The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed.
One of the
oldest natural breeds in North America, the breed originated in the U.S. state
of Maine,[3][4] where it is the official state cat.
The Maine Coon is a large and social cat, commonly referred to as "the
gentle giant." The Maine Coon is predominantly known for its size and dense
coat of fur which helps it survive in the harsh climate of Maine. The Maine
Coon is often cited as having "dog-like" characteristics.[5][6]
History
[edit]
The Maine Coon is one of the largest domesticated cats. It has a distinctive
physical appearance and valuable hunting skills. The breed was popular in
cat shows in the late 19th century, but its existence became threatened
when long-haired breeds from overseas were introduced in the early 20th
century. The Maine Coon has since made a comeback, in 2023 the Maine
Coon overtook the Exotic, becoming the second most popular pedigree cat
breed in the world.[7]
Origin
[edit]
Myths
[edit]
Maine Coon cats originated in Maine. However, their lineage is surrounded by
mystery, folk tales, and myths. One myth claims the Maine Coon cat is
a hybrid with another animal species, such as the raccoon or bobcat. The
second myth states the cats are descendants of Viking ship's cats, known
today as the Norwegian Forest cats. A third story involves Marie Antoinette,
the Queen of France who was executed in 1793. The story goes that before
her death, Antoinette attempted to escape France with the help of Captain
Samuel Clough. She loaded Clough's ship with her most prized possessions,
including six of her favorite Turkish Angora or possibly Siberian cats.
Although she did not make it to the United States, all of her pets managed to
reach the shore of Wiscasset, Maine, safely, where they bred with other
short-haired breeds and developed into the modern breed of the Maine Coon.
[8][9]
Science
[edit]
These myths and theories have long speculated that the long-haired Maine
Coon cat has to be related to other long-haired breeds, due to their
similarities in phenotype. For the Maine Coon in particular, that it is
descended from the Norwegian or Siberian Forest cat, brought to New
England by settlers or Vikings.[8][9][10] Phylogenetic studies showed that the
Maine Coon belongs to the Western European monophyletic cat branch, but
forms the closest relationship with the random-bred cat population in
the Northeastern US (New York region).[11] This Western European branch
contains the Norwegian and Siberian Forest cat, but they fall under a
different sub-branch.[9]
Maine Coons are descendants of cats brought to New
England by Puritan settlers in the 1600-1700s, and out of the European cats
they are genetically closest to cats found in the United Kingdom.[9] It is not
relatedness that makes them look similar to the Norwegian and Siberian
Forest cats, but convergent evolution. These breeds all formed in harsh
climates, in which natural selection pressures for similar qualities.[9] Thick,
long coats, toe and ear tufts, big bodies, and snowshoe-like big feet, are
useful traits in all the harsh climates where these breeds originate from.
Cat shows and popularity
[edit]
Cosey, winner of the first cat show in the United States,
1895 Three adult cats
The first mention of Maine Coon cats in a literary work was in 1861, in
Frances Simpson's The Book of the Cat (1903). F.R. Pierce, who owned
several Maine Coons, wrote a chapter about the breed. [12] During the late
1860s, farmers located in Maine told stories about their cats and held the
"Maine State Champion Coon Cat" contest at the local Skowhegan Fair.[13]
In 1895, a dozen Maine Coons were entered into a show in Boston. On 8 May
1895, the first North American cat show was hosted at Madison Square
Garden in New York City. A female Maine Coon brown tabby, named Cosey,
was entered into the show. Owned by Mrs. Fred Brown, Cosey won the silver
collar and medal and was named Best in Show. [13] The silver collar was
purchased by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Foundation with the help of
a donation from the National Capital Cat Show. The collar is housed at the
CFA Central Office in the Jean Baker Rose Memorial Library. [13]
In the early 20th century, the Maine Coon's popularity began to decline with
the introduction of other long-haired breeds, such as the Persian, which
originated in the Middle East. The last recorded win by a Maine Coon in a
national cat show for over 40 years was in 1911 at a show in Portland,
Oregon. The breed was rarely seen after that. The decline was so severe that
the breed was declared extinct in the 1950s, although this declaration was
considered to be exaggerated and reported prematurely at the time. [by
whom?]
The Central Maine Cat Club (CMCC) was created in the early 1950s by
Ethylin Whittemore, Alta Smith, and Ruby Dyer in an attempt to increase the
popularity of the Maine Coon. For 11 years, the CMCC held cat shows and
hosted exhibitions of photographs of the breed and is noted for creating the
first written breed standards for the Maine Coon.[13]
The Maine Coon was denied provisional breed status—one of the three steps
required for a breed not yet recognized by the CFA to be able to compete in
championship competitions[14]—by the CFA three times, which led to the
formation of the Maine Coon Cat Club in 1973. The breed was accepted by
the CFA under provisional status in May 1975, and was approved for
championship status in May 1976. The next couple of decades saw a rise in
the popularity of the Maine Coon, with championship victories and an
increase in national rankings. In 1985, the state of Maine announced that the
breed would be named the official state cat.[15]
Description
[edit]
A brown blotched tabby and white
A red tabby, showing the typical head shape
Fur coat
[edit]
The Maine Coon is a long- or medium-haired cat. The coat is soft and silky,
although texture may vary with coat color. The length is shorter on the head
and shoulders and longer on the stomach and flanks, with some cats having
a leonine ruff around their neck. Minimal grooming is required for the breed
compared to other long-haired breeds, as their double coat is mostly self-
maintaining owing to a light-density undercoat. The coat is subject to
seasonal variation,[16] with the fur being thicker in the winter and thinner
during the summer.
Face profile with typical lynx ear tips
Maine Coons have several physical adaptations for survival in harsh winter
climates. Their dense water-resistant fur is longer and shaggier on their
underside and rear for extra protection when they are walking or sitting on
top of wet surfaces of snow or ice.[17] Their long and bushy raccoon-like tail is
resistant to sinking in snow, and can be curled around their face and
shoulders for warmth and protection from wind and blowing snow. It can
even be curled around their backside like an insulated seat cushion when
sitting down on a frozen surface.[18]
Large paws facilitate walking on snow and are often compared to snowshoes.
[17]
Long tufts of fur growing between their toes help keep the toes warm and
further aid walking on snow by giving the paws additional structure without
significant extra weight.[18] Heavily furred ears with extra long tufts of fur
growing from inside can keep warm more easily.[17]
Coat colors
[edit]
Maine Coons can have any colors that other cats have. Colors
indicating crossbreeding, such as chocolate, lavender, the Siamese pointed
patterns or the "ticked" patterns, are not accepted by some breed standards.
This is not universal; the ticked pattern, for example, is accepted by TICA and
CFA.[13] The most common pattern seen in the breed is brown tabby. [19] All eye
colors are accepted under breed standards, with the exception of blue
or odd-eyes, i.e. heterochromia iridium (two eyes of different colors), in cats
possessing coat colors other than white. [16]
Size
[edit]
11-month-old cream tabby male kitten being held
at cat show
The Maine Coon was considered the largest breed of domestic cat until the
introduction of the Savannah cat in the mid 1980s, yet it is still the largest
non-hybrid breed.[citation needed] On average, males weigh from 18 to 22 lb (8.2
to 10.0 kg), with females weighing from 12 to 15 lb (5.4 to 6.8 kg).[20] The
height of adults can vary between 10 and 16 in (25 and 41 cm) and they can
reach a length of up to 38 in (97 cm), including the tail, which can reach a
length of 14 in (36 cm)[21] and is long, tapering, and heavily furred, almost
resembling a raccoon's tail. The body is solid and muscular, which is
necessary for supporting their weight, and the chest is broad. Maine Coons
possess a rectangular body shape and are slow to physically mature; their
full size is normally not reached until they are three to five years old, while
other cats take about one year.[22][better source needed]
In 2010, the Guinness World Records accepted a male purebred Maine Coon
named "Stewie" as the "Longest Cat", measuring 48.5 in (123 cm) from the
tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. Stewie died on February 4, 2013, from
cancer at his home in Reno, Nevada, at age 8.[23][24] As of 2015 the living
record-holder for "Longest Cat" is "Ludo", measuring 46.59 in (118.3 cm). He
lives in Wakefield, England, in the United Kingdom.[25] Large Maine Coons can
overlap in length with Eurasian lynxes, although with a much lighter build
and lower height.[26]
Polydactylism
[edit]
A polydactyl kitten
Many of the original Maine Coon cats that inhabited the New England area
possessed a trait known as polydactylism (having one or more extra toes on
a paw).[17] With the 1970s revival of the interest in the breed, Maine Coon
cats were noted to show an increased incidence of polydactylism compared
to other breeds. Subsequently, breeders of show-standard cats were advised
to regard this variation as undesirable and to offer affected kittens as
household pets. The trait later became separately certified by some
organizations, like The International Cat Association (TICA).[27] Meanwhile, in
increasing numbers of cat fancy competitions, the trait is no longer marked
down.
Polydactylism is rarely, if ever, seen in Maine Coons in the show ring, since it
is not allowed by competition standards. [28] The gene for polydactylism is a
simple autosomal dominant gene,.[29] The polydactylism are genetic problems
which are not encouraged for breeding.[30] Polydactyly in Maine Coon cats is
characterised by broad phenotypic diversity.[31] Polydactyly not only affects
digit number and conformation, but also carpus and tarsus conformation.
[32]
The trait was almost eradicated from the breed due to the fact that it was
an automatic disqualifier in show rings.[33] Some private organizations and
breeders were created in order to preserve polydactylism in Maine Coon cats.
Health
[edit]
Life expectancy
[edit]
Pet insurance data obtained from a study during years 2003–2006 in Sweden
puts the median lifespan of the Maine Coon at > 12.5 years. 74% lived to
10 years or more and 54% lived to 12.5 years or more.[34] A UK study found a
life expectancy of 9.71 years compared to 11.74 years overall. [35]
Heart
[edit]
A solid-white female with hazel eyes
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been observed in Maine Coon
populations.[36] A mutation in the MYBPC3 gene found in Maine Coons has
been associated with HCM.[37]
Of all the Maine Coons tested for the MyBPC mutation at the Veterinary
Cardiac Genetics Lab at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington
State University, approximately one-third tested positive.[38] Not all cats that
test positive will have clinical signs of the disease, and some Maine Coon
cats with clinical evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy test negative for
this mutation, strongly suggesting that a second mutation exists in the
breed. The HCM prevalence was found to be 10.1% (95% CI 5.8 -14.3%) in
this study.[39] Early growth and nutrition, larger body size, and obesity may be
environmental modifiers of genetic predisposition to HCM. [40]
Kidney
[edit]
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited condition in cats that causes
multiple cysts (pockets of fluid) to form in the kidneys. These cysts are
present from birth. Initially, they are very small, but they grow larger over
time and may eventually disrupt kidney function, resulting in kidney failure.
While renal cysts are observed with a low incidence in Maine Coons, PKD
appears to be a misnomer in this particular breed. In a 2013 study, spanning
8 years, renal cysts were documented by ultrasound in 7 of 187 healthy
Maine Coons enrolled in a pre-breeding screening programme. The cysts
were mostly single and unilateral (6/7, 85.7%), small (mean 3.6 mm in
diameter), and located at the corticomedullary junction (4/6, 66.7%). Thus,
different in size, number, and location from those observed in Persian-related
breeds. In the same study, all six Maine Coon cats with renal cysts tested
negative for the PKD1 mutation, proving the disease in these cats to be
unrelated to the PKD observed in Persians and related breeds. Gene
sequencing of these cats failed to demonstrate any common genetic
sequences. Gendron et. al. found that 'Maine Coon PKD' represents a form of
juvenile nephropathy other than PKD.[41]
Skeletal, joint and muscle
[edit]
Hip dysplasia is an abnormality of the hip joint which can cause crippling
lameness and arthritis. The cats most commonly affected with hip dysplasia
tend to be males of the larger, big-boned breeds such as Persians and Maine
Coons. The relatively smaller size and weight of cats frequently results in
symptoms that are less pronounced.[42] X-rays submitted to the Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals (OFA) between 1974 and 2011 indicates that 24.3%
of Maine Coons in the database were dysplastic. Dysplasia was more severe
in bilateral than unilateral cases and with increasing age. [43]
The Maine Coon is one of the more commonly affected breeds for spinal
muscular atrophy. An autosomal recessive mutation in both
the LIX1 and LNPEP gene are responsible for the condition in the breed. [44]
Other
[edit]
Maine Coons also seem to be predisposed to develop entropion, mainly on
the lateral aspect of the eyelids, which can lead to corneal irritation and
ulceration, and may require surgery.[45
