The

ancestral history of the Maine Coon are unclear   There are

only theories

and folk tales

One

such folk tale begins with   Marie Antoinette the Queen of

France who was

executed in 1793. The story goes that before her death, Marie

Antoinette

attempted to exit from France with the help of Captain Samuel Clough.

Marie

Antoinette  loaded Clough's ship with her most valuable

 

possessions, including six of her prized   Turkish Angora

cats. Although

the Queen   did not make it to the United States, her pets

safely reached

the shores of  Wiscasset Maine, where they mated with a

Norwegian Forest

Cataand evolved into the modern breed of the Maine Coon.

Another

folk tale involves   Captain Charles Coon, an English sea

captain who kept

long-haired cats aboard his ships. Whenever Coon's ship would dock in

the New

England ports, the felines   would exit the ship and mate with

the local

feral cat population. When long-haired kittens began appearing in the

litters

of the local cat population, they were referred to as one of "Coon's

cats" thus the name Coon Cats.

A

folk tale which is biologically-based, though genetically impossible,is

the

idea that the modern Maine Coon arrived from ancestors of semi-feral

domestic

cats and raccoons. This could have possibly explained the most common

color of

the breed and the bushy tail, which is a characteristic trait. Another

thought

is that the Maine Coon originated between the matings of domestic cats

and wild

bobcats, which could explain the tufts of hairs that are so commonly

seen on

the tips of the ears.  There have been reports of domestic

cats breeding

with bobcats.

The

generally-accepted theory among breeders is that the Maine Coon is

descended

from the pairings of New England short-haired domestic cats and

long-haired

breeds brought carried here by English seafarers (possibly by Captain

Charles

Coon) or 11th-century Vikings.  The link to the Vikings is

seen in the

strong resemblance of the Maine Coon to the Norwegian Forest Cat,

another breed

that is said to be a descendant of cats that traveled with the Vikings.

Maine

Coons are one of the largest breeds of domestic cat. Males weigh

anywhere

between 15 and 25 lb (6.8 and 11 kg) with females

weighing between 10

and 15 lb  The height of adults can vary between 10

and 16 in

and they can reach a length of up to 40 in, including the

tail, which can

reach lengths of up to 14 in and is long, tapering, and

heavily furred,

almost resembling a raccoon's tail. The body is solid and muscular,

which is

necessary for supporting their own weight, and the chest is broad.

Maine Coons

possess a rectangular body shape and are slow to physically mature;

their full

potential size is normally not reached until they are around three or

four

years old.

The

Maine Coon is a longhaired, or medium-haired, cat. The coat is soft and

silky,

although texture may vary with coat color. The length is shorter on the

head,

and shoulders and longer on the stomach and flanks with some cats

having a

lion-like ruff around their neck. Minimal grooming is required for the

breed,

compared to other long-haired breeds, as their coat is mostly

self-maintaining

due to a light-density undercoat. The coat is subject to seasonal

variation,

with the fur being thicker in the winter and thinner during the summer.

 

 

 

Maine

Coons have several physical adaptations for survival in harsh winter

climates.

Their dense water-resistant fur is longer and shaggier on their

underside and

rear for extra protection when they are walking or sitting on top of

wet

surfaces of snow or ice. Their long and bushy raccoon-like tail is

resistant to

sinking in snow, and can be curled around their face and shoulders for

warmth

and protection from wind and blowing snow and it can be even curled

around

their backside like a insulated seat cushion when sitting down on a

snow or ice

surface.  Large paws, and especially the extra-large paws of

polydactyl

Maine Coons, facilitate walking on snow and are often compared to

snowshoes.

Long tufts of fur growing between their toes help keep the toes warm

and further

aid walking on snow by giving the paws additional structure without

significant

extra weight. Heavily furred ears with extra long tufts of fur growing

from

inside help keep their ears warm

Maine

Coons are known as the "gentle giants" and possess above-average

intelligence, making them relatively easy to train  They are

known for

being loyal to their family and cautious—but not

mean—around strangers, but are

independent and not clingy. The Maine Coon is generally not known for

being a

"lap cat" but their gentle disposition makes the breed relaxed around

dogs, other cats, and children. They are playful throughout their

lives, with

males tending to be more clownish and females generally possessing more

dignity, yet both are equally affectionate. Many Maine Coons have a

fascination

with water and some theorize that this personality trait comes from

their

ancestors, who were aboard ships for much of their lives.

 

Steve

Chesnut http://www.ZocDoc.info  For

More Coon Cat

info and links to cat communication info.