The Maine Coon is one of the largest and most popular cat breeds in the world. From the tip of their nose to the end of their tail, these "gentle giants" can reach a length of 120 centimetres.
Main Coon profile
- Size large
- Weight cat: approx. 5.5 kg, male: approx. 7 kg
- Origin USA
- Physique large, robust
- Coat length medium long
- Coat color all (no points)
- Coat grooming medium
- Behavior affectionate, talkative
- Character intelligent, friendly
Appearance and character of the Siamese cat
Although there are much more extreme differences in size in dogs, cats are not all the same size either. Some weigh just two kilograms. In addition, a fully-grown Maine Coon male weighing up to nine kilograms looks like a giant. On the one hand, this is due to their sheer size with a shoulder height of up to 40 centimetres and a length of up to 120 centimetres. On the other hand, they have a luxuriant coat. It has a two-layer structure: On the outside is a dense all-weather coat with smooth hairs several centimeters long. Underneath is a soft, fine undercoat. The coat is particularly magnificent on the sides and neck. The breed standard states that a ruff is expected. Hardly any requirements are placed on the coat color: With the exception of points, all color varieties are permitted. This also applies to eye color. The only exception is the color blue.
Despite its size, the Maine Coon is by no means clumsy and clumsy. They take an active and keen interest in the lives of their humans. Many are very affectionate and follow their two-legged friends as soon as they can no longer see them. This has earned them the nickname "dog cat". They are also often referred to as "gentle giants", a variation on the English term "gentle giant".
Maine Coons know how to behave, are friendly, affectionate and playful. Above all, however, they are intelligent. There are stories of them turning on taps or opening locked doors on their own. You should therefore be prepared for a surprise or two. This also applies to their talkativeness. It can happen at any time that they start chatting, be it with us two-legged friends or with their peers.
Keeping and care
You don't need a house to live with this large breed of cat, but you should be aware that all utensils should be a little more lavish. This applies to the litter tray, beds, cuddly blankets and, above all, the scratching post. This requires an extremely stable structure that must not fall over during a wild game of cat and mouse. The toy should also have a certain degree of stability so that it lasts as long as possible.
Always accept a cat's invitation to play, as this keeps body and mind fit. You can also try working with the clicker, which is normally used for dogs. Maine Coons are perfectly capable of understanding the deeper meaning. With a little practice, they can even teach cats tricks. This can be particularly useful if a cat is kept alone and needs as much variety and affection as possible. Ideally, cats should be kept in pairs, especially if they are regularly left alone and not allowed to go outside. If sufficient entertainment is provided, trips outside can easily be dispensed with.
The Maine Coon has a relatively luxuriant coat. Although the grooming requirements are not as high as for the Persian cat, for example, they should not be underestimated. The advantage is that the undercoat is not too thick. Nevertheless, large amounts of hair accumulate during the shedding period. It is then advisable to brush the cat daily. This reduces the risk of the velvet paws swallowing too much hair when brushing. During the rest of the year, it is sufficient to comb the animals once or twice a week.
Nutrition
Whether kitten, adult cat or senior - the food for a Maine Coon should always be of high quality and adapted to its age. Cats are carnivores by nature, so the cat food should contain a high proportion of meaty ingredients. Sugar, flavor enhancers and artificial colors and preservatives should not be added to the food.
animonda offers the right food for every stage of your cat's life. Choose between kitten, adult and senior food. The products are specially formulated to meet the particular nutritional requirements of the different life stages of cats. This creates the best conditions for a healthy and long cat life.
Health
Maine Coons are not only physically robust, but also hardly susceptible to disease. Responsible breeders always endeavor to keep the risk of possible hereditary diseases as low as possible through genetic testing. However, these cannot be ruled out. Due to their size, cats can suffer from hip or elbow dysplasia, for example. The risk of this increases if the Maine Coon's weight is not taken into account.
There is also a certain susceptibility to the heart disease "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy". This causes the heart wall to thicken, shrinking the interior and making it less efficient. Medication alleviates the problems, but a cure is not possible. This also applies to "polycystic kidney disease". Here the kidney tissue is attacked, which leads to irreparable damage. Genetic testing can reduce the risk of an outbreak in the offspring of both diseases.
History and breeding
For some cat breeds, we know exactly how and where they originated. For some, however, we are in the dark. The Maine Coon lies somewhere in between. Its origins are hidden in its name: Maine is a state in the north-east of the USA. However, the "coon" is still a mystery today. It is possibly a reference to a certain similarity with a raccoon, which is called "racoon" in English. However, Captain Thomas Coon may also have something to do with the name. He is said to have regularly landed in the port city of Maine and was often seen in the company of long-haired cats.
The history and origin of the name can no longer be clearly established, but there are indications that the breed already existed in a similar form around 1850. This makes the Maine Coon one of the oldest cat breeds. Farmers are said to have shown them at dog shows back then. When the Persian cat and other long-haired cat breeds became popular in the USA, the popularity of the Maine Coon declined somewhat. However, unlike some other breeds, it has held its own to this day and is now once again one of the most popular cats in the world.
It was not officially recognized by the American umbrella organization TICA until 1979, and it took until 1982 for the European umbrella organization FIFe to accept the Maine Coon. It is described there as a natural breed with an amiable character, whose origins lie in the north-east of America, where it made itself useful on farms as a mouser.