The Maine Coon is one of the largest pet cat races. It has a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America, specifically the original state of Maine, where it is an official state cat.
There is no record of the exact origins and dates of Maine Coon's introduction to the existence of the United States, so several competing hypotheses have been proposed. This breed was popular in cat shows in the late nineteenth century, but its existence became threatened when long-haired breeds from abroad were introduced in the early 20th century. Maine Coon has made a comeback and is now one of the most popular cat races in the world.
Maine Coon is a big and friendly cat, then his nickname, "gentle giant." It is characterized by a prominent ruff along its chest, a strong bone structure, a rectangular body shape, an uneven coating of two layers with longer keeping hair with a satin undercoat beneath the layer, and a long, bushy tail. The color of the breed varies greatly, with only lilac and brown being forbidden for pedigree. Known for his wit and gentle nature, Maine Coon is often quoted as having "dog-like" characteristics. Professionals pay attention to certain health problems in breeds including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and pelvic dysplasia, but reputable breeders use modern screening methods to minimize the frequency of these problems.
Video Maine Coon
History
Origin
The origin of the Maine Coon ancestor is unknown - there is only speculation and folklore. One such folktale involves Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, who was executed in 1793. The story goes that before his death Antoinette attempted to flee France with the help of Captain Samuel Clough. He loaded the Clough ship with his most valuable items, including six of his favorite Angora Turkish cats. Although he did not make it to the United States, his pets safely reached the coast of Wiscasset, Maine, where they grew up with other short-haired breeds and developed into modern Maine Coon breeds.
Other folklore involves Captain Charles Coon, a British sailor who maintains a long-haired cat on his ships. Every time a Coon ship will dock in New England harbor, the cats will get out of the boat and mate with the local wildcat population. When long-haired kittens begin to appear in the local cat population, they are referred to as one of the "Coon cats".
A myth based on the nature, though genetically impossible, is the idea that the modern Maine Coon is derived from the ancestors of domestic cats and semi-feral raccoons. This myth is probably based on the general color of the breed (brown) and its bushy tail. Another idea is that the Maine Coon comes from domestic cat marriages and wild cats, which can explain the bundles of hair so commonly seen on the tip of the ear.
The generally accepted hypothesis among breeders is that Maine Coon comes from a short-haired domestic cat couple and long-haired offspring brought abroad by English sailors (possibly by Captain Charles Coon) or an 11th-century Norsemen. The relationship to the Norsemen is seen in the strong resemblance of Maine Coon to the Norwegian Forest Cat, another type of cat litter who traveled with Norsemen.
Cat show and popularity
The first mention of Maine Coons in literature was in 1861, in the novel Frances Simpson The Book of the Cat (1903). F.R. Pierce, who owns several Maine Coons, wrote a chapter on this breed. In the late 1860s, farmers located in Maine told the story of their cat and held a "Maine State Champion Coon Cat" contest at the local Skowhegan Fair.
In 1895, a dozen Maine Coons broke into a show in Boston. On May 8, 1895, the first North American cat show was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A Maine Coon chocolate cat, named Cosey, is put into the show. Owned by Mrs. Fred Brown, Cosey won a silver collar and a medal and was named Best in Show. The silver collar was purchased by the Cat Fanciers Association Foundation (CFA) with the help of a donation from the National Capital Cat Show. The collar is housed at CFA Headquarters at the Jean Baker Rose Memorial Library.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the popularity of Maine Coon began to decline with the introduction of other long-haired breeds, such as Persia, originating from the Middle East. The last win recorded by Maine Coon in a national cat show for over 40 years was in 1911 at a show in Portland, Oregon. This breed is rarely seen after that. This decline was so severe that the breed was declared extinct in the 1950s, although this statement was considered excessive and reported prematurely at the time. Central Maine Cat Club (CMCC) was founded in the early 1950s by Ethylin Whittemore, Alta Smith and Ruby Dyer in an effort to boost the popularity of Maine Coon. For 11 years, CMCC held a cat exhibition and held a photo exhibition of breed and recorded to create the first written breed standard for Maine Coon.
Maine Coon was denied a temporary breed status - one of the three steps required to breed that CFA had not yet recognized to compete in a championship competition - by the CFA three times, which led to the formation of the Maine Coon The breed was finally accepted by the CFA under temporary status on dated May 1, 1975, and was approved for championship status on 1 May 1976. The next few decades saw an increase in Maine Coon's popularity, with a championship victory and a national ranking increase. In 1985, the state of Maine announced that the breed would be named the official Cat Country. Today Maine Coon is the third most popular cat type, according to the number of kittens registered in the CFA.
Maps Maine Coon
Description of breed
Maine Coon is the largest domestic cat type. On average, males weigh from 13 to 18 pounds (5.9 to 8.2 kg) with women weighing 8 to 12 pounds (3.6-5.4 kg). Adult altitude can vary between 10 and 16 in (25 and 41 cm) and they can reach up to 48 inches (120 cm) long, including the tail, which can reach 14 in (36 cm) long and long, tapered, and very hairy , almost like raccoon tail. The body is solid and muscular, needed to support their own weight, and broad chest. Maine Coons have a rectangular shape and are slow to mature physically; Their full potential size is usually not achieved until they are three to five years old, while other cats take about a year.
In 2010, Guinness World Records received Maine Coon male purebred named "Stewie" as "The Longest Cat" measuring 48.5 inches (123 cm) from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail.. Stewie died February 4, 2013, from cancer at his home in Reno, Nevada, at the age of 8. In 2015 the life record holder for "The Longest Cat" is "Ludo", measuring 3Ã, ft 10.59 in (118.33 cm). He lives in Wakefield, England. Large Maine Coons can overlap with eurasia lynxes, albeit with lighter shapes and lower heights.
Maine Coon is a long or medium haired cat. This coat is soft and smooth, although the texture can vary with the color of the fur. The length is shorter on the head and shoulders, and longer in the abdomen and pelvis with some cats having a ruff lion like around their neck. Minimal care is needed to breed, compared to other long-haired breeds, since their coats largely defend themselves because of the lower layers of light density. This coat is subject to seasonal variations, with thicker feathers in the winter and thinner during the summer.
Maine Coons can have any color that other cats have. Colors showing cross-breeding, such as chocolate, lavender, Siamese spiky patterns or "unchecked" patterns, are not accepted by some breed standards ('ticked' patterns, for example, accepted by TICA). The most common pattern seen in races is brown. All eye colors are accepted below the breed standard, with the exception of blue or odd-eye occurrences (ie two different colored eyes) on cats that have coat colors other than white.
Maine Coons has some physical adaptations to survive in harsh winter climates. Their waterproof and solid fur is longer and worse at the bottom and back for extra protection when they walk or sit on the surface of wet snow or ice. Its long, raccoon-like tail is resistant to snowfall, and can curl around their face and shoulders for warmth and protection from wind and blowing snow and can even curve around their backs like an insulated cushion when sitting on the surface of the snow or ice. Large claws, and especially the extra large claws of Polydactyl Maine Coons, facilitate walking on snow and are often compared to snowshoe. The long feather tufts growing between their toes help keep the toes warm and help further on the snow by providing additional leg structures without significant weight gain. A very hairy ear with extra long hairs growing from inside helps warm their ears.
Many of the original Maine Coon cats that inhabit the New England region have properties known as polydactylism (having one or more extra toes). While some sources claim that the nature is thought to have occurred in about 40% of the Maine Coon population in Maine at one time, little evidence has been provided to prove this claim. Polydactylism is rare, if ever, seen in Maine Coons in a show ring because it is unacceptable by competition standards. The gene for polydactylism is a simple autosomal dominant gene, which proves not to threaten the health of cats. The nature was almost eradicated from heredity due to the fact that it was an automatic disqualification at the ring exhibition. Private organizations and breeders are created to keep polydactylism in Maine Coons in order not to disappear.
Maine Coons are known as "gentle giants" and have above average intelligence, making them relatively easy to train. They are known for being loyal to their families and being cautious - but insignificant - around strangers, but independent and not attached. Maine Coons are generally not known as "lap cats" but their gentle nature keeps their offspring casual around dogs, other cats, and children. They play around all their lives, with men tending to be more clown and women generally have more dignity, but both are equally dear. Many Maine Coons have a fascination with water and some theorize that this personality trait comes from their ancestors, who were on board for most of their lives. Maine Coons is also known as a very vocal cat. They are known for often babbling or howling, rebuking, chirping, and making other vocalizations hard.
Diet
Maine Coons need lots of protein and nutrients in their diet. Since they are a big cat type with high energy levels, it is best to give them quality food. Foods that list meat as the first ingredient are the best for Maine Coon.
Health
Pet insurance data obtained from research during 2003-2006 in Sweden puts the median Maine Coon's lifetime at & gt; 12.5 years. 74% live up to 10 years or more and 54% live up to 12.5 years or more. Maine Coons are generally healthy and strong breeds and have adapted to survive in the New England climate. The most severe threat is hypertrophy (HCM) cardiomyopathy, the most common cardiovascular disease seen in cats, whether pure raised or not. In Maine Coons, it is thought to be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Middle-aged cats to older cats and men are considered susceptible to this disease. HCM is a progressive disease and can lead to heart failure, back leg paralysis due to clot embolization coming from the heart, and sudden death. A specific mutation that causes HCM to be seen in Maine Coons whose testing service is offered. Of all the Maine Coons tested for the MyBPC mutation at the Veterinary Cardiac Genetics Lab at the College of Veterinary Medicine located at Washington State University, about a third were tested positive. Not all cats tested positive have clinical signs of disease and some Maine Coon cats with clinical evidence of a negative hypertrophic cardiomyopathy test for these mutations, strongly suggesting that a second mutation exists in the breed. HCM prevalence was found to be 10.1% (95% CI 5.8 to 14.3%) in this study.
Other health problems that may occur are spine muscle atrophy (SMA), another genetic derivative disease that causes loss of spinal cord neurons that activate skeletal muscle from the stem and limbs. Symptoms are usually seen in 3-4 months of age and result in muscular atrophy, muscle weakness, and short lifespan. A test was offered to detect the genes responsible for high school.
Hip dysplasia is a hip joint that can cause lame and lymphatic arthritis. Cats most commonly affected by hip dysplasia tend to be males of large breeds such as Persians and Maine Coons. The relatively smaller size and weight of cats often produce less obvious symptoms. X-rays sent to the Orthopedic Animal Foundation (OFA) between 1974 and 2011 showed that 24.3% of Maine Coons in the database were dysplastic. Maine Coon is the only type of cat registered in the database.
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a slowly progressive disease affecting Persian and Persian descendants, where fluid-filled cysts extend inside the kidneys, destroying functional tissues. While kidney cysts are observed with low incidence in Maine Coons, PKD seems to be mistaken on certain types. In a recent study covering 8 years, the kidney cyst was documented by ultrasound in 7 of the 187 healthy Maine Coons enrolled in a pre-breeding screening program. The cysts are mostly single and unilateral (6/7, 85.7%) small (average 3.6 mm in diameter) and are located at the corticomedulla junction (4/6, 66.7%), thus differing in size, number and location of the observed in Persian related descendants. In the same study, not all of the six Maine Coon cats with negative renal cysts tested for PKD1 mutations proved that the disease in these cats was not associated with PKD observed in Persians and related breeds, but the sequencing of genes in these cats failed. shows any general genetic sequence. The presence of a kidney cyst, in the absence of other changes, does not seem to adversely affect the quality of life of the patient, as those whose follow-up is available are reported to be alive and well in adulthood. Although the precise nature and clinical relevance of renal cysts in Maine Coons are currently unknown, screening is still recommended for pre-breeding assessments. Ultrasonography is currently the only valid diagnostic method for detection in this breed.
References
Further reading
- Bass, Sharyn P. (1983). It's Maine Coon Cat . Neptune City, New Jersey: T.F.H. Publication. ISBNÃ, 0-87666-867-8.
- Hayman, Tracey K. (2001). Maine Coon Cat . Dorking, English: Interpreting Publishing. ISBN: 1-84286-011-9
- Hornidge, Marilis (2002). Yankee Cat: The Maine Coon . Gardiner, Maine: Tilbury House. ISBNÃ, 0-88448-243-X.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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