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One Big Beautiful Cat.

Cats are often beautiful and some breeds even more so. The Maine Coon Cat is just one such breed. This large long haired cat often leaves an impression on those that meet it, not just because of its beautiful appearance, but also because of its quirky and often dog like personality.

Origins.
There are many silly stories about the origin of the Maine Coon Cat. Some say that it is a cat breed that has its beginnings with a domesticated cat and a raccoon. From there it is said that the Maine Coons continued to breed and over time developed into the cat they are today. While this is scientifically impossible many believe that this story developed from the bushy tail that is a trait of all Maine Coon Cats. Many of them are brown tabby cats with large ringed tails.

Others have tales about a ship captain named Coon who brought domestic cats to the shores of New England and started the first American breeding program. This is definitely an unknown fact.

No matter how it all came about, the fact is that domestic cats, most likely long haired varieties came to New England with settlers. Met with harsh winter conditions only the strong survived. They probably bred with short haired American varieties of cats and over time developed the characteristics that helped them survive tough conditions that also vary from season to season.

Characteristics.
The Maine Coon Cat is the largest domestic breed of cat. Most of these animals weigh in the 9-20 pound range, however males often get up to 25 pounds. Not only do they weigh a lot, they also are very long animals often measuring 3-4 feet. It usually takes three to five years for a Maine Coon cat to reach full size.

The Maine Coon cat has a duel coat with a very soft undercoat and long guard hairs on top (our cat had guard hairs as long as six inches). Over all their fur has a very soft and luxurious feel. In addition to long fur that often appears bushy, they have a longer bib or main, and longer hair around their bottoms and legs (often called britches). These hairs keep them warm and keep the snow away from them. They also have large round tufted feet that keep them warm and can work like snow shoes. Their ears are large and rounded as well as very hairy. Usually they have tufts of pointy hair at the top of their ears, called lynx-tips, that gives them a wild look.

Personality Traits.
Often Maine Coon cats are a very fun cat breed. They are often like a mix between a cat and a dog. They are known for playing catch, following their masters from room to room, and even greeting them at the door. They are very intelligent and will often learn to open doors, pick up objects, turn on water faucets, and even flush the toilet.

They often "talk" with a trilling meow that is somewhere between a loud purr and a meow. Their meow is also of a higher pitch them most other breeds. Our cat would make the trilling noise while hunting flies, it was very funny.

These beautiful cats come in a wide variety of colors and are even shown. They are a lot of fun to have around because they love to play and never really grow up. They make great family pets and are perfect for the dog lover and cat lover couple combining some of the best of both worlds.

Learn more about this author, Danelle Karth.
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