Posted: January 19, 2010 3 a.m. EST
Here's a glimpse of what Gracie's ancestors might have looked like. |
Often I look at Gracie and wonder where she came from. If she could talk, she’d probably say, "I came from washing a dead mouse in the toilet." I mean, in an evolutionary sense. Now Gracie is a
Maine Coon, mixed with some tabby. And, I think, werewolf. I researched her origins. This is what I discovered.
Many believe that the species was created by interbreeding in the 1800s, and is a cross between the domestic cat and a bobcat. I have no idea what the "wedding night" was like. But I’m guessing the domestic cat got the worse end of that deal. And considering her sex partner was a bobcat, she probably didn't say anything about it.
Another theory is these cats mated with Maine raccoons. Knowing how snobby raccoons can be, the idea that they frolicked with domestics probably bummed them out. And they were probably thinking, "You’re a domestic. Shouldn’t you be cleaning something?"
There is historical evidence, too, that Vikings introduced the breed here. Gracie likes this version the best, although no matter how she whines, I refuse to buy her the helmet with horns.
Perhaps the most logical story is that the Maine Coon originated among Maine settlers, who brought their cats from England. First they were shorthaired, then, bred with longhaired cats, to produce the breed we see today. Just don’t try to tell Gracie that. For whether it’s the bobcat or the Viking that comes out, you’ll be sorry you did.
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