Your Maine Coon Guide

The question is the title to an article on the Maine Coon Central website. The No. 1 Maine Coon cat website, they claim. The question is also the title to this article. The problem is that the question doesn't make sense! 😁 That's because "Maine Coon" is the name of a cat breed while "tabby" is the name of a coat type and pattern. How to tell a Maine Coon from a tabby!? The question is daft; meaningless. Image: MikeB Many Maine Coon cats have tabby coats. So the question in the title is not comparing apples with apples or pears with pears. It's comparing two entirely different things which actually overlap in any case. The question shouldn't be asked. Perhaps the question is meant to ask this question: what's the difference between a tabby Maine Coon cat and a tabby non-purebred cat? The answer that question is that the Maine Coon cat is a very distinct and distinguished looking cat very often quite different to a medium-longhaired non-purebred...

The CFA breed standard guides breeders on the appearance of the breeds registered with that association. It is the same with the other breeds and associations. They award points for each aspect of the appearance with the overall total being 100. This allows judges to give an overall figure which is a percentage. The MC has a double coat of downy undercoat and a top coat but the coat is made up of three types of hair strand: down hairs (wool hairs), bristle or awn hairs and guard hairs . Technically there is a fourth type of hair: the whiskers. Maine Coon coat is the single most important part of the cat's appearance. Image: MikeB The aspect of the Maine Coon appearance (anatomy) to which is attached the most points in the coat. A show cat can be awarded a maximum of 20 points (20% of the total) for their coat in comparison to 15 for the head shape and 15 for the body shape. This 20% figure does NOT include body colour and pattern. The coat is therefore the most important single as...

I recently wrote about white cats being bad mothers ! The reasoning is straightforward: white cats are often deaf and being deaf they cannot respond in a timely way to their kitten's cries for attention. This is a barrier to being a good mother. And my mind turned to a photograph by Helmi Flick, a very well-known American show cat photographer, of a white Maine Coon cat. As I recall it was one of her first assignments as a professional cat photographer. She peached it and got a great result. It is as if the cat is floating like a cloud against a deep blue sky. She used an Olympus camera. She uses Canon nowadays or did. She lives in Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas, Texas. I'm told that this cat was or is (if still alive) deaf. That would have to be expected. The chances of being deaf depends upon whether the cat has two blue eyes, odd-eyes i.e. one yellow and one blue or both yellow.  A high proportion of all-white cats with two blue eyes will be deaf because the cochlea of the inn...

This is a discussion about choosing a Maine Coon cat breeder and whether the first-time purchaser should select a cat from a TICA (The International Cat Association) registered breeder or a CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association) registered breeder. There will, I believe, be a subtle difference in the appearance of Maine Coon cats registered with these two top cat associations in America.  TICA and CFA Maine Coon comparison. Photo: Helmi Flick. This might interest first-time buyers of this breed particularly if they are researching the breed carefully and have specific requirements. Initially I look at the breed standards regarding the coat from these two cat associations and then I discuss how it might impact the purchase. TICA breed standard for Maine Coon coat "Length: uneven; shorter on shoulders, gradually lengthening down the back and sides. Long, full, shaggy belly fur and britches. Tail fur long, full, flowing. Frontal ruff becomes more develop with age. Texture: all-weather c...

In a peculiar way the question in the title is not bad because it begs further questions. I can think of a couple: As Maine Coons are full-time indoor cats it is fair to ask if their thick, shaggy, double coat is unsuited to their indoor lifestyle which must be the way in order to protect them. And, is it okay to give a Maine Coon a lion cut to allow them some relief from the muggy indoors if that is what it is like? Are lion cuts safe and reasonable to give to domestic cats? But first things first, the question in the title needs to be answered. The famous Richie must feel the heat in warm weather. Maine Coon are built for colder climates. Thank God for air-conditioning! Image: Instagram. Do Maine Coons enjoy cold weather? If a Maine Coon feels a little overheated inside the home because the central heating has been turned up, yes, he or she may enjoy sitting in the catio which has one side open to the elements with only a screen to protect her from the icy wind in winter. By the way,...

Maine winters The state of Maine in the United States has a cold winter climate. I'm told that the cold season lasts for 3.3 months from late November to early March with an average daily high temperature below 34°F which is just above freezing point. The coldest month of the year in Maine is January with an average low of 8°F and a high of 23°F which is well below freezing. In the snow! Image: MikeB. Adaptations over 400 years in Maine The point of the introduction is that if we agree that the Maine Coon cat originates in the state of Maine which it almost certainly does, we can suggest that this cat breed developed physical adaptations in its coat primarily for survival in harsh winter climates. Maine in the late 1800s. Image in public domain. Coat The coat is shaggy and has a water-resistant top layer of fur. The downy undercoat is like a duck down filling for a duvet. Shaggy coat! Image in public domain. Hind legs The hind legs have thick fur down to their hocks. This gives the...

A comparison between Maine Coon cats and tabby cat coats is unhelpful as they are different things entirely. The Maine Coon is a purebred, pedigree cat and the word 'tabby' refers to the tabby coat. The comparison is made all the more unsatisfactory because the most common coat type for the Maine Coon is the blotched (classic) brown tabby and the brown tabby-and-white. In this instance 'Maine Coon' and 'tabby' are one and the same thing in one way. Ginger tabby Maine Coon. Image believed to be in the public domain. This is a young Maine Coon. Ginger tabbies are normally referred to as 'red tabbies' in the cat fancy. Some people also search for an answer to the following question: 'How can you tell if a tabby is a Maine Coon?' The question implies that the 'tabby' is a specific cat breed and it is not. It is a coat type as mentioned. You can see the absurdity of the question when there are many Maine Coon tabby cats.  It is a problem which...

 'Patterns' obviously means the shape and design of the markings on a cat as dictated by the cat's genetic makeup (genotype). The breed standards including that of the number one cat association, the CFA, allow a huge range of coat types for the Maine Coon. It is one of their defining features. Although you'll see the majority of Maine Coons with tabby coats. Maine Coon with a classic (blotched) tabby pattern. Image: Ruffians Maine Coons. I have listed the patterns and types in the table below. This table shows more than the patterns such as mackerel or classic tabby and bicolor. It also refers to the colours. Please use the bars at the base of the spreadsheet to move it around. Technically, "solid colours" does not constitute a pattern because there is no pattern but I have included it in the list for completeness.  The description "patched tabby" refers to a tortoiseshell tabby coat which is also described as a torbie. As the description indicates,...

Here is Richie, the Maine Coon, on TikTok. It gives his admirers the chance to see his amazing fur as his owner plays with it. It looks like a very enjoyable (for both) experience and very tactile. It is nice to see him moving. As usual he looks stunning. He's a lemur-Maine Coon hybrid! 😉.  In this video his caregiver messes around with his extraordinary fur. It is by some miracle of genetics that Richie was created because his appearance always astounds me. It is as if he was created on another planet. I'd love to know a bit more about how Richie came into the world.  RELATED:  Black smoke Maine Coon Richie with a black face and diamond eyes . Was he some freak of genetics or a strange genetic mutation? I think I need Sarah Hartwell to explain the genetics behind Richie. And the coat; this is shaggy plus, plus. What are his litter mates like? That would be interesting to know. @richiethemainecoon Zoubisou bisou 😽 #mainecoonkitten #funnymainecoon #cutecat #catsoft...

You won't get a better example of a Maine Coon with "long, full, shaggy belly fur" than this pretty ginger tabby with the extra long whiskers, beautiful golden eyes and ginger lynx-tipped ears. I am sure that she is female but I am guessing. She looks directly into the camera in the sweetest way. But you can't help but look at her chest and then you move down to her belly which brings to mind The International Cat Association's breed standard for this most popular cat which insists on that shaggy belly fur Pretty ginger female Maine Coon with shaggy belly fur. Photo: Pinterest. The relevant section of the breed standard is in quotes in the title. The Maine Coon coat as per the TICA breed standard should be uneven and shorter on the shoulders but gradually lengthening down the back and sides. As mentioned, the belly should be shaggy and the fur should be long and full. They should have what is called "britches" which is longer fur on the thighs of the hin...

The 'experts' advise that Maine Coons develop slowly. You will see this all over the Internet. They say that a Maine Coon becomes fully developed at about four years of age. To that you have to add the fact that individual cats develop at different rates so there is some fluidity in that four-year guideline. Young Maine Coon yet to grow his ruff. Photo: Pinterest and in the public domain. However, it is pretty clear that young Maine Coons, perhaps below two years of age, normally or often have not fully developed their coat. One Maine Coon cat owner, Lisa Smith (on Quora.com), says that her two sibling male Maine Coons started to develop their ruffs after the age of two. One of the brothers had no ruff at all at two years old. She also says that they were getting stockier and heavier boned at two years old. Further, they started to grow what cat breeders call britches a.k.a. pantaloons on their hind legs . So it looks like it isn't just the ruff which can take time to de...

This is another cracker of a Maine Coon kitten from Russia. There is the hint of a human face which adds a bit of glamour and glitter to this cat. Ginger tabbies always look good and if you believe it, they always have nice characters too (subject to being raised properly underfoot). The breeder is Viktoria Vyacheslavovna Terskaya who I believe is Russian or who lives in one of the former Russian satellite states. This is a typical European Maine Coon well bred in terms of appearance . I have no knowledge whatsoever of the cat's health. That's an important topic which is often overlooked. But Maine Coons have serious inherited health conditions to which adopters need to pay attention when buying. ASSOCIATED PAGE: 15 facts about hip dysplasia in Maine Coon cats Male ginger tabby Maine Coon kitten dazzles. Photo: Viktoria Vyacheslavovna Terskaya. I can see that the photographer has used ring flash for the photo. You see the reflection in the eyes. This lighting is soft and shadow...

It is a slightly flamboyant title but when I saw this cat I immediately thought of the warrior war paint of the native American. It is as if someone painted this prominent white line down the middle of this handsome Maine Coon's face. And their lynx-tipped ears are tipped in dusky white. The ruff is in white too so it looks like a genuine human ruff from the mid-16th century to the mid-17th century. All-in-all a cracking cat. This looks like a black smoke coat with the white spotting gene creating the 'blaze' down the face. I think this is a polygenetic coat. But I don't know a lot about cat genetics. ASSOCIATED PAGE:  Difference between European and American Maine Coons Maine Coon with warrior war paint. Picture in the public domain.

You will see some wonderful self-coloured Maine Coons: Chocolate Maine Coon. Chocolate is one of the basic self colours (solid colours) according to Robinson's Genetics. Picture in the public domain on Pinterest. None of the world's experts tell us why solid cat colours are called 'the selfs'. I'll have to decide myself (excuse the pun). 'Self' means self-coloured and the term 'self-coloured' is not only used in the cat world - specifically in the cat fancy. It is used, for instance, in the textile business where it means 'having a single and uniform colour'. The same meaning as in the cat world. It means 'having the natural or original colour'. This, I believe, is the reason for the terminology. It is a reference to the original colour coming from the 'self' i.e. the individual cat before potential modification through selective breeding such as making the coat bicolour (a self or solid colour plus white due to the presen...

She reminds me of a slightly dishevelled man. That's probably an unkind analogy. It is also incorrect as tortoiseshell cats are almost invariably female! And I'm anthropomorphising cats but what the heck. The broken tortoiseshell coat combined with the shagginess of it gives us this dishevelled appearance. I think this is a super-looking cat.  Picture of a shaggy, 'dishevelled' yet attractive Maine Coon. Photo in public domain. I think the impression of a moustache due to the tortoiseshell pattern leads me to anthropomorphize the cat and change the gender! This is a 50-year-old man with ginger hair! My imagination is running riot. SOME MORE ON TORTIES: All Tortoiseshell Cats Are Feminine Tortoiseshell Cats

Black smoke Maine Coon Richie with a black face and diamond eyes. Photo: Instagram. OMG, this is a Maine Coon with an amazing face. His full name is "Richie du Mont d’Even". I think he has a black smoke coat which has created this black face with the assistance of other genes (polygenetic influence?) and ears with piercing, diamond eyes. This is a very special cat. Richie looked very interesting but relatively plain as a kitten. Image: Instagram. His paws are balls of fluff. He has a mane that goes over his head like a halo. He's angelic and other-worldly. The lynx tips on the end of his ears are smoky grey which makes them stand out. They are a bit like the opposite to the black lynx tips of the wild caracal.  He lives in France with his human: Adriana Piraino. He was born on 7th November 2020. He is still very young. They say Maine Coons reach adulthood at around the age of 4. He is going to be enormous as well. Richie with Adriana. Photo: Instagram Richie was bred b...

Yes, Maine Coons can be black. The cat associations allow them to be in all colors and divisions of the traditional category. Most early Maine Coons were brown tabbies. Patterns and colors have been added over the years to an extensive range. I have a page on the full list! Click here to see it if you wish . In the meantime, here are two black Maine Coons. Black Maine Coon. Photo copyright Helmi Flick. Black Maine Coon. Photo in the public domain.

It could be argued that a disadvantage in being the human caregiver of a magnificent Maine Coon cat is that you have to take steps to prevent the coat from matting. Such a dense, shaggy coat is great for outdoor cats in cold climates but in temperate climates it is not so much that the cat can become overheated but that the fur can become matted.   Thick Maine Coon coat can easily become matted if left unattended. Not for this stupendous Maine Coon, however. But proactive steps are easier, safer and more enjoyable for the cat. Photo: Pinterest. Matting is problematic and mats should be removed. If they aren't removed, they will become bigger as we've seen on the Internet with some incredible cases of extreme matting through neglect. Mats take up more and more hair and they start to pinch the skin which can cause irritation and even pain. They can also lead to infection an infestation of the skin. It is said that you rarely see long-haired cats in feral colonies. This, it is...

PARIS: This is a handsome Parisian Maine Coon described by his human caretaker as: "My little lynx Jiyuu of Roswell Maine Coon crème et blanc 19 mois mâle". The translation is: his name is Jiyuu of Roswell. His coat is cream and white. He is 19 months old. Oh, and his is damned handsome. The photo is by his guardian: Lunatique- girl . Cream and white Maine Coon living in Paris, France. Photo: Lunatique Girl. It is a really nice Maine Coon photo of a really nice Maine Coon with an interesting coat colour. I think the main colour is more milk chocolate, cappuccino or fawn! Anyway, super-looking cat. Is he a cream tabby? I think so.

Maine Coons should not be shaved unless there is a particular and pressing reason for it. At one time I objected to what people call the "lion cut", which you see on Persian cats not to infrequently, but I now see the advantages sometimes . Rarely, if the climatic conditions are particularly hot a Maine Coon might benefit from being shaved if you are unable to keep her cool inside the home. Or there might be a medical reason such as a skin condition and your veterinarian recommends it. But there is a big downside: shaving (lion cut) might require a full anesthetic which is risky. One in four hundred cats die because of a general anesthetic. Or they can suffer brain damage. If it can be done while the cat is sedated it is far better. White Maine Coon cool and serene. Who'd shave that glorious coat?! Photo in public domain. Or your Maine Coon might have become deeply matted to the point where it was impossible to remove the mats without hurting your cat. Under these circ...