The following
detailed description is taken from the MCBFA information
booklet about their favorite felines.
General
statement: The Maine Coon is a solid, rugged cat and is
Americaīs oldest natural lond-haired breed. Type must not be
sacrificed for size, nor size for type, the optimum being a
large, typey cat.
Females are somewhat
smaller than males, and allowance should be made for
the slow maturation of the breed.
Head: The head is medium in length and
width, with a
squareness to the muzzle. Allowance should be made for
broadening in males. Cheekbones should be high. The nose is
medium in length with a gentle, concave curve and no break or
bump. The chin is firm and in a line with the upper lip and
nose.
Eyes:
The eyes should be large, wide set, and slightly obliquein
setting. Eye color can be shades of green, gold, or copper, though
white cats may be blue or odd-eyed. There is no
relationship between eye color and coat color. Clarity of eye
color is desirable.
Ears: Large, wide at the base, moderately pointed, and
well-tufted, the ears should be set high on the head approximately an
earīs width apart. Lynxlike tipping is desirable.
Body:
Muscular, medium to be large in size, and broad chested, the
body is long, with all parts in proportion, creating a
rectangular appearance. When viewed from a rear, there is a
definite squareness to the rump. The neck is medium long.
Legs
and paws: The legs should be substantial, wide set, and medium in
length,
contributing to a rectangular appearance. The paws should be
large, round, and well tufted (five
toes in front, four toes back).
Tail:
Long, equal to body in length (distance from end of rump to
shoulders), wide at base and tapering. Fur full, long, and
flowing.
Coat:
The fur on the shoulders is short, , gradually increasing in
the length along the back and sides, ending in a full britches
and long, shaggy belly fur. The fur is soft but has body. A
slight undercoat is carried. A full ruff i not expected;
however, there should be a frontal ruff beginning at the base
of the ears.
Coat color: All recognized colors. White trim around the
chin and lip is permitted, except in solid color cats.
Colors:
The following colors are among those recognized by most
registering associations:
White,
black, blue, red, cream.
Silver (chinchilla
& shaded), blue-silver (chinchilla & shaded), cameo (shell,
shaded, & smoke), cream cameo (shell, shaded, &
smoke), black smoke, blue smoke, shaded tortoiseshell, shaded
blue tortie, shaded torbie, shaded blue torbie.
Silver
tabby (all patterns), blue-silver tabby (all patterns), cameo
tabby (all patterns), cream cameo tabby (all patterns).
Shaded
brown or golden tabby (all patterns), red tabby (all patterns),
cream tabby (all patterns), brown tabby (all patterns), blue
tabby (all patterns).
Bi-colors (solids
with white), Parti-colors - tortoiseshell, torbie (patched
tabby), calico, blue cream, tabby with white and other colors
with white.
Disqualifications:
Buttons, lockets, spots, overall even coat, short cobby bod,
crossed eyes, kinked tail, and incorrect number of toes are
disqualifications.
Penalties:
Delicate bone structures, untufted paws, poor condition, a
nose break or a bump, an undershot chin, and a short rounded
muzzle are penalties. As detailed as this description may seem,
there is still a lot of room for interpretation of the
standard by judges and breders that dertermines each Maine
Coon catīs potential in the show ring. What is medium, wide,
firm, or tufted to one person may not be so to another. These
differences in interpretation of the breed standard between
judges in each of the cat fancier associations has led to at
least two and ossible more recognized types on Maine Coon cat:
the "sweet-looking" variety and the "feral-looking"
variety that you may be told about when you are searching for
the perfect kitten to take home. And, at any point in time,
judges and breeders may place emphasis on certain of the
physical characteristics over another, such as the size and
placement of the ears and conformation of the chin. As a
novice, some of the subtle differences between one cat and
another may be lost to you; however, they will be of great
significance to the breeder who must anticipate the show
potential of each kitten to determine which ones will be sold
as pets. Although it is important for breeders to archieve
that special look in their cats with just the right size ears
and chins and whatnot, all would agree that the healthy,
rugged, practical origins of the Maine Coon cat should not be
forfeited.
males
females
kitten
for sale
about
the breed
The set is created by Beverly Zuerlein,
midi by Margi Harrell.
The cat is EuroCh Tenderness Red Devil Of Bonfires.
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