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Maine Coon

Nicknames: Coon, Gentle Giant
Country of Origin: United States

Breed Profile

Coat Length: Longhair

Temperament: Loving nature, talkative, calm, intelligent

Coat: Thick uneven shaggy coat, shorter near the head and shoulders

Head: Large modified wedge shaped head with medium nose, large wide set eyes, large pointed thickly tufted ears

Body: Large body with well defined muscles, long flowing tail ending in a small plume, medium length muscular legs, large round paws with tufts

Grooming: Combing and brushing three times per week to prevent matting of the thick coat and remove dead hair

Litter Size: Two to three kittens per litter, kittens develop slowly, not reaching full maturity until four years of age

Common Faults: Poor muscling, thin coat, kinked tail

Disease Predispositions

Hip Dysplasia
- lax hip joint, may cause lameness

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy [1,2,3]
- heart disease caused by thickening of the heart muscle
- autosomal dominant inheritance

Breeders

Maine Coon Breeders Directory

Web Links

Breed Standards:
CFA Maine Coon Standard
NZCF Maine Coon Standard
TICA Maine Coon Standard

Cat Clubs:
Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association (USA)
Maine Coon Cat Club (UK)
Native Maine Coon Cat Association (USA)

References

1. Kittleson MD, Meurs KM, Munro MJ, Kittleson JA, Liu S, Pion P, Towbin JA, "Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Maine Coon Cats", Circulation, June 1999, p3172-3180

2. Tilley LP & Smith FWK, The Five Minute Veterinary Consult - Canine and Feline (2nd Edition), Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2000

3. Nelson RW & Couto CG, Small Animal Internal Medicine, St Louis: Mosby, 2003

Page S, The Complete Cat Owners Manual, Australia: Readers Digest, 1997

Taylor D, The Ultimate Cat Book, Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley, 1989

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