The Maine Coon is a large, shaggy long-haired breed from the north-eastern United States, with tufted ears and a bushy tail. Males commonly weigh 6 to 8 kg.
Good-natured and sociable, it is the third most registered pedigree cat in Britain; breeders screen for heart disease.
The Maine Coon is the native long-haired cat of North America and one of the largest domestic breeds: a rugged, shaggy cat with tufted ears and a long, bushy tail. It is the third most popular pedigree cat in Britain.
The breed developed naturally in the north-eastern United States, where long-haired cats that arrived on ships bred with local short-haired cats and adapted to hard winters. It takes its name from the state of Maine, of which it is the official state cat. Folk tales that it descends from raccoons, or from cats sent ahead by Marie Antoinette, are without foundation.
Maine Coons were popular at the first American cat shows in the late nineteenth century, were eclipsed by Persians, and were revived by enthusiasts from the 1950s. They reached Britain in the 1980s.
Males commonly weigh 6 to 8 kg and some considerably more; females are smaller. The body is long and rectangular with substantial bone, and the cats do not reach full size until three to five years old. The coat is glossy and water-resistant, shorter on the shoulders and longer on the belly, hindquarters and ruff. The ears are large, with tufts at the tips, the muzzle is square, and the paws are tufted between the toes. Brown tabby is the classic colour, and most others are accepted.
Maine Coons are friendly, good-natured and playful, sociable with children, dogs and other cats, and inclined to follow people about without demanding to be held. They communicate in chirps and trills, and many are fascinated by water.
The coat is less prone to matting than a Persian's but needs combing two or three times a week. Such a large cat needs a sturdy scratching post, a large litter tray and careful control of its weight.
The Maine Coon is recognised by every major registry. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy registered 3,261 kittens in 2023, behind only the British Shorthair and the Ragdoll.