What You Don't Know About...Maine Coon Cats

Behind the Gentle Giant

- Candilee Jackson

Maine Coon Cats seem to WOW their audiences and human families by just being there; one look tells you this is no ORDINARY cat! They are clowns, they are interactive, they chirp like birds or baa like sheep, and are often referred to as the “Saint Bernards” of the cat world.

The official state cat of Maine, the Maine Coon Cat is a native American long-haired cat and is considered a National Treasure. (CFA) These gorgeous, fluffy goofballs have quirky personalities and fur everywhere. This author remembers speaking with exhibitor Wendy Brown as she was putting the final touches on her Maine Coon for the show ring: using a tiny toothed comb, she was carefully combing the tufts of fur between her cat’s toes and stated, “Well, you pay for all this fur when you get an MC, so you have to comb out all of those little curlies, not only between their legs, but between their toes!”

These beautiful felines come in practically all colors of the genetic rainbow, from solids to tabbies to calicoes, and everything in between. While all Maine Coons Cats have flowing, gorgeous fur which needs daily attention, it is the full, plumed tail and majestic ruff that give this cat a regal look. Maine Coon Cats can weigh-in anywhere from 10-15 pounds (females) to males as large as 30 pounds! As a newbie exhibitor some years back, this writer was amazed to see a huge male silver smoked Maine Coon Cat which was too big for the judge’s cage and had to be “presented” to the judge. Following the exhibitor's back to the benching area, the cat’s owner had to lift the top of the wire enclosure to put the cat back in the show cage as it didn’t fit through the door. Indeed, this was the “lord” of all Maine Coon Cats!!

Interesting Facts