History of the origin of the breed
In the vastness of our country, a similar breed appeared quite recently, about 20 years ago or a little more. This happened when the well-known “Iron Curtain” fell and a mass of different, hitherto unknown breeds of cats and dogs headed towards us. The Maine Coon breed was no exception.
Interesting to know! If you believe the legend, then at one time there was a Captain Kun who preferred to travel with large long-haired cats. During the next voyage, some cats ran away from the deck of the ship, which contributed to the appearance of Maine Coons in various countries.
According to some information, the breed was first shown at an exhibition in Boston, after which the breed was forgotten for a long time, and undeservedly.
And yet, English farmers made a lot of efforts to preserve this amazing breed, which, in its breed characteristics, pointed to the American raccoon cat. Several decades ago, on the Isle of Man, which belongs to the English kingdom, a special coin was issued dedicated to the Maine Coon cat breed.
Maine Coon: description
The cat family today is quite variegated and numerous, which indicates a variety of breeds. Among this family, the Maine Coon breed stands out noticeably, which is distinguished by its impressive size, rather fluffy and thick hair, as well as an unusually fluffy tail. The unique appearance, as well as the peaceful disposition, allowed this breed to become a very popular pet, both abroad and in our country.
Breed standards
The main breed standards include the following data:
- The head is massive with an elongated skull. The ears are set high, so they are clearly visible, with clearly defined tufts.
- The eyes are oval-shaped and widely set, with irises of golden, amber or green shades.
- The body is powerful and quite large, which is not typical for domestic cats.
- The paws are quite large, and hairs stick out between the pads.
- The tail is long and fluffy, and its end reaches the shoulder girdle of the animal.
- The coat is just as thick and very fluffy.
- In the neck area there is a clearly defined “mane”, and on the “pants” you can see abundant undercoat.
- The coat color can be very diverse, including marbled and tortoiseshell, not counting shades of red, white and black.
- An adult cat can weigh from 7 to 15 kilograms.
- An adult cat weighs no more than 6 kilograms.
The above characteristics indicate that this breed is noticeably different from other cat breeds. Thanks to this uniqueness, cats of this breed are very popular among both foreign and domestic breeders.
Maine Coon cat personality
Despite such a serious and impressive appearance, the Maine Coon breed is characterized by a rather peaceful and sociable character. In addition, the animal gets along without problems with many pets if they have the same, non-aggressive behavior.
It is important to know! As a rule, the nature of the behavior of such an animal is better defined within certain boundaries as a result of proper upbringing. This must be done from an early age of the kitten, giving it enough time and attention.
Kittens of this breed are characterized as very active, so they love various outdoor games. In addition, their hunter instinct begins to manifest themselves quite early. Despite its large size, this breed grows and develops quite slowly. In this regard, the breeding process begins after 4 years of the animal’s life.
Lifespan
Foreign scientists, based on animal life insurance data, have come to the conclusion that the average life expectancy of Maine Coons is between 12-13 years. Despite this, some individuals (almost half) lived up to 16 years, or even more, but with proper care and maintenance.
MAINE COON - INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ANIMALS
Maintenance and care at home
Firstly, you should take into account the fact that this is a large breed, so it needs a little more living space. Based on this, arranging a cat's corner for a pet requires a serious approach, since it determines how much the animal will be provided with the opportunity to burn calories. If an animal is deprived of the opportunity to spend time actively, it will quickly begin to gain excess weight, which can provoke the development of various ailments. As a rule, the life expectancy of a pet directly depends on this.
In order for an animal to please family members for many years, it must be provided with the following accessories:
- Pukhoderka.
- Non-metallic comb with wide teeth.
- Massage, non-metallic brush with antistatic coating.
- Shampoo-conditioner.
- Bath terry towel.
- Nail clippers or special tweezers.
- A special toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Ear cleaning solution or sterile petroleum jelly.
- With cotton swabs and regular cotton wool.
Maine Coons are one of the few breeds that respond well to being walked on a leash, so they can be walked like dogs. It is also necessary to take care of the safety of the animal by timely vaccination, as well as quarterly deworming. This is especially true if there are other pets in the house.
Important point! By walking a pet, the owner unwittingly exposes it to the risk of infection with ectoparasites.
Care and hygiene
As a rule, mandatory care and hygiene measures include monitoring the oral cavity, eyes and ears. That's why:
- Experts recommend removing natural discharge from the eyes daily using a damp cotton swab.
- Clean your ears regularly using special solutions or sterilized petroleum jelly.
- Once a month, ears are cleaned using cotton swabs, taking precautions.
- When feeding with dry factory food, teeth are brushed once a month, and in the case of feeding with natural food, then at least once every 2 weeks.
Due to the fact that the breed is distinguished by the presence of long and fluffy hair, it is necessary to properly and regularly groom it. The cat will have to be bathed once a week, and it is better to accustom the animal to such water procedures from an early age.
Interesting fact! Maine Coons generally take well to water procedures, so there should be no problems with bathing. The animal is also bathed immediately before being shown at an exhibition, as well as during periods of molting.
It is advisable that the animal be bathed with its ears closed. To do this, they can be covered with cotton swabs. Bathing should be carried out using special detergents designed for bathing animals with long hair. At the same time, we should not forget about the fluffy and long tail of the Maine Coon. After applying the detergent and evenly distributing it over the surface of the coat, the soap suds are thoroughly washed off several times with plenty of water. The use of special conditioners allows you to obtain a much better appearance of wool. In addition, this will make the process of combing the animal easier.
What to feed
The diet of this breed should be approached very responsibly, taking into account the active metabolism, as well as the weight of the animal. It is very important that the diet is balanced in all nutritional components. In this case, it is advisable to give preference to ready-made factory feed of the highest class. Such, for example, as:
- Royal Canin;
- Eukanuba;
- Eagle-Pack;
- Nutro;
- Hills.
Dry factory food can be combined with canned wet food from the same foreign manufacturer. It is not recommended to feed your animal a mixture of food from different brands. Before purchasing such food rations, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the contents of the package. It is very important that the content of plant components is minimal.
You need to know this! When feeding natural food, it is necessary that the percentage of meat in the Maine Coon's diet is at least 75 percent. The missing 25 percent of the diet should be diluted with eggs, liquid cereals, vegetables, seafood, and dairy products.
It is very important that the Maine Coon’s diet includes greens, as well as vitamin and mineral supplements. If there is no need, then switching an animal from feeding on natural ingredients to feeding on ready-made commercial diets does not make sense, and is not recommended. In addition, it is not advisable to mix diets from different manufacturers.
Nutrition for purebred cats. Maine Coons
Diseases and breed defects
As a rule, this breed has a good, stable immune system, so Maine Coons are considered healthy and hardy animals. They tolerate well even the conditions of colder climatic zones.
The most serious diseases are:
- Heart problems associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which develops against the background of autosomal dominant hereditary processes. As a rule, such problems are observed in middle-aged and elderly animals. As the disease progresses, swelling of the pulmonary tissues occurs with sudden paralysis of the hind limbs. After such negative processes, the death of the animal occurs.
- Wall muscular atrophy appears in kittens three to four months of age and is caused by genetic factors. When moving, the animal's back part of the body sways, which with age becomes an obstacle to the animal easily jumping onto various objects located at a height.
- Hip dysplasia, which can affect both joints at the same time. It is considered a genetically determined disease that makes the animal inferior. As a rule, older animals suffer and in the initial stages it manifests itself in the form of noticeable lameness.
Polycystic renal disease is also considered a hereditary disease, although it occurs quite rarely. Such diseases or predisposition to them are determined as a result of genetic testing.
Snow White Angels
Address: Moscow, Grayvoronovskaya street, building 14, building 2
Website: https://www.swangels.ru
This cattery includes breeds of Masquerade and Neva cats. Pedigree breeding takes place here. The cats are kept in ideal conditions, and here you can look at all the diversity of this rare breed. The breeder is a veterinarian, which means that the cats are certainly in good health.
Positive reviews
- The owner of the nursery is a veterinarian, which means he offers only healthy animals, can provide qualified medical care and give advice on further development.
Buy a Maine Coon: tips and tricks
According to FIFE rules, breeders must sell kittens at least 3 months old, although they can be put up for sale earlier, from the age of one month.
This allows the buyer to observe the animal for 2 months. In other words, you can reserve your Maine Coon in advance. As a rule, experienced breeders do not sell kittens unless they have behavioral skills and are not fully socialized.
Where to buy, what to look for
To buy a Maine Coon kitten, it is better to contact experienced breeders or a specialized nursery. In this case, you should pay attention to the fact that all documents that relate to both the kitten’s parents and their offspring are presented.
The documents must indicate:
- The pedigree of the parents, the nature of their behavior and temperament, the exact number of matings, as well as health data.
- Features of the kitten’s behavior, as well as behavioral skills, including health status.
If necessary, nursery staff or an experienced breeder should give appropriate recommendations or advice on maintenance, care, and diet. It is very important at this stage to decide on the diet, since it is not advisable to change it at all for a kitten at this age. If you plan to further show the animal at exhibitions, then it is advisable to purchase a purebred animal with all accompanying documents and a veterinary passport.
Maine Coon cat price
This is a fairly expensive cat breed, so even pet-class kittens cost at least 15 thousand rubles. Breeding class kittens, as a rule, cost at least 40 thousand rubles, regardless of the region. The most prestigious “show” class generally costs crazy money. You will have to pay about 95 thousand rubles for it.
Important point! If you order kittens from foreign nurseries, their cost will largely depend on expensive delivery. Therefore, you can count on a fairly tidy sum.
Elite Maine Coon nursery Cybercoon in Zelenograd
Address: Zelenograd, Goloseevskaya street, building 6 Website: https://cybercoon.ru
The elite nursery is valued for its attentive attitude towards our smaller brothers. Only breeding animals are presented here, and you can select a young animal. Each cat has a huge number of certificates that are issued for it from the moment of birth until the moment it is taken away. The cats are kept in excellent living conditions, which means they feel good. The owners will definitely provide a large amount of information about the nuances of interaction with these animals.
Positive reviews
- A nursery with very good living conditions.
Negative reviews
- Extremely inconvenient location on the outskirts of the city.
Owner reviews
Many owners note the fact that Maine Coon cats embody the best that is possible in relation to cats. These are animals with very aristocratic behavior that require appropriate attention to themselves. In addition, the cat is strong and graceful, but at the same time good-natured and affectionate. She treats both her owner and the rest of the family with love, and is devoted to them for life.
Adult Maine Coons are not known for making sounds when needed and not needed, but if a cat wants to play with its owner, it will definitely remind you of this by making original sounds. Unlike the sounds that other breeds of cats make, Maine Coons produce sounds with a characteristic vibrating timbre. If there is no need, the animal does not make sounds or makes sounds, but very rarely. It is noted that the timbre of their voice does not in any way correspond to their appearance and, especially, their size.
Enthusiasts who practice breeding of this breed monitor the preservation of the main characteristics of the breed, and also popularize this breed in our country. In this regard, they quite often travel abroad with their pets to find a worthy pair with the appropriate breed characteristics. This factor has a significant impact on the cost of kittens, although, as practice shows, this is quite reasonable and worth it.
Nursery Gioconda
Address: Moscow, Bekhtereva street, building 47. Website: https://www.jaconda-crx.com
Here they breed and raise high-quality pedigree cats. Basically, this is a Cornish Rex breed. Animals are kept only in the best conditions and live absolutely without cages. They are constantly under the supervision of veterinarians.
Positive reviews
- Cats are always well-groomed and, most importantly, healthy.
Negative reviews
- Some animals are very aggressive due to the specifics of their breed.
