I don't think it is healthy from a mental health perspective.

Status and recognition

This is a kind of status. It is one reason why people often like big things; it is because of the status that the cat or other object brings to them. Bigness helps to bring attention and recognition to the owner. People seek recognition. They want to be different and stand out.

Something bigger such as an impressive Maine Coon cat brings to the adopter of that cat a recognition of their existence and some attention towards them which people often seek.

Survival?

Another reason why people like big and therefore they like Maine Coon cats is because there is an instinctive desire to survive. Being bigger make survival easier.

Greed?

And there is always the element of greed in humankind. It is said that greed is driven by emptiness and something big can help to fill that void.

Top 3 most popular

There are some powerful motivators for adopting the Maine Coon cat. This breed is currently in the top three most popular cat breeds as judged by recent polls. The other two as I recall are the Bengal and Exotic Shorthair.

But clearly the size of the Maine Coon cat is a major factor in making it a very popular cat breed. The other factor is their impressive appearance which is linked to the size.

Breeders supplying consumer demand

But the question, here, is a philosophical one. I don't want to become too philosophical because perhaps people don't like to read about those sorts of things but the desire of people to adopt a big Maine Coon pushes cat breeders to breed their cats even bigger.

Breed standard

I have mentioned it before, the breed standard for this breed does not specify that Maine Coon cats should be enormous or even big. In fact, the CFA makes it clear that the overall appearance should be "well-proportioned and balanced". With "no part of the cat being exaggerated". And "quality should not be sacrificed size".

They do say that the Maine Coon should be "solid, rugged, and can endure a harsh climate". But nothing about the cat being enormous.

Trend

This is about breeders following the lead of consumers who want to adopt a big domestic cat. And I wonder whether this is a good trend. Over the last 30 years there has been a trend, I would say, to create bigger Maine Coon cats.

Health

But with this trend you bring health issues. We know that this breed is predisposed to inheriting joint defects namely hip dysplasia and patella luxation. The former is a loose joint between the femur and the hip. It's due to a malformation of that joint which is exacerbated by size.

When this defect is present in both joints and when the cat is particularly large, this health problem will be exacerbated.

There are health consequences potentially at least in the public demanding bigger Maine Coon cats. It is a point that I think is worth making without getting on one's high horse and being too demanding about it.

Champion Maine Coons

When you look at the champion Maine Coon cats as presented on the CFA website, they are usually pretty normal looking cats. They are a bit larger than normal and their muzzles are a little squarer than normal. And their ears are a bit taller and they are lynx tipped. But there is nothing exaggerated about them.

The show cats and the champions within the cat fancy would not appeal to many adopters. They want to compare their big Maine Coon with others. They want status and to be special and different.

This is entirely understandable but is it wise?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The extreme Maine Coon face

Eerie picture of a Maine Coon sitting like a human on a chest of drawers

No part of a Maine Coon cat should be exaggerated