Description of the breed

The Maine Coon is significantly different from other felines due to its gigantic size. He has a massive, fluffy head with high cheekbones and very long whiskers, and his wide ears are topped with tufts like a lynx. Despite their well-developed muscles, cats are very graceful; their paws are long with shaggy felt boots. The tail is elongated and very fluffy. Maine Coons are distinguished by increased shaggyness, the hair is long, thick and silky. As for colors, they are very diverse: plain, spotted, variegated, brindle and smoky. The only prohibition in the breed standard is for chocolate, lavender and Himalayan colors: animals with such colors are not bred and do not participate in exhibitions.

A special feature of the breed is its unusual melodic voice. The Maine Coon will not meow heart-rendingly throughout the entire apartment when he is hungry, but will purr his request directly to the owner. Initially, Maine Coons lived on farms, where they hunted rodents and guarded the crops. In 1885, at a country fair in Maine, the giant cats were a huge success, and soon spread throughout America, exhibited at exhibitions in Boston and New York, and later became popular throughout the world.

Character

Despite their stern appearance, Maine Coons are very sociable and affectionate animals. They are very attached to their owners, at the same time they are completely unobtrusive and calmly tolerate loneliness. Cats get along well with children, taking part in their active games and not showing aggression if they fiddle with them or pull their tail.

Cats get along well with other pets, with the exception of small birds and rodents. Their hunting instinct is highly developed, so the Maine Coon will gladly put its clawed paw into the aquarium for a fish or try to get a hamster out of its cage. Like all cats, Maine Coons love active games, especially if you need to hunt or chase someone, so make sure that your pet is not bored.

It is ideal to get a Maine Coon if you live in a private house, in the yard of which the cat can walk and hunt. But if you live in an apartment, walk your pet on a leash more often. Also, do not forget to close the window, because cats are very curious and can fall out of a height if they look at a pigeon on the ledge.