Your Maine Coon Guide

You might ask a wider question rather than just looking at the beautiful Maine Coon cat and ask whether all small cats have similar tails. The answer is that they don't. And I'm talking about the wild cat species as well as the cat breeds and the moggies. I think this is 'Oscar' an Australia Maine Coon and what a tail. Perfect. Image assessed as being in the public domain on social media.  There is a variation among wild cat species in tail length which is due to evolutionary pressures such that, for example, the snow leopard has a beautifully long rope-like tail to aid balance while it chases prey (blue sheep) on 40° escarpments high up in the Himalayas while the American bobcat has a very short tail as has the lynx because they don't want their tails to drag in the snow ! That's the suggested reason and the underlying reason is always evolutionary pressures in order to boost survival. The typical domestic cat has a standard looking tail of medium length but t...

On many social media websites, you will see people asking whether their cat is a Maine Coon cat. Many people have the idea that the standard brown or gray tabby cat is a Maine Coon cat because they associate the tabby pattern with Maine Coons. In fact, you see people advertising cats for sale as 'Maine Coon mix' that are not half-Maine Coon as they are just mixed-breed tabby cats. They want to sell the cat at a higher price. And it's true that the classic tabby pattern looks very good on a Maine Coon cat. That's because the historical ancestor of the Maine Coon cat is the barn cat living in the state of Maine and in other places along the east coast of America. And these barn cats are normally tabby cats. But just because a random-bred domestic cat ('domestic longhair' or 'domestic shorthair') is a tabby cat does not mean that they are a Maine Coon. You need a lot more. Also, you can't just rely on the appearance of the cat. You have to have the pape...

This page tries to focus in on the likely cause of hair loss in a Maine Coon cat's tail as there are a number of potential causes. But you'll have to consider taking your cat to a vet. The good point is that hair loss is not normally an urgent matter which allows for some careful observation to try and diagnose the underlying cause before a possible vet visit. We all know that the Maine Coon tail should be 'plumed' in the words of the cat fancy. The breed standard describes it thus: 'long, wide at base, and tapering. Fur long and flowing'. It is a badge of this popular breed. If it loses it beauty, it's very noticeable and sometimes this happens. What might be the cause? The brilliant Maine Coon plumed tail. Source: Twitter and deemed to be in the public domain. Here is a long list of reasons for hair loss GENERALLY which has been taken from a page that was written for PoC many years ago (and republished more recently). One or two of these are irrelevant in...

It sounds a bit pretentious to have a video of the Maine Coon tail. No big deal. Why make a video about it? Well, the Maine Coon tail is one of the outstanding features of this very popular purebred cat. The others, in my view, are the square muzzle, the lynx-tipped ears and of course the large size. The shaggy coat is another but I think the first three points are the outstanding points to me. @chakacoon Maine Coons hold the longest cat length and tail length records 👋 #chakacoon #mainecoons #fluffycat #hugecat #petsoftiktok ♬ original sound - ChakaCoon And the CFA in their breed standard state that the tail should be long, wide at base, and tapering. The fur should be long and flowing. And when you see the tail in a video with it moving around you can see how outstanding an item of anatomy it is compared to the tail of almost all other domestic cats. It is probably the best domestic cat tail if that is of any interest to anybody. It is called a plumed tail as you probably...

This is a little, respectful reminder, as it is no longer news, about the very tragic story of Cygnus, the Maine Coon who held the Guinness World Record for the longest tail on a domestic cat. He lived with the then tallest domestic cat Acturus who was a Savannah cat. I think he was an F1 Savannah cat. But they lived in the same home with Lauren and Will Powers in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Cygnus's tail measured 44.6 cm or 17.58 inches. Cygnus. Photo: Guinness World Records. Their home caught fire on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Will and Lauren managed to escape but they both risked their lives, we are told, to find their cats before being forced to vacate the property. They left the doors and windows open hoping that their cats and two others, Yuki and Sirius, would find a way out. Will and Lauren. Screenshot from YouTube video. The fire occurred about one month after this video was published on YouTube. When the fire was put out, they searched for their beloved cats Cygnus and Ac...

No, not a CFA show because the CFA breed standard states: DISQUALIFY : delicate bone structure. Undershot chin, i.e. the front teeth (incisors) of the lower jaw overlapping or projecting beyond the front teeth of the upper jaw when the mouth is closed. Crossed eyes. Kinked tail. Incorrect number of toes . White buttons, white lockets, or white spots. Cats showing evidence of hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender, or the Himalayan pattern. But the answer depends where you live and whether you have a cat association registering cat breeds. I have taken the USA because it is the biggest marketplace for purebred cats. The answer depends on the cat associations management and what they allow. Update December 1st, 2022: I have discovered a study in which Jane Marr which states: " It is hope that by understand this trait the reader will see that the usual trait for polydactyly in cats is harmless and needs to have its rightful place on the show bench.... In summary...

This is a picture of a very impressive Maine Coon cat with a ginger tabby coat, a huge, plumed tail who is enjoying the outside on a leash. It is nice to see such a handsome cat on a leash outside the home. It is the only way such a cat could safely enjoy the outside so this photograph ticks all the boxes. This appears to be a backyard (garden). Ginger tabby Maine Coon with huge plumed tail outside on leash. Photo: Twitter. The most noticeable feature is of, course, the tail and Maine Coons are meant to have tails just like this one: long fur, flowing or in the language of cat breeders "plumed". A tail like this is part of the breed standard and all good cat breeders will aspire to this sort of appearance. It is one of the special features of this breed as is the square muzzle and the large ears which are lynx tipped. The fur should be shaggy (TICA) and there should be lots of tufts of hair sticking out between the toes! I don't know how many try to take their cat outs...

Wow, describes my emotions when I saw this plumed Maine Coon tail. I mean, the Maine Coon tail is meant to be grand and fabulous but this! Amazing. It is as long and as impressive as the tail of a snow leopard and they are the world's best cat tails (the longest and thickest). CFA breed standard states (the official guideline to breeders on how the tail should look for this breed):  TAIL: long, wide at base, and tapering. Fur long and flowing. They call them 'plumed' which sort of sums up the appearance. It certainly applies to this cat's tail. Why is she or he outside the home? Thieves about! Too glamorous. Too desirable. Especially during lockdown. But this pic was taken years ago before a pandemic was even dreamt about. Picture of an extraordinary Maine Coon tail. Picture in the public domain. My best guess is that this individual is female. You can detect it in the face. A little more femine that the face of a typical male. This is a gray tabby with a beauty of ...

CFA Maine Coon standard for tail -- TAIL: long, wide at base, and tapering. Fur long and flowing . Well, a magnificent tail. Fully plumed as they say in the cat fancy. This Maine Coon is a calico - tortoiseshell-and-white - which is why the tail has those super highlights across it. People understimate the value of a good tail on a domestic cat to enhance attractiveness! :) They are important and the Cat Fanciers' Association breed standard recognises this.