Maine Coon

History
Maine Coon is thought to be native of the state of Maine. It is one of the oldest breeds of North America. There are many myths and stories related to the origin of Maine Coon. A popular belief is that it is originated from mating between semi-wild domestic cats and raccoons. Another belief is that the Maine Coon is originated from the mating of domestic cats and wild bobcats. And according to the generally-accepted theory among breeders, it is believed that the Maine Coon is descended from the mating of local short-haired domestic cats and long-haired breeds brought overseas by English seafarers who may be Captain Charles Coon or 11th-century Vikings.

Maine Coons were popular in cat shows in the late 1800s. The breed was first recorded in cat literature in 1861. Their popularity declined with the arrival of Persian cats. In 1950s, their popularity began to rise once again. In 1968, six breeders formed the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association (MCBFA) to preserve and protect the breed. By 1980, Maine Coon was recognized by all the registries, including CFA. According to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), Maine Coons is now the second most popular cat breed in the world.

Cat Shows & Popularity
In 1895, a female Maine Coon brown tabby, named Cosey, won the silver collar and medal and was named Best in the first North American Cat Show, which was hosted at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The silver collar won by Cosey was purchased by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Foundation, and was housed at the CFA Central Office in the Jean Baker Rose Memorial Library. The last recorded prize won by a Maine Coon in a national cat show was in 1911 at a show in Portland, Oregon. Then in 1970s, it came back with great popularity and won many cat shows. Thus, in 1985, the state of Maine announced that the breed would be named the official State Cat. In 2006, the Guinness World Records named Leo - a male purebred Maine Coon - the "Longest Cat", with 120 cm length, from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, and with 16 kg weight.

Appearance
Maine Coons have a long, rectangular body with large bones, square muzzles and high cheekbones. It has large oval eyes, tufted ears with an extra-long tail. One of the distinctive features of Maine Coon is a long, smooth, silky and shaggy coat that is shorter on the shoulders and longer on the belly and tail. They come in variety of colors and patterns, including solid, tabby, bicolor, tortoiseshells, tabby-tortoise, smoke, and shaded colors. Maine Coons males can weigh between 8.2 to 11 kg, while the females can weigh anywhere between 3.6 to 6.8 kg. The height of adults can be between 25 to 41 cm and they can even reach a length of up to 100 cm, including the tail, which can be up to 36 cm.

Personality
Maine Coons are renowned for their loving nature and intelligence. They are very loyal and enjoy the company of both humans and other pet animals. They can be very easily trained and adapt themselves easily to new environment. Today, Maine Coons are one of the largest breeds of domestic cat because of their friendly & calm temperament.

Genetic Disease
Health problems, such as feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and hip dysplasia, are seen in the breed, but testing is available to detect the genes responsible for causing these abnormalities. Another health problem commonly found in female Maine Coons is Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which is a genetically inherited disease and causes the loss of the neurons in the spinal cord that activate the skeletal muscles of the trunk and limbs. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a slowly progressive disease that is possible among Maine Coons.