Maine Coon

Breed Description

If you have ever wanted a cat that feels almost like a small, good-natured dog, the Maine Coon is probably what you are picturing. This is a big, sturdy cat with a broad chest, a rectangular body, and a long, plumed tail, and it happens to be the largest recognized domestic cat breed in North America.

Its double coat is thick and shaggy rather than fluffy all over, being shorter on the shoulders and longer down the belly and britches, and it comes in almost every color and pattern imaginable. Large tufted ears, a square muzzle, and big expressive eyes give the breed its distinctive, slightly wild-looking face, even though it is 100 percent domestic house cat underneath all that fur.

What really sets the Maine Coon apart, though, is how long it takes to grow up. Unlike most cats that are full grown by their first birthday, Maine Coons keep filling out for years before they reach their final size and shape.

Breed History

The Maine Coon’s story starts humbly, on the working farms and busy harbors of coastal New England rather than in any palace. Most breed historians agree the cats descended from ordinary shorthaired cats that interbred with longhaired cats brought over by European sailors and settlers starting in the 1600s and 1700s, with the harsh Maine winters gradually selecting for bigger bodies, dense coats, and tough constitutions.

Colorful legends about the breed being part raccoon, part bobcat, or descended from Marie Antoinette’s fleeing Angoras are fun campfire stories, but none of them hold up scientifically. The cats were simply skilled, hardy mousers on farms and ships, and by the 1860s Maine farmers were already showing off their best ‘coon cats’ at local agricultural fairs.

Their big moment came in 1895, when a brown tabby Maine Coon named Cosey won Best in Show at the first major American cat show at Madison Square Garden in New York. The breed’s popularity then dipped hard once Persians and other imported longhairs became fashionable, and by the early 1900s many people assumed the Maine Coon had nearly disappeared.

Dedicated fans rescued the breed from obscurity in the mid-20th century, forming clubs to promote it, and the Cat Fanciers’ Association finally granted the Maine Coon full championship recognition in 1976. Since then it has become one of the most popular pedigreed cats in the country, and in 1985 Maine made it the state’s official cat.

Behavioral Characteristics

Despite its imposing size, the Maine Coon has earned the nickname ‘gentle giant’ for good reason. These cats are famously friendly, sociable, and easygoing, getting along well with children, dogs, and other pets without becoming pushy or demanding.

They love being near their people, following family members from room to room and supervising whatever is going on in the house, but they are not typically clingy lap cats who insist on being held. Instead they tend to settle nearby, chirp or trill a greeting, and quietly keep tabs on the household.

Maine Coons are intelligent, playful, and often described as dog-like because they can learn tricks, play fetch, and stay kittenish well into adulthood. Many also have a quirky fondness for water, something not all that common among cats.

Because it takes them so long to physically mature, Maine Coons often act like big, endearing kittens for years, and even as adults they typically bring a calm, patient, family-friendly temperament to any home lucky enough to have one.

Fun Facts

• “A Maine Coon named Stewie once held the Guinness World Record for longest domestic cat, measuring 48.5 inches from nose to tail tip.”
• “Many early Maine Coons were polydactyl, meaning they had extra toes, a trait once thought to help them balance and walk on snow.”
• “The Maine Coon is the official state cat of Maine, an honor it received in 1985.”

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