Maine coon cat

The Maine Coon cat is also known as the American Forest Cat.
In 1985, the residents of Maine (USA) considered this domestic and working cat
titled "National Cat". She belongs to the breed of medium-heavy semi-longhair cats
Shape. Because of her affection she is also called "dog cat". Before they as a standalone
Breed was recognized, they were also referred to as Gentle Giant ("gentle giant"),
Maine Cat, Mainies, Maine Shag or Shaggies.

Characteristics of the Maine Coon cat

Shoulder height: up to 40 cm
Length: 100 - 120 cm (nose to tail)
Weight cat: Ø 6.5 - 9 kg
Cat: Ø 5 - 6.5 kg

• allowed colors: Black series B- Piebald check S- epistatic white W
  red series O dilution D Silver I-
• not allowed colors: Brown series bb, blbl
• Dilution modifier: dmdm
• Mask factors: cs - ,cbcb
• allowed coat markings brindle:
  (blotched, classic)
  mackerel
  drawing-free (non-agouti)
  
• not allowed fur markings:
  spotted ticked

The appearance of the Maine Coon

All Maine Coon standards around the world begin with the statement that the Maine Coon is a working cat (utility cat) to be. Their special features are their very long, bushy tail and the large frame cats. The head is slightly longer than it is wide. Your Maine Coon cat`s eyes are lying wide apart while ears are large and broad at base. Desirable are small lynx brushes, but this is not a "must". Your ear tufts offer you protection from the cold. Maine Coon cats have long, water-resistant fur, with tufts of fur between their toes (called snowshoes) protrude, which should prevent the cat from sinking into the snow. Maine Coon cats are only fully grown when they are about four years old. Next to the Norwegian Forest Cat this breed is one of the largest and heaviest domestic cats in the world. An adult cat of this species can exceptionally weigh over 12 kg and from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail 1.20 m long. Usually a Maine Coon male weighs 7 to 8 kg, while females 5 to 6 kg on the scales.

Behavior of the Maine Coon

Maine Coons are known to be intelligent and playful animals. They often and happily tend to their front paws to use, which is why they can easily open doors and taps, as well as pick up smaller objects. However, you should be careful, because of their speed when playing minor scratches are rarely avoidable for the owners.

Some Maine Coons are master thieves when it comes to stealing items such as keys, ballpoint pen, etc. They hoard these things in certain hidden places. Many Miane Coons do not eat directly from the food bowl, but pick up their food with their paws. Since they also like to play with water, it can happen around the water bowl give flood.

Their low and high voice is not adapted to the size of the animals, it is for that the Maine Coon cat is very communicative and coos and meows all day long in the company of people or their peers.

With her voice she can definitely draw attention to her wishes and it obviously prepares her great fun to fetch. The Maine Coon is known as a working cat as a talented hunter, She enjoys, and often successfully, catches mice, rats, birds and rabbits.

Since Maine Coons are often very social, they usually tolerate strange cats in theirs ancestral home.

Legends of the Maine Coon Cat

There are a number of myths and stories about the origin of the Maine Coon. according to your looks judge, the early Maine Coon cat strongly reminded residents of the New England states of one raccoonscoon or racoon). The cat is even able to grow like a young raccoon chirp. This gave rise to the story that Shaggie was a cross between a cat and a raccoon should have arisen. From a biological point of view, however, this would be impossible.

The story of Captain Samuel Clought and Queen Marie Antoinette is well known among romantics, which states that clought the royal family with their belongings from France to Wiscasset wanted to smuggle. They loaded their ship with the Queen`s household effects and what appeared to be white Angora cats.

Upon capturing the royal family, Clought, fearing for his head, sailed away and embarked Cats like that to America. These are said to have provided the basis for three Maine Coons. Another story tells of a Captain Thomas Coon who ruled the New England states as merchant captain travelled. His long-haired ship`s cats accompanied him when he disembarked and became friends with the cats at the harbor and if after nine weeks such a long-haired cat had a litter, the
Comment: "Another Coon cat!".

The first theory is that the Maine Coon died naturally because of the very cold, biting New England winters selection has arisen. Of these, only the strongest, largest, most adaptable cats have have survived. Another guess is that Maine Coon cats are descended from the Norwegian Forest cat, which evolved around the year 1000 AD with the Viking Leif Eriksson as ship cats came to New England and multiplied there. In fact, the two species are very similar.

America`s First Show Cat

Maine cats were already very popular in the mid-19th century. The most beautiful Maine cat at agricultural shows was the Skowhegan with the title "Maine State Champion Cat" chosen. Mrs. E.R. Pierce was the co-owner of a black and white Maine cat named Captain Jenks of the Horse Marines, documented the history of the domestic cat in the States and with it the Maine Coon. For example, the Shaggies were performing in shows in the western areas of Chicago as early as the 1870`s. The exhibition in Boston in 1878 consisted of twelve Maine cats

Maine cat Cosie won the silver medal in New York`s Square Garden. This and a photo of Cosie can be seen today at the "Jean Baker Rose Memorial in the home of the C.F.A." The events in New Yourk have not developed as desired, whereas the shows had great success in Boston. In 1897, 1898 and 1899 the Maine tomcat King Max was the winner of these Show and only his descendant Donald contested his title in 1900. The cat fancy craze hit in 1990, causing cat shows to be organized all over the United States. Cat lovers founded the "Cat Fanciers` Association" (C.F.A.) in 1906, which was recognized all over the world is represented by over 600 clubs. Molly Bond is one of the 28 Maine cats included in the first C.F.A. are listed. After a blue, long-haired Navy cat won the big show in Portland, Oregon in 1911, it became very quiet around the shaggie.

History of Targeted Breeding

The Shaggies` slumber lasted until the early 1950s. Alta Smith and Ruby Dyer formed the "Central Maine Cat Club" and arranged for one Combination of photo and cat exhibition. Lovers and breeding began with one "Show-In" which means that Maine Coons have been shown at all cat shows so that these could again be recognized as a pedigree cat. On May 1st, 1976, the last major American umbrella band finally recognized them Maine Coon as an equivalent pedigree cat. "Foundation" animals, i.e. cats brought from the farm, were used as a basis because at that time no more "breeding cats" of the breed were available.The first well-known breeders established themselves in the late 1960s and early 1970s e.g., Mary M. Condit ("Heidi-Ho"), Sonya Stanislow ("Tati-Tan") and Ethelyn Whittemore ("Whittemore"). The animals known today as the "Top 5", from which their breeds emerged, are missing in almost no pedigree of a classically bred Maine Coon:

"Andy Katt of Heidi-Ho"
"Bridget Katt of Heidi-Ho"
"Dauphin de france of Tati-Tan"
"Tatiana of Tati-Tan"
"Whittemore Smokie Joe"

Modern breeders try to close the gene pool again by resorting to today`s "Foundation" animals enlarge because Maine Coon breeds are not without diseases. The "Top 5" are so far not always represented in today`s family trees.

The first European breeders

Barbara Simon dropped a photo of a Maine Coon in Grace Pond`s "The Complete Cat Encyclopaedia" in 1973 up and she was instantly hooked. The Simon couple had success with breeders Mary M. Condit as well as Pat and A. G. Robbins ("Gemütlichkat") who were in Germany at the time were resident and as cat lovers brought their animals from the States to Europe. Mrs. Condit promised Barbara Simon a male from her next litter and supported her to find suitable cats for breeding.

Gideon and Rika Gautschi ("from Anatolia") had been obsessing over a Maine Coon for a long time. They had read about the shaggies in an American article. They got in contact with the breeders Phyllis Voth ("Sundar") through a recommendation Wisconsin and Larry Page ("of Clowder") from Appleton. The first Maine Coon finally entered Swiss soil for the first time in February 1978. The recognition of the Fifé did not stop First time success. Supposedly the first application went with the required original documents lost. The application was made on Ms. Simon`s second attempt in Germany and the congruent Application made by Mr. Gautschi in Switzerland. In January 1983, the FIFé finally included the Maine Coon in the association of pedigree cats recorded.

Breed standard Maine Coon cat, GCCF

The Maine Coon is a semi-longhair cat of medium non-European type. She is characterized by her considerable size, bone structure, rectangular appearance and the flowing fur. Type, size and coat quality are the top priority. Many color combinations are tolerated, although the "color" is largely less significant than the properties mentioned. The Maine Coon cat developed from the working house cat in rural surroundings. This role is reflected in a strong feline in a robust gadfly appearance that a has a distinctive weather-resistant coat and behaves like a vigilant, capable hunter.

Description of the Maine Coon

Head: Medium length, the bridge of the nose is equidistant from the ear line and the tip of the nose, slightly wider, than the length of the head. Larger width and sagging cheeks ((lower) jaw, cheek, cheek) should be tolerated in adult cats. Muzzle: should be square with a firm chin Chin, upper lip and nose leather should form a vertical line. Cheeks almost full with high cheekbones. Just bite. Nose evenly broad with a gentle concave curvature at the bridge of the nose when viewed from the side, with no sharp break or stop.
ears: Large, high, widely spaced, broad at base and slightly tapering.
Eyes: Full, round, set wide apart, tapering slightly inward (owlish, not Asian).
Colours: Green, Gold and Copper. Fur and eye color are independent of each other. In white cats are Bicolor or blue eyes allowed.
Body and neck: of large to medium height, muscular and massive, broad chest.Long, straight back, matching limbs around characteristic rectangular appearance. Rectangular hull. Nape of medium length, particularly broad and muscular in adult males.
Legs and paws: Athletic legs with large round paws, toes carried tightly - five in front, four behind.
Tail: Long - at least as long as the back. Long hair on the tail, not bushy, but plentiful and drooping. No brushed tail hair, otherwise there is a risk of failure. Consequently they needed almost a year to grow up. If necessary, you should only shake out the tail like a duster.
Fur: Water resistant, and almost self-care. The undercoat should be pulled through with a strong, be covered with shiny top hair. The coat should be kept short on the head, neck and shoulders longer down the flanks and legs. Sparse summer fur in summer, larger in winter collar. The front ruff begins at the base of the ears; more pronounced in tomcats than in queens Feathered ears and preferably with tufts on the tips. Hair in ears should extending beyond the outer edges of the ears. The paws between the toes should be like Act snowshoes and feature long tufts of hair.
fur color: in all colors: white, red, blue, black, silver, cream, piebald, tortoiseshell, tabby (mackerel or classic), smoke. There are no Siamese and Burmese markings on her. The classic tabby markings are still popular today, often with white on the chest and feet and stomach, which also have an M pattern on the forehead. There is no direct correlation between fur and eye color. All combinations are allowed: (Except chocolate, lilac and point (Siamese)).

The health

The Maine Coon cat is consistently known as a "natural bush," which is said to imply health and vigor. In the course of its evolution, however, it has - like all other mammals - various hereditary factors related diseases acquired.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The best-known myocardial disease is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which can be diagnosed using color Doppler ultrasound can be proven. An apparently inherited modification of the disease has now been proven by means of DNA analysis. This causes one due to a mutation in the MYBPC3 gene (cardiac myosin binding protein). Change in genetic material noted. However, none of the other mutations that cause HCM have been detected using genetic testing been and jeube sejzbdöreb Jarduinyioatgueb can be ruled out is a cardiac examination by ultrasound essential for a reliable clarification. From the first year of life can be tested by ultrasound, which should be followed up at regular intervals, because an ultrasound examination is always just a snapshot. With our latest state of knowledge (April 2006) it is still not clear how the overall picture is HCM to assess the MYBPC3 mutation. In humans, the HCM variant located on this gene has the best prognosis. So we have to wait for further developments. On the outside, an animal with HCM appears healthy, but at some point in time it becomes simple die sudden cardiac death. There can be pre-symptoms such as panting through the open mouth when Playing, coughing, loss of appetite and tiring quickly, so check the causes with the vet immediately should clarify. Most of the time, the animals suddenly drop dead unexpectedly! Medicated, an HCM with good Success discontinued, but i. i.e. R. not be cured.

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a second known inherited disease that is caused by genetic and dietary factors factors is favoured.It occurs predominantly in large, heavy breeds, both in cats and cats in the dog - also in the Maine Coon. This disease is diagnosed by x-ray examination of the hips. However, HD does not seem to be very common in the Maine Coon, it is just often talked about. However, it is also difficult to diagnose HD in cats without x-rays because these in contrast to the dog, they seem to have hardly any pain and impairments because of it.

polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is the third known inherited disease which is dominantly hereditary. This is mainly known among the Persians. In the process, cysts develop in the internal organs and preferably in the kidneys, which impair the function of these Organs and their growth are increasingly restricted. The diagnosis is currently still based on high-resolution ultrasound. A genetic test that is available for all Persians and Persian descendants but does not work on other causative mutations such as those found in other breeds of cats be suspected. An animal with PKD can live to a very old age, but also at a young age die miserably of kidney failure. For example, weight loss and increased thirst are signs of PKD, but also the impairment of motor skills (limping on the hind legs or drooping of the head).

Gingivitis

Another widespread problem of the Maine Coon is inflammation of the gums, up to and including complete failure of the incisors, for which the reasons for this are still unknown. For this, both genetic named problems as well as viruses.