Maine Coon Cats
On these pages, a presentation of our own fur-ball quartet Louie, Humle, Finn and Morgaine can be found. We have also tried to gather a little information about what kind of a cat a Maine Coon is.
The history of the Maine Coon
When reading and surfing the internet about the Maine Coon lots of myth, legend and lore can be found about this special cat. Some are amusing, some are fantastic flights of fantasy and some are merely plausible. They certainly have provided good material for conversation, books and articles. People never seems to be tired of the subject so only a very general description is given here:
The Maine Coon is the native American longhaired cat and was recognized as a specific breed in Maine where they were held in high regard for their mousing talents. Through nature's own breeding program, this breed has developed into a sturdy cat ideally suited to the harsh winters and varied seasons of the region.
The temper of a Main Coon
The Maine Coon is well known for its loving nature, kindly disposition and great intelligence. It's playful, intelligent and naughty in a sweet way even when it is going to be a big and heavy cat. Normally the weight of a male is about 6-8 kg and the females 4-6 kg. ( For more information see 'Weight of a MCO')
While Maine Coons are highly people-oriented cats, they are not overly-dependent. They do not constantly pester you for attention, but prefer to "hang out" with their owners, investigating whatever activity you're involved in and "helping" when they can. They are not, as a general rule, known as "lap cats" but as with any personality trait there are a few Maine Coons that prefer laps. Most Maine Coons will stay close by, probably occupying the chair next to yours instead. Maines are doing fine indoor and will follow you from room to room and closed doors is hardly tolerated but they will wait outside you to emerge. A Maine Coon will be your companion, your buddy, your pal, but hardly ever your baby.
Maine Coons are relaxed and easy-going in just about everything they do. The males tend to be the clowns while the females retain more dignity, but both remain playful throughout their lives. Maine Coons are especially good with children and dogs and have always been a popular and sought after companion. They are not as vertically-oriented as some other breeds, prefering to chase objects on the ground and grasping them in their large paws -- no doubt instincts developed as professional mousers. Actually they behave a bit like dogs. Many Maine Coons will play "fetch" with their owners
The standard of the Maine Coon
It is very hard to give an exact definition of an international standard of the Maine Coon because there are lots of different standards out - at least 5 in the US. Here the reasons for the different standard are claimed to the acceptant of variations of Maine Coons in the wild. This also implies that a "Beautiful" Maine Coon in one part competition, doesn't look alike a Maine Coon in an other. Other will say that the reason for these different standards sadly only can be related to differences in fashion and opinion.
Denmark is competing under FIFé. To see some of the different standards use the links below:
The Weight of a Maine Coon
The normal weight of a Maine Coon can is about 6-8 kg. for a male and 4-6 kg. for females. This however is only guidelines. Maine Coon males have known in rare occasions to be up to 12-15 kg (without been fat). The differences in the weight is due to the bone structure and the amount of muscles.
A Maine Coon develops over a period of 4 years. As an owner it is advisable to keep an eye on the weight of ones Maine Coon. By knowing the weight and the development of it, it is much easier to detect illness and give the correct amount of medicine. This is NOT to say that illness is first / only detected by loss of weight, but it can be used as a helpful tool to the general health of your animal. In fact loss of weight is often among the last sign of illness.
How to weigh a Maine Coon
When the kittens are small, they are very easy to weigh on a kitchen scale in a bowl or a pot. When they get older and more active treats can be given to passivefy them. Else it can be very hard to keep them still on the scale.
As the weight increases the kitchen scale will become to small. Then a baby scale can be recommended. They are normally capable to measure to around 20 kg. Again here the trick with the treats can be very useful. If one does not have a baby scale a normal one can be used. One just step on the scale, and read the measurement, then picks up the fur-ball and weigh again. Then subtract the former result from the latter. Be aware that this is not very as accurate because the scale is much larger
Some general things that can be seen in this figure is:
03-08-01 - Louie had a loose stomach for over a week
08-26-01 - Humle was neutralized
04-11-02 - Finn arives
07-03-02 - Louie was ill