The Maine Coon is a breed of nature. This means that the breed originated without (deliberate) interference of people. In the cold, rugged environment of New England, evolution has ensured that the Maine Coon is focused on surviving under harsh conditions. It is a large, built, and dominant cat. Its thick, water-repellent coat keeps it warm in the cold winters. Large, wide eyes and ears (which are well hairy on the inside and outside against the cold) ensure the Maine Coon a mostly successful hunt.
The long and full furry tail also contributes to both cold control and maneuverability and precision during the raid. A broad, muscular chest provides strength and endurance. The beautiful rugged collar gives the Coon a ferocious appearance; you can’t mess with me! Don’t forget those big feet with lots of toe hair and sharp claws!
The result is not only a kind of natural snowshoes but also the promise that no small rodent or bird is safe for this superior hunter! The law of nature made sure that the best, strongest hunters survived
Chattering cat
In any case, prepare yourself for a chattering cat with a wide range of different prrrrrr and proauws, who always wants to have the last word, usually with an amazingly soft voice for such big lobes!
The Maine Coon develops very slowly and has only fully grown up around the age of four. They usually stay playful all their lives. Many Maine Coons can do tricks, such as fetching. Their great fascination with water contributes to the fact that they are often called ‘the dog among cats.’ This is how this Great Friendly Giant came into being.
Age
In general, the Maine Coon is considered a healthy and robust breed. Figures from a Swedish animal insurance company show that the average life expectancy of a Maine Coon is >12.5 years.
Weight
The Maine Coon is the world’ s largest domesticated cat breed. On average male cat weighs between seven and eight kilograms, but peaks of nine, ten, or even more are no exception.
Females are generally a bit smaller (around five to six kilos), but also, the ladies have an occasional peak to eight or nine kilos.
Disorders
With these sizes, care must be taken to avoid common joint problems such as Patella Luxation (an anomaly of the knees) and Hip dysplasia. Another potential problem in the making is SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), a long-term lethal disorder that causes degeneration of the spinal nerves resulting in severe paralysis.
Another point of care is HCM (Hypertrophic Cardio, Myopathy). This genetic disorder causes a thickening of the heart wall, which makes it more and more difficult for the heart to pump blood around. Unfortunately for the Maine Coon, a group of Maine Coons has been used in the past for research into this disorder. Because of this, the breed has unjustly been given a bad reputation. This does not mean that HCM is not a problem or concern. It is! More and more veterinary data shows that the Maine Coon is not more at risk than other breeds.