15 Fun & Interesting Facts About Maine Coon Cats
For a long time, Maine Coon Cats have attracted public attention with their unique appearance and temperament. Throughout centuries they’ve conquered many people’s hearts thanks to their friendly demeanor and loyalty. There’s a lot to say about these fluffy monsters, and there’s no shortage of amazing things about them.
Impressive in every way, they beat world records and come up first without even trying. They’re just that awesome! To drive this point home, here are 15 fun and interesting facts about Maine Coon Cats that you probably didn’t know! Hold onto your seat and prepare to be blown away!
1. Interesting Origins
This breed was first discovered in Maine (hence its name), sometime in the early 19th century. The origins of this cat breed are surrounded in mystery. Many fascinating theories exist, but there’s no way to know for sure which one is telling the truth.
Some theories state these cats have been brought to the continent by Viking explorers. Other whackier ones tell of how Maine Coon cats are actually descendants of royal cats brought to America by Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France.
The most plausible theory states that Maine Coon cats are descendants of European long-hair breeds brought to America by early settlers. These cats bred with the local short-haired ones, giving birth to the first native long-haired breed.
2. One of The Most Expensive Breeds in The World
Persian, Sphynx, Scottish Fold, and Russian Blue cats are expensive breeds, usually costing around $3,000 and up. This is a generally known fact. But Maine Coon cats also make the cut for the most expensive cat breeds in the world.
Similar to the American Curl and the British Shorthair, Maine Coon Cats usually cost anywhere between $1,000-$1,500, which means that they can be placed in the top 10 most expensive breeds. But don’t worry! You can also adopt one for less if you don’t buy from a professional breeder.
3. Wonderful Personality
Maine Coons are a popular choice not only in Maine but also all around the world! And that’s partly due to their unique appearance, and partly due to their nice temperament. These cats are gentle and loving, always affectionate, and peaceful.
They have no trouble making friends with humans and other pets, and they become very loyal once they know you. They’re perfect for pet owners who want an independent, low-maintenance, but friendly and cuddly companion.
4. They Have a Variety of Unique Looks
No matter their looks, Maine Coons are always beautiful and majestic. Grey or brown Maine Coons are popular, but you can find them in more than just these colors! You can also choose between black, blue, cream, pure white, ginger, and a variety of different shades and combinations thereof.
It’s like we’re talking about ice cream here. Anyway, fur patterns include tortoiseshell, tabby, and calico. You can choose between over 80 different variations and combos of shades and pattern variations. Sounds like a true collector’s dream!
5. Love for Water
This cat gets even better the more you read about it! Turns out, the Maine Coon is a natural swimmer. They love soaking and playing in the water. Bath time is a generally pleasant activity, as long as you don’t spray them with a splash of water on full blast.
They even actively seek touching water and sinking their paws in it, like when you’re just minding your own business doing the dishes. I’m not sure about the toilet bowl, but you might want to keep it covered.
6. Biggest Cat in The World
The Maine Coon is the biggest cat breed in the world when it comes to length. Even female cats reach an average of one meter. There’s no surprise then that the record holder for the biggest cat in the world is also a Maine Coon.
Before his sad 2013 departure from this world, Stewie, a gray tabby cat set a new world record for the largest cat in the world. His record stands at 123 centimeters, which is more than half the height of an average person.
7. Oldest Cat in The World
The average lifespan of a Maine Coon cat is 10-14 years, but as with any estimate, there are also outliers. Besides being the biggest and the coolest cat in the world, this guy also holds the record for the longest-lived cat. How is that fair?
Rubble, a beautiful white and ginger Maine Coon, became the oldest cat in the world in 2020. At the time of his passing, he had already reached the age of 31 years old (almost 150 in human years). He had no documented health condition and died due to old age.
8. A Cat of Many Names
Being popular means they have many affectionate nicknames. Due to their large, space-bending proportions and their friendly personality, many people call them “the Gentle Giants”.
Their loyalty and love for cuddles also earned them the nickname of “dog of the cat world”. And of course, the thick fur, the majestic mane, and their sturdy, muscular bodies got them the name of “the Miniature Lion”.
9. Strange Meowing Sounds
Unlike other breeds, Maine Coon Cats have a distinctive style of meowing that sounds more like a bird chirping. Hard to believe, but it’s true! Look it up and be amazed! I personally find it funny and cute. Many people say it sounds like a cat singing.
10. Easy to Train
They might look like Hulk in cat form, but they’re sharp as a whip. Their high level of intelligence makes them easy to train if you’re into that. Many people teach them tricks, play fetch with them, and even walk them on a leash! Yes, really!
While I don’t necessarily think it’s a great idea to keep your cat on a leash, this just goes to show how cooperative they are. Try teaching a Maine Coon some tricks. You might be amazed.
11. It’s Been Successfully Cloned
Not the first cat to be cloned. That title belongs to CC, born in December 2001. But it is one of the few breeds that have been successfully cloned up to date. Genetic Savings & Clone, Inc., the same company that successfully cloned CC, also cloned a Maine Coon cat in 2004. Thus, Little Nicky became the first pet to be cloned commercially, at the request of his owner.
After Little Nicky’s passing at the age of 17, his owner saved some tissue samples in a DNA bank. The entire procedure cost the owner $50,000. This included transplanting the cat’s DNA into an egg cell and artificially inseminating the surrogate mother cat to carry the embryo to term. The newborn kitten was healthy and had a similar appearance and personality to the original Little Nicky.
12. Winner of America’s First Cat Show
What’s that? Another Maine Coon winning at life? You bet! The first American cat show was held in Madison Square Garden, New York City, on May 8th, 1895. That’s when Cosie, a brown tabby Maine Coon blew every single cat away in the competition.
She won the “Best Cat” award and her medal and silver collar are still on display at the Cat Fanciers Association headquarters in Alliance, Ohio.
13. They’re World-Famous
After a Maine Coon won the first American cat show in 1895, this breed soon gained popularity. With the appearance of newer breeds, however, their appeal decreased through the late 19th to the early 20th century. Even so, Maine Coon cats always make a comeback! Today, the Maine Coon is believed to be the third most popular cat breed in the world, at least according to the Cat Fancier’s Association.
Nowadays, the internet is booming with videos and pictures of Maine Coon cats, with millions of hashtags on Instagram alone. In fact, if you were to go on Instagram right now, you could easily find Maine Coon accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers. Just look up Luna and Louie, Handsome Omar, or Gastone, if you don’t believe me.
14. Some of Them Have Extra Toes
Maine Coons have a higher genetic probability of being born with an extra toe. Many believe this genetic mutation helped them better navigate through their natural snowy and cold environment thanks to the wider paws. Sadly, this genetic mutation has mostly disappeared, because professional breeders and potential buyers deemed this trait undesirable.
15. Maine Coon Movie Star
If you’re a true Harry Potter fan, you probably didn’t miss the scrawny, messy-looking cat roaming around Hogwarts. That’s Mrs. Norris, the cat of the school caretaker, Mr. Filch. Six Maine Coon cats were trained and filmed to put together this character.
Each of the cats learned its own trick for the cameras. That’s pretty cool. This breed is so smart, it can even star in movies! The Maine Coon is winning at everything in life, and I’m all for it!
