If You Love Big Cats, You'll Love the Maine Coon

by Thea Kaufman, age 10

Maine Coon Cats are sweet, friendly, and helpful with stress. They are known for their thick fur, adaptation to cold weather, and paws that allow them to walk through thick snowbanks.

The longest Maine Coon Cat, named Stewie (Mymains Stewart Gilligan) earned the title of longest cat on August 28, 2010, at 48.5 inches from his nose to tail. Additionally, he won the record for longest tail, at 6.34 inches. Stewie was certified as a therapy animal who often visited senior centers. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2013, and a cat named Barivel took the record at 47.2 inches. Compared to other cat breeds, Maine Coon Cats are very long and tend to set world records. They are not spread out while being measured; they are just sitting and waiting. However, in some pictures, the cat may be spread out to show how long it is.

Everyone originally thought that Maine Coon Cats got their thick, fluffy tail and fur by mating with raccoons. This was because these cats also have big tails and the “coon” part in their names; however, Maine coon cats are not related to raccoons.

Maine Coon Cats have been around since the first ever U. S. cat show in 1895, when a cat named Cosey was the winner as best cat. His medals and silver collar are on display at the Feline Historical Museum at CFA Headquarters in Alliance, Ohio. Cosey’s owner was named Mrs. Fred Brown, and Cosey was a brown tabby Maine Coon. With all of Cosey’s amazing history, she also made her own breed considered the “show breed,” and before their numbers declined, she won an important competition that helped their kind.

Maine Coon Cats are good with children and other animals, but can be frightened by larger animals. A fair number of Maine Coon Cats are very interactive, and instead of picking one person to have an inveterate relationship with, they socialize with everyone in the room. Since they are very curious, they will stare at a dripping faucet or anything that is moving slowly that keeps their attention. They are also very intelligent, since their ancestors used to be companions helping with everyday tasks, and their urge to work with humans is so strong that they learn new things.

The Maine Coon Cats have had a lot of history, but overall, they are great cats, and you should consider adopting one. They are amazing, lively cats that can help you in many ways.

[Sources: The Cat Fanciers’ Association; Cat breeds of the world]