Maine Coon

Maine Coons are as old as Colonial times. How they got here in the first place and where their progenitors came from, however, is anyone’s guess, since none of the local colonists happened by with their camera phones to record the event.

Many imaginative stories exist about the origin of the Maine Coon (some more believable than others), but hard proof is as elusive as a cat at bath time. One story alleges that the breed is a raccoon/domestic cat hybrid, thus the name Maine Coon. Even though both raccoons and Maine Coons have lush, long tails and the tendency to dunk their food into their drinking water, such a union is biologically impossible. Other popular yet unlikely anecdotes include that they are the cross between a bobcat and a domestic cat, they are descended from Marie Antoinette’s cats that were smuggled to America, and that they came from a sea captain in the 1700s named Coon. 

The Maine Coon cat developed into a rugged cat with a dense and water-resistant coat, with a personality as large as their size. However, they fell out of favor as other cats such as Persians and Angoras began to appear in America. By the 1950s, the breed was wrongly declared extinct. Today, these cats have regained their former glory and are second in popularity only to the Persian Cat. 

The ideal owner will be able to devote a lot of space outdoors to their Maine Coon, who loves to roam around freely. A fenced-in yard and or cat run is a good way to keep their minds and bodies exercised, and they love human interaction in the form of games.

Like a star high schooler, the Maine Coon cat is a clever and athletic cat that loves human company. They can be high maintenance when it comes to enrichment needs. They love to be stimulated and have lots of opportunities to climb, jump, and prowl around outside.

Athletic and outdoorsy, the Maine Coon cat is like your friend who is always inviting you out for a hike. They love to explore and need a lot of outdoor time to balance out time indoors. If you’re worried about them being lost or stolen, a fenced-in larger yard and or cat run with tons of enrichment toys and games can help, although they love roaming around freely the most.

Maine Coon cats do a good enough job of cleaning themselves, but they might benefit from frequent grooming to keep their coats in good condition and reduce shedding.

Maine Coon cats are surprisingly open to training, especially when reward-based. It can be difficult to motivate a cat, but they love to be challenged. They are often used as cats in advertisements and TV shows because of their ability to be trained.

Generally speaking, the Maine Coon cat gets along well with any household members, including dogs. They are calm and hearty enough to deal with the chaos of family life and are largely tolerant of children.

The cost of a Maine Coon from a breeder is significantly more than the cost of adopting one from a local shelter or rescue. The adoption fee usually covers additional items such as spaying or neutering, vaccines, and microchipping.