i have a maine coon where did they come from and how rare are they
2006-10-27 14:43:12 · 14 answers · asked by moon 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Hi there...Maine Coon cats are not a rare breed of cat and have been around since the 16th and 17th centuries.
Here's an excerpt taken from Wikipedia.org:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Coon
In the 16th and 17th centuries, domestic cats brought over from Europe faced very severe winters in New England where only the strongest and most adaptable cats survived. Through natural selection (as opposed to selective breeding), the Maine Coon developed into a large, rugged cat with a water-resistant, thick coat and a hardy constitution. The origin of the breed (and its name) has several, often fantastic, stories surrounding it. One comes from a legend that a domestic cat released in the wilds of Maine interbred with a raccoon, resulting in offspring with the Maine Coon's characteristics. Though this is biologically impossible, this myth, bolstered by the bushy tail and the most common coloring (a raccoon-like brown tabby) could have led to the adoption of the name 'Maine Coon'. Another story is that the cat was named after a ship's captain named Coon who was responsible for the cat reaching Maine shores. Another popular story is that the breed sprang from the six pet cats which Marie Antoinette sent to Wiscasset, Maine when she was planning to escape from France during the French Revolution. However, most breeders today believe that the breed originated in matings between pre-existing shorthaired domestic cats and overseas longhairs (perhaps Angora types introduced by New England seamen, or longhairs brought to America by the Vikings). Maine Coon Cats are almost identical to the Norwegian Forest Cat and both are closely related to the Siberian Cat. Maine Coons are known as the gentle giant.
2006-10-27 15:31:07 · answer #1 · answered by ♪ Seattle ♫ 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Maine Coon cats are not that rare. They are bielieved to have originated in cold climares, like nothern Maine because of ditinctive qualities. They have vey thick, long fur, extra fur in their ears, between the pads of their paws, and, of course those remarable tails, which thay can wrap around their bodies to retain heat in cold weather. The last I knew, Maine Coons were not (for lack of a better word that escapes me) yet in any official classification for cat shows, because their are discrepancies in them that make it difficult to judge by those "high-brow" standards, as the breeds that are (AKC?-or is that just dogs?) registered fit into more distinct qualifications that have been around longer. Anyway, I had a kitten years ago who , when he got older looked like an absolutely perfect specimen of a Maine Coon, he was georgeous!
Hope I've hepled you with what little I know.
kiityinct.
2006-10-27 15:45:32 · answer #2 · answered by kitttyinct.@sbcglobal.net 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not a rare breed but a breed. do a search on the net and you will find lots of catterys that breed Main Coon cats.
2006-10-27 14:45:25 · answer #3 · answered by bramblerock 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no the shelters here are full of them i have one hes about 30 pds they came from maine i have family in maine and seen a breeder there . there where just regular cats that they used on ships to control mice rats etc when they got of the ships and went into the wild they say the my have breed with wild bob cats etc . you can see the tufts of hair in the ears are just like bob cats . later on the breed them in diffrent colors but a traditional one looks like a bobcat with a bushy tail . the place in maine or port i should say that calmes that thats where they come from is rockland rockport maine . mine 9 years old i got him from the pound he acts more like a dog than a cat . hes a funny guy
2006-10-27 14:54:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not rare at all. Actually I think over the last few years they are the most registered cats in CFA. This is the CFA page on them http://www.cfa.org/breeds/profiles/maine.html
2006-10-28 16:24:15 · answer #5 · answered by Karen R 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are not a really rare breed. Its what Mrs. Norris is in Harry potter movies. They are fairly common in the us.
2006-10-27 14:46:05 · answer #6 · answered by nalamacleod 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're not rare. Just another breed of a long haired domestic cat.
2006-10-27 14:45:33 · answer #7 · answered by infernal_seamonkey 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I do not think so, because my cat is a maine coone, we got her cheap.
2006-10-27 15:23:33 · answer #8 · answered by scandi1993 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, it is not rare, just a breed like siamese. i have 2 and they are HUGE!!
2006-10-27 14:47:44 · answer #9 · answered by pacoztacoz 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What do you think? Does it look different? I hope you didn"t pay for it, You know these Down-Easter are pretty sharp!
2006-10-27 14:53:23 · answer #10 · answered by pikeruss 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋