Well, here’s a sudden question. What breed of cat is known as the “gentle giant” or the “world’s largest cat”? The answer is “Maine Coon”! It is often mistaken for “makein”, but makein is a type of potato. By the way, these two have nothing to do with each other.
Maine Coon is one of the breeds that has become popular in Japan recently.
Let’s take a look at the secrets of Maine Coon, which are filled with surprises, such as their unexpected personality and characteristics!
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～ Basic information. ～
Country of origin America.
Length 100cm.
Weight male : 3.5-6.5kg female : 3-6kg.
The history of Maine Coon is old, and the cats that are said to be their ancestors were active as “working cats” that caught mice from around the 1600s.
The breed of Maine Coon began to be established when the cats that came from Europe started to crossbreed with the native cats that lived in America.
Another interesting theory is that when “Marie Antoinette” tried to escape from France, only six cats that she kept were able to flee to Maine, and as a result of those cats crossbreeding with the native cats of America, Maine Coon was born.
Maine Coon is not very clear about its origin, but thanks to the breeders who were attracted by its charm, it participated in its first cat show in 1861.
It gradually gained popularity, such as winning the highest award at the cat show held in 1895. Maine Coon has a long history, but it took a long time to register as a breed.。
One of the reasons is that in the 1900s, it lost its popularity to Persia.
The breeders and enthusiasts who felt a sense of crisis established the “MCBFA (Maine Coon Breeders Fanciers Association)” Maine Coon Association in 1968, and Maine Coon gradually regained its popularity. And in 1985, it was officially registered as a breed by the “CFA”.
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Maine Coon’s Q&A.
What is the origin of the Maine Coon’s name?
It is believed that it was born as a result of crossbreeding a cat and a raccoon in Maine, USA. However, this story is also genetically denied, and it has become an urban legend, so it can be said that it has almost no credibility.
Rather, this theory that “it was named Maine Coon because the tabby pattern on its body was very similar to that of a raccoon” is more likely.
What are the color variations of the Maine Coon?
■Types of body colors.
There are colors such as blue, black, cream, white, chocolate, red, and cinnamon.
■Types of patterns and color schemes.
・Solid color.
The face, body, legs, and tail are all one color.
・Tabby.
There are stripes or spots all over the body.
・Silver & golden.
Only the tips of the hair have color, and the base is white or light-colored.
・Smoke & shaded.
The top half of the overcoat has color, and the bottom half is white.
・Parti-color.
There are two colors of hair randomly mixed.
・Calico & bi-color.
Half or a third of the body is white, and the rest has two or more colors of hair.
・Tabby & white.
Half or a third of the body is white, and the rest has stripes or spots.
■Types of eye colors.
There are colors such as blue, gold, green, copper, and odd-eyed.
■Hair species.
Maine Coon is only long-haired.
What does a Maine Coon look like?
The shape of the head is a long wedge, and the body type is called long & substantial. The egg-shaped large eyes are slightly slanted, and the large ears have tufts of hair at the tips, which are also points.
The legs are medium length and the chest is wide, medium to large body type, muscular physique. And above all, the characteristic feature is the fluffy and voluminous coat.
The touch is very smooth, and it is said to be like silk. The hair grows unevenly, so the hair on the shoulders is short, and the hair on the back and tail is long.
Also, strangely enough, Maine Coon continues to grow even after one year old. Other cats usually become adults in about 8 months to 1 year after birth and stop growing there, but Maine Coon grows slowly into an adult in 2 to 3 years.
Cats grow a lot when they are one year old, but Maine Coon’s growth still doesn’t stop! That’s what it means.
By the way, there are other cats that grow slowly, such as Siberian. In the case of Siberian, it seems to take as long as 5 years to grow.
Why are Maine Coons so large?
Maine Coon, which is said to be the largest in the world, often grows to 100 cm in body length when it becomes an adult.
The reason why it has a larger physique than other cats is probably because when it was living in America, only cats that could withstand harsh environments and had high hunting abilities were selected for crossbreeding, and as a result,
Naturally, only Maine Coon with large bodies survived, or when breeding, Maine Coon with large and sturdy bodies were continuously chosen as mating partners.
Breeding of Maine Coon is still carried out today, but its genes seem to be inherited well.
How much does it cost to buy a Maine Coon?
When keeping animals, you need to follow the laws set by each country. This time, I will talk about keeping Maine Coon at home in Japan.
If you buy from a breeder or a cattery, it will cost about 200,000 to 300,000 yen. The advantage is that you can check what kind of environment they grew up in and what kind of cats their parents are.
Also, the trustworthiness depends on the personality of the breeder, so it is desirable to visit after making a reservation.
In the case of pet shops, you can keep the price slightly lower at 150,000 to 200,000 yen than buying from a breeder. However, some of them may breed indiscriminately, so it may be better to avoid buying from shops where the origin of breeding is unclear.
By the way, I will introduce some conditions that cause the price to vary.
・Being a kitten.
・Having excellent pedigree.
・Having rare colors or patterns.
There are other conditions, but it seems that there is a tendency for the price to increase if they meet the above conditions.
I would like to know more about the Maine Coon’s personality and characteristics!
Maine Coon is gentle and mild-mannered. It is friendly, so it will become attached to its owner. It is smart, so it can be said that it is a cat that is easy to train.
① To put it simply, “A cat like a dog!”
It also has high adaptability, so it can live with small children or other animals.
Maine Coon, who loves to play, will bring back a ball when thrown, or run up when called, and is said to be a ‘cat like a dog’. Despite its large body size, it meows in a high and thin voice.
②It’s a cat, but it’s interesting about water.
Unusually, Maine Coon is not very afraid of water. It may try to play with the water coming out of the faucet, or approach the bathroom without hesitation. It can use its front legs skillfully, so it can easily open the door if there is a little gap.
It can be a big trouble if it falls into the bathtub, so you need to be careful to close the door without forgetting.
③The spoiled part is also cute.
And male Maine Coon tend to be more spoiled. They will show you a submissive attitude just like a dog. Especially after neutering, this tendency becomes stronger.
On the other hand, female Maine Coon have a bit of a moody part compared to male. They don’t always want to be together, but they seem to appeal to you when they want to play.
You can say that female Maine Coon have a sweet face and cool face both temperament. Of course, there are individual differences in personality, so it is recommended to remember the personality difference between male and female as a reference.
※When keeping animals, you need to follow the laws set by each country.
What diseases are Maine Coons susceptible to?
Diseases to which Maine Coons are susceptible include “hairy cell disease,” “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,” and “multiple cystic kidney disease.
①Folliculosis.
It is a disease that causes symptoms such as vomiting when the hair swallowed by grooming accumulates in the digestive organs such as the stomach and intestines. Normally, the swallowed hair is excreted with feces if it is a small amount, but it becomes difficult to excrete when the amount of hair increases.
As a result, the hairballs that cannot be excreted can only be expelled by vomiting. Cats originally vomit hairballs once a month or every few months. This is a phenomenon seen in healthy cats, so there is no need to worry excessively, but if you observe that ‘the number of times you vomit hairballs has increased. Or the behavior of trying to vomit has increased.’ In this case, there is a possibility that you have hairball syndrome, so you should see a doctor.
Especially long-haired cats like Maine Coon need to be careful because they swallow a lot of hair.
Also, it is said that hairball syndrome can be prevented by brushing by the owner. It also leads to important skinship, so please try to brush regularly. However, some cats may hate brushing, so in that case, it is better to do it little by little while watching the situation.
②Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
It is a disease that causes the heart muscle to thicken and prevents the heart from contracting properly. It often develops due to genetics, so no specific prevention method has been found yet.
After onset, there may be no noticeable symptoms, so sometimes it may be complicated by thrombosis when you notice it, and in the worst case it may lead to death.
So, what can you do to detect the disease early? The conclusion is that it is important to have regular health checkups. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is difficult to cure because there is no groundbreaking treatment yet, but the earlier you are, the more possible it is to delay the progression of the disease by symptomatic treatment.
③Polycystic kidney disease.
This is a disease that causes many cysts to form, and in the worst case, it can lead to “renal failure”.
There is no specific prevention method for polycystic kidney disease. Especially since the incidence rate is high in elderly cats, regular health checkups can lead to early detection. Here too, the earlier the better, as symptomatic treatment can slow down the progression of the disease.
What is the lifespan of a Maine Coon?
The lifespan of Maine Coon cats is said to be 11 to 14 years. The average lifespan of cats is 12 to 16 years, so it’s a little bit shorter.
However, if you know what kind of diseases they are prone to and take care of them, there is a good chance that they will live longer.
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Bibliography.
まるごとわかる猫種大図鑑 監修：CFA公認審査員 早田由貴子
世界中で愛される美しすぎる猫図鑑 監修 今泉忠明
The Cat Fancier’s Association, Inc.
https://cfa.org/maine-coon-cat/
猫との暮らし大百科
https://www.anicom-sompo.co.jp/nekonoshiori/
みんなの猫図鑑
https://www.min-nekozukan.com/
Pet Smile news forネコちゃん
http://psnews.jp/cat/
子猫のへや
https://www.konekono-heya.com/sitemap.html
公益社団法人 埼玉県獣医師会
https://www.saitama-vma.org/topics/猫の遺伝性疾患について
