Kitten History: Maine Coon

This native, North American kitty impresses in both sweetness and stature.

By Stacy Hackett

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Facts and fiction swirl together in the history of the Maine Coon. Breed enthusiasts know for a fact that a dozen of Americas first indigenous show cats were listed in the program for a Boston cat show in 1878. Various fictional tales mention the Maine Coon as a result of an encounter between a domestic cat and a bobcat; a hybrid breeding with a raccoon; or as a descendant of Norwegian Skogkatts brought to America by the Vikings.

Most Maine Coon breeders will tell you that this distinctive cat is descended from the domestic shorthaired cats of early American settlers. As the young country matured, trading ships brought longhaired cats from other lands. The foreign newcomers bred with the shorthaired natives. Eventually, someone recognized the cats good looks and began showing them competitively. In the 1860s, the title of the champion cat at the Skowhegan Fair was Maine State Champion Coon Cat.

As other breeds were introduced into the fancy, the popularity of the Maine Coon declined. In the early 1950s, Alta Smith and Ruby Dyer formed the Central Maine Cat Club to help rebuild the popularity of the breed. Through hard work and dedication, breed enthusiasts convinced the Cat Fanciers Association to accept the Maine Coon for championship status in 1976.

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Kitten History: Maine Coon

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william wilson    Palmdale, CA 5/29/2012 10:49:12 PM My wife and myself found this little grey ball of fuzz in a garage in Malibu where we worked,That was in 1993...He grew into the most amazing Maine Coon.So smart he could open door by the door knob,Also he would wait at the door when heard me drive up.My boy-FUZZER-was all that you read about Maine Coons.Sadly in Jan 2012 after 19yrs he died in my arm..........RIP FUZZER....I will never forget you..You were the best....There will never be a cat like you...... karen    Omaha, NE 4/30/2012 11:41:03 AM We found a beautiful Maine Coon as 3wk old baby. We nursed him and then realize what we had. This stunning gray ball of fur with a full fluffy tail, bright green eyes. He was born on 9/11/01. Sadly, March 1st he started having seizures, hospital,treaments,nothing worked. We had to no choice to end his suffering. he's looking at me as I type and we had him cremated, so he's always with us. RIP Oreo...We love you 3/6/2012 Jacquelyn Schilling    Vancouver, WA 2/14/2012 5:34:06 PM I was told by my vet that my cat "Sixer" is most likely a Maine Coon. She said one characteristic is six toes on each paw which Sixer has. In reading comments about the Maine Coon, I didn't see anything about the polydactyl cat. Is this a characteristic of the Maine Coon? Deborah    marion, IN 2/7/2012 11:25:36 AM i have done alot of research on maine coon cats, i adopted a kitten in may 2011 from the humane society and as she grew i started to see characteristics of a breed i never had, so i researched maine coon, my cat has the long, silky cottony fur, the chirpy voice thats not exactly a meow,the huge bushy tail, she has hair that extends past her face out to the sides, her ears stand on top and her face is more long than wide, shes a calico with more white than tan or black, yellow/green eyes,and long tufts of fur around the pads of her feet. she loves to eat,is there a sure fire way to tell that if she doeas have mainecoon in her blood?her mom was just a typical shorthair calico, i dont know what the father was.