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Friday, July 24, 2009

Characteristics Of Maine Coon Cats


















By Moses Wright

Maine Coon cats are sturdy, long haired cats with thick coats. They are native to North America. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Maine Coon cat is it bushy, brush-like tail.

Native to the state of Maine, the Maine Coon cat breed was prized for its mousing ability in Colonial times. There are many legends that describe origins of this cat breed like the belief that the Maine Coon is offspring from mating between domestic cats and raccoons, which is scientifically impossible.

Maine coon cats have physical characteristics that reflect their origin in Maine where winters can be harsh. The thick, long coats served as protection from the bitter cold. Their tufted toes and wide feet are comparable to snowshoes.

The Maine Coon cat has a rectangular body. Their rounded eyes are large. Possible eye colors for Maine Coon cats are gold, green, green-gold, or copper. Blue eye and odd-eyes are possible on white and bi-colored Maine Coon cats.

The ears are wide at the base and rather large with tufted tips. Maine Coons have medium-sized heads and may have a frontal ruff. The frontal ruff is a described as a desirable characteristic by the breed standard.

Solid-colored Maine Coons can be white, black, blue, cream, or red. Other possible colorings are calico, tabby, bi-colored, tortoiseshell, shaded, and smoke.

Maine Coon kitten are one of the slowest developing cat breeds. Maine Coon kittens reach adult size when they are three to five years old. Many kittens of other cat breeds are full size by the time they are eighteen months to two years old.

Most adult Maine Coon cats weigh twelve to twenty pounds. Female Maine Coon cats are smaller than the males. Maine Coons have a heavy bone structure and are broad chested. The size of a Maine Coon cat is considered medium to large sized cats.

If someone is interested in purchasing a Maine Coon kitten, the prospective owner should look for a reputable Maine Coon cat breeder. Some breeders may have waiting lists for a Maine Coon kitten as there often are for other cat breeds.

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