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Maine
Coons...Americaīs Gentle Giants
...there are
cats...and there are Maine Coons...
and everybody who knows
them,
knows
what I want to say and will agree with me...Ines
Fleischer
Playful, cuddly, intelligent
and engaging are words often used to describe a Maine Coon.
Their
striking features and substantial
size
attract your first attention, but itīs their personality
that is the hook. Maine Coons have the
nickname "dog
loverīs cats" because of their companionable
temperament.
Maine Coons love people. They follow you about the
house not only for
companionship but also to see what amusing
things you may be up to. This
longing for
companionship along with their physical
characteristics that enable them to withstand harsh
winters are
what brought them from their early beginnings in New England to
contemporary life.
The Origins
There are many myths surrounding
the Maine Coon, especially regarding itīs origins. The myths
are
probably more interesting than the truth, so the myths endure.
The most chimeric belief is that the
Maine Coon was derived from the
mating of a raccoon and a wild
feline. This myth springs from the
idea that their large
size and bushy tail are characteristics acquired from its raccoon
forefathers.
Zoologists know that this is a genetically impossible occurrence, as well as the myth
of a mating
with a bobcat. Another fancyful tale
tells that they are descendants of Angora cats belonging to
Marie Antoinette that were shipped
to Wiscasset, Maine for safekeeping during
the French Revolution.
Once
here, they mated with the native
feral felines to produce the Maine Coon breed.
There are some things about the
ancestors that are known to be true. Living conditions were
extremly
harsh in New England when
the country was first
settled. Cats came aboard ships even before
permanent
settlements were established. They were useful for seamen because they helped
control
the rat population and were good company. When ships
landed ashore, it is likely that cats also went
ashore too,
and some were probably left behind. Maybe the Norwegian Forrest
cats were their
ancestors who traveled on ships
with the Vikings to the
New World and stayed behind.
These cats produced offspring
but
only the offspring that were adaptable
and bearing
certain physical
characteristics could
survive in the harsh New England
climate and conditions.
Such cats might have had a
large and sturdy frame and could fluff up and stand menacingly,
as a deterrent to predators as like wolves and coyotes. They
would have an easily maintained,
long shaggy hair coat for
protection against the cold, with very little undercoat to
mat.
Big furry paws would function like snowshoes and furry ears would keep out the
snow as well. And so it is concluded that the
Maine Coon has descended or ascended from
necessity. The Maine
Coon was very popular in the 1800s when cat fancy hobby
began to emerge.
First recorded in cat
literature in 1861 with a mention of a black and white cat named
'Captain Jenks
of the Horse Marines,' Maine
Coons were popular competitors at early cat shows in Boston and
New York.
A brown tabby female
named 'Cosie' won Best Cat at the 1895 Madison Square Garden
Show. In
the early 1900s, other long haired breeds
started to become more popular, especially, the Persian, the
enthusiasm for the Maine Coon declined rapidly. During the first
half of this century, the Maine Coons
were largely ignored, except
for a few ardent New England supporters of their native cats. In
the early
sixties, a few of these
supporters organized into a
loosely strucured association and began the work
necessary to
return the Maine Coon to popularity. From this group emerged
the
Maine Coon Breeders and FanciersīAssociation (MCBFA),
established in 1968 for the promotion
and protection of the Maine
Coon Cat... we are proud to be full breeder member of MCBFA.
Ines Fleischer-Bonfires
Maine Coon Cats
 males
females
breeding
plans
kittens
for sale
snapshots
kitten
gallery
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