Other attributes
The Maine Coon is a breed of cats that originated from the cats of the state of Maine in the northeastern United States. An indigenous breed of cats of North America.
The name "Maine Coon" is derived from two words. The first is the name of the state of Maine, and the second is derived from the English racoon, which translates as "raccoon".
It is the official symbol of the State of Maine.
Description
The largest breed of cats, males weigh from 5.9 to 8.2 kg (castrated — up to 15 kg), and females from 3.6 to 5.4 kg (sterilized — up to 7.5—8.5 kg). The height at the withers in adult cats reaches from 25 to 41 cm, and the total length with a tail is up to 120 cm (tail length up to 36 cm). The full potential size of a cat is reached at the age of 3 to 5 years, while in most other cats — at the age of 1 year. However, there are other slowly maturing breeds, also of large size (for example, the Norwegian forest). All individuals of the Maine Coon breed have small tassels on the tips of their ears. The body length of Maine coons is a meter or more, the longest officially registered Maine Coon had a body length of 1 meter 23 centimeters.
At birth, Maine Coon kittens are slightly larger than kittens of ordinary cats. The minimum weight of a viable newborn Maine Coon kitten is 80 grams, the normal weight of Maine Coon kittens is 100-180 grams [source not specified 358 days]. Sexual dimorphism in Maine Coons is markedly pronounced. Cats are significantly smaller at birth than cats, as well as in adulthood. The difference in weight can reach one-third, on average the difference in weight between cats and cats is one-fourth.
The Maine Coon is a long—haired cat. The wool is soft and silky, the texture may vary depending on the color of the wool and the breed type. The length of the hair on the head and shoulders is shorter, on the stomach and on the sides longer, some cats have developed a decorative mane on the neck. As with many native breeds, Maine Coon fur is subject to seasonal changes, in summer it is lighter and shorter, in winter it is slightly longer and with a more developed and dense undercoat.
Maine coons can be of any color typical for ordinary domestic cats, but artificial colors that indicate a possible admixture of other breeds, such as chocolate, lavender, color point or tipping, are not accepted in all federations. For example, the color point in Maine Coon colors is accepted only in TICA. The most common pattern in the breed is brown and smoky tabby, known in Russia as "wild" color. All eye colors are accepted in accordance with the color standards, except for the appearance of blue or heterochromic (that is, two eyes of different colors) in cats with a coat color other than white.
The Maine Coon's coat is perfectly adapted to the harsh and cold climate. Dense undercoat on the belly and elongated hair on the hind legs allow you to sit on snow and ice, polydactyly and long tufts of hair between the pads of the paws, which are a mandatory feature of the breed, facilitate walking in the snow and they are often compared with snowshoes, as they increase the area, giving the paws additional stability without significant additional weight. Ears with tassels and elongated tufts of wool growing from the inside help to keep the heat in the ears.
Many of the original Maine Coon cats that lived in the New England area had a trait known as polydactylism (the presence of one or more extra toes on the paw). Although some sources claim that the trait is believed to have occurred in about 40% of the Maine Coon population in Maine, polydactylism is now rare, if ever observed in Maine Coons in the exhibition ring, since it is unacceptable by general standards for semi-long-haired breeds in the main federations. This characteristic characteristic of the old, aboriginal breed was almost eradicated from the breed due to the fact that it was an automatic disqualification in the exhibition rings. It has now been proven that the polydactylism gene is a basic autosomal dominant gene that does not pose a threat to the health of a cat. Nowadays, private organizations and breeders have set the goal of preventing the disappearance of polydactylism in Maine Coons, and breed such animals separately from the main breed lines adopted by WCF and AFC.
Federations that accept polydactylism in Maine Coons: CFA, TICA, CFF, ACFA, NZCF.
History of the breed
The breed was formed naturally under the influence of the harsh climatic conditions of Maine, although there are "alternative" versions (various kinds of legends) about the origin of Maine Coons. Maine Coons were first mentioned in literature in 1861. By this time there is an article about a cat named Captain Jenks from the ship "Sea Horse".
It was shown at exhibitions in Boston and New York in 1861 and marked the beginning of the breed's early popularity, but at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, Maine Coons were outstripped by furrier Persians. The Maine Coon as a breed managed to survive only due to the fact that farmers paid tribute to its size and hunting qualities.
The modern breed standard was adopted in 1967, and in the 1990s Maine Coons gained real popularity. But Maine coons were first registered as a breed in 1908 in the Felinological Federation of CFA, where a Maine Coon cat named Molly Bond became the fifth animal registered in this federation.
Since 2002, the WCF General Assembly at a meeting in Milan decided that, based on the data on the genotype of this breed, interbreed mating of Maine Coons with cats of the following breeds is permissible: Norwegian forest, Turkish Angora, Siberian. The decision on the necessity and appropriateness of such mating is made by the head of the club.
Health and diseases
Maine Coons are basically a healthy and hardy breed adapted to a climate with snowy winters. Analysis of data on the life insurance of domestic cats in Sweden (2003-2006) allows us to conclude about the average life expectancy of Maine Coons: 12.5 years or more (74% of the registered animals of this breed; over half - 54% — lived 16.5 years or more).
The most serious Maine Coon diseases are common to domestic cats and humans. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease in cats, whether purebred or not. It is believed that for Maine Coons this is the result of autosomal dominant inheritance, manifested in middle-aged and elderly animals. HCMP is a progressive disease that leads to pulmonary edema, sudden paralysis of the hind limbs and death. Therefore, timely diagnosis is extremely necessary. In the USA, there is a practice of DNA testing for the gene responsible for HCMP.
Maine Coon Kitten
Another potential health problem is spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), also a genetically determined (autosomal recessive inheritance) disease in which the neurons of the spinal cord that conduct impulses to the skeletal muscles of the trunk and limbs are affected. The first symptoms appear at the age of 3-4 months. The kitten's back part sways when walking; when he stands, his kneecaps almost touch. At 5-6 months, the animal cannot jump freely on furniture, and when jumping down, it often lands clumsily. However, sick kittens eat and play well; many live for many years as purely domestic, that is, cats that do not go outside. SMA testing is also carried out.
Hip dysplasia is an inferiority affecting one or both joints; Maine Coons and Persians, as large breeds, are most often affected. The disease is also genetically determined, but manifests itself with age, more often in cats, in the form of osteoarthritis — the animal begins to limp.
Polycystic kidney disease (PKP) is a hereditary disease, slowly progressing, irreversible, affecting, as it was believed, the Persian cat and related breeds. As a result of recent studies, it turned out that kidney cysts are less common in Maine Coons and are not related to the PKP of Persians; genetic testing for PKP of Maine coons in which cysts were found gave a negative result.
