by Leigh-Ann Andersen

Created on: April 07, 2011

The Maine Coon Cat is a naturally occurring breed whose origins have become a part of American legend. Some still believe that the Maine Coon Cat is the result of a mating between raccoons and cats local to New England. There are those who think that the Maine Coon is a descendant of the cats that had been sent to the United States from France by Marie Antoinette. Various cat fanciers also subscribe to the theory that a sea named Coon introduced both Persian and Angora cats to New England and these cats bred freely with existing shorthairs.

The raccoon legend notwithstanding, the true origins of the Maine Coon Cat are likely a combination of many theories. It is certain that early settlers brought the ancestors of the Maine Coon to America. These cats bred freely, creating a breed that is strong, intelligent, and prolific. It is unlikely that these cats were more popular in Maine than anywhere else. Instead, it is reasonable to assume that the breed was first promoted in Maine, hence the addition of ‘Maine’ to ‘Coon Cat.’

The Development of the Maine Coon Cat

Maine Coon Cats began appearing in official shows as early as the 1860s. They were very popular and frequent winners. In fact, in the 1985 Madison Square Garden Show, a brown tabby Maine Coon Cat owned by E.N. Baker was accorded the honor of best cat. However, as cat shows became more sophisticated and imported cats gained popularity, the Maine Coon started to fade from shows, and eventually disappeared altogether.

Despite this, the Maine Coon Cat continued to be a popular outcross for Persians in North America. In the early days of cat fancy in the United States, registries accepted cats of unknown parentage as long as they conformed to the standard of the breed. Since Persians were, at that time, very similar in type to the Maine Coon, any solid color Coon Cat was quite acceptable in Persian breeding programs. The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) allows longhairs to be simply Persian or Angora ‘type’ and not necessarily of a particular breed.

During the years when the Maine Coon Cat was in disfavor, proponents of the breed attempted to regain recognition for the breed. These attempts were thwarted not only by the snobbery of other breeders, but by the inability of the Coon Cat fanciers to develop a consistent Breed Standard. There were also those who insisted that Maine Coon Cats did not possess desirable conformation and that the many colors of the breed could

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