The Maine Coon in breed portrait

To this day, the origin of this breed is not entirely clear and there are various theories and legends:

• One of the most famous legends says that the breed originated from a cross between a cat and a raccoon . Hence the name of the breed "Coon" derived from "racoon", the English word for raccoon. However, this is not biologically possible.

• A more likely theory is that sailors brought long-haired cats to the north of America on their merchant ships and that they mated with the native cats, which is why the breed is also called the American Forest Cat.

These hardy cats adapted perfectly to the harsh climate of the northeastern United States. Originally, it was a working and domestic cat and was often kept on farms. In 1985, the Maine Coon was named the state cat of the American state of Maine.

The Maine Coon is one of the largest cat breeds in the world. Her physique is muscular with strong paws, which gives her a robust yet graceful appearance. Male cats can weigh up to 9 kg and reach a shoulder height of up to 40 cm. Particularly characteristic is the dense, water-repellent fur of the forest cat. It is medium to long and especially lush on the undersides and tail. The tail itself is long and bushy, often almost as long as the body. The Maine Coon comes in almost all colors and patterns, from plain to striped or tiger. The primary colors are black, red and white. The ears are large, set high and often provided with conspicuous brush hairs reminiscent of lynxes. A wide, angular skull and high cheekbones create a distinctive yet gentle expression. Overall, the Maine Coon combines grace and ferocity, size and gentleness in a fascinating appearance.

These gentle giants are known for their friendly, social, and balanced nature, making them wonderful family members. Despite their imposing size, they show a loving and playful nature. The cats are also very curious and capable of learning. Another behavior is their preference for water. In contrast to many other cat breeds, they are usually not afraid to play with water. The Maine Coon also likes to communicate with its humans, but not only by meowing. Instead, she emits soft lilting sounds, cooing and trills, which gives her charming nature even more expression.

Maine Coons are large and active cats that need plenty of space to run around and play. You should therefore feed your cat sufficient and high-quality food based on their activity level. They feel most comfortable as outdoor cats or in a spacious apartment with many climbing opportunities and hiding places. Scratching posts, cat caves, and other play structures are important to satisfy the animals' natural climbing instinct and provide them with physical and mental stimulation.

Furthermore, Maine Coons are extremely sociable and like to be close to their humans or conspecifics. Therefore, it is advisable not to keep this breed alone.

Overall, caring for a Maine Coon requires a little more attention. Their semi-long, dense coat with little undercoat needs to be thoroughly brushed at least once a week to avoid matting and hairballs. In times of moulting, daily brushing of the semi-longhair cat may be necessary. In addition to grooming, attention should also be paid to the claws. Regular nail trimming prevents the claws from becoming too long and growing in. It is also advisable to check the animals' ears regularly and gently clean them if necessary to prevent infections.

Although Maine Coons are generally rather hardy, there are some diseases that can be more common in this pedigree cat, for example:

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): In this disease, the heart muscle thickens, which means that the heart is no longer supplied with sufficient blood.

• Hip dysplasia: The joint head does not lie exactly in the acetabulum, which leads to restrictions of the musculoskeletal system.

• Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA): A disease of nerve cells that affects the muscles.

• Polycystic kidney disease (PKD): In this case, fluid-filled cysts form in the kidney, displacing the kidney tissue.

In order to be able to rule out possible hereditary diseases, you should pay attention to a reputable breeder and healthy parents of the kittens or adults. A common physical peculiarity in the Maine Coon is the frequently occurring polydactyly. Affected cats have extra toes in a varying number. However, polydactyly is not a disease that has negative health consequences for the cat. On the contrary - the extra toes help when climbing or running over slippery ground such as snow and ice. The life expectancy of the Forest Cats is 12–15 years.