The origin of the Main Coon Cat cannot be said for certain however they are mostly accepted to have originated from the Northeastern part of the United States, Maine.
Many stories and rumors exist about the Maine Coon and how they came to be, maybe they came from the unlikely hybrid breeding of a raccoon or bobcat and a cat.
Another story is that they came from the Viking ships and were the descendants of the Norwegian Forest cat. This was particularly thought as many of these cats were seen mostly in coastal areas and appeared in England and the US around the same time.
It has also been said that they are from Marie Antoinette who was trying to escape the French Revolution with Capt. Samuel Clought in 1793 with her beloved 6 Turkish Angora cats who were stashed away on a ship and it was them who made it to the shores of Massachusetts, while Marie was not so lucky as she was beheaded before her escape but her beloved cats were said to make it to the shores of the Northeastern part of the United States.
It is also said that Maine Coons got their names, from Captain Charles Coon, a British sea captain who kept long-haired cats aboard his ship. When he would dock in New England ports, the cats would mate with local cats, and when long-haired kittens started to appear, they were known as “Coon’s cats.”
The more likely of these stories is that the cat did arrive on ships from Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries and faced the hard winters of the east coast of Maine where survival of the fittest naturally developing into large, rugged cats with thick water-resistant coats and strong, hardy, big-bodied cats. Making this breed one of the oldest and most natural breeds in the United States.
They were first bragged about by farmers as far back as the 1870’s as powerful and intelligent cats. They even started their cat shows hoping for the title of “Maine State Champion Coon Cat”. Some were even listed as participating in Cat shows in Boston in 1878 and NYC’s Madison Square Gardens in 1895. This is the beginning of the popularity of the Maine Coon. That popularity slowed after the Portland Oregon Show where the more exotic Persian Cat was introduced. This was one of the last shows where the Maine Coon was largely represented. However, 40 years later in the 1950’s a group of Maine Coon enthusiasts got together and started the first Maine Coon Club. A few years after that, the breed standard was developed by Dr. Rachel Salisbury. It was in the 1960s that the Maine Coon was finally documented as a legitimate breed. People all over the country began taking an interest in the breed. Moving forward in the late 60’s, early 70s, it was in 1975 that the Maine Coon was finally awarded provisional status by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) after being initially denied, and in 1976 that Champion status was first achieved. It was in 1979 that The International Cat Association (TICA) was founded, and they accepted Maine Coons and Polydactyl Maine Coons from the beginning. As well as the State of Maine named the Maine Coon cat the “State Cat.”
The Maine Coon is part of the group of breeds listed as a Natural breed. It is widely believed that they are a natural breed that developed in the northeastern part of the United States.
One of the first catteries to breed and develop the Maine Coon was Whittmoore Cattery which was established sometime in the 1940s-1950s, it was Etheylyn Whittmoore who is referred to as the “God Mother of the Maine Coon.” She not only kept the breed from falling into obscurity but she also kept detailed records of the parentage progeny, when no one else was doing so.
The Main coon standard has largely remained the same over the years.
The most common health condition for a Maine Coon include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hip dysplasia, and spinal muscular atrophy. They can be screened via Genetic testing and by an Echo. HCM can develop even with a clear genetic test.
The character of a Maine Coon is that of a Gentle Giant, friendly, playful, and curious, they like water, love to follow their human friends around like dogs, don’t meow much it is more of a trill, they are good at using their front paws to grab things. They love to play fetch and are an all-around fun-loving cat.
The Maine Coon had its ups and downs in popularity throughout history but remains one of the most sought-after breeds.