Gentle giants are known for being highly intelligent, very sociable, and quite friendly. This breed is known for rugged, shaggy long coats, tufted ears and paws, and a lion-like ruff of fur around their necks that looks like a wildcat’s mane. To compare, most cat tails measure around 11 inches long. Their tails can reach between 12 and 17 inches long, sometimes longer. These kitties also have exceptionally long tails. They stand about 10 to 16 inches tall from paw to shoulder. They can weigh anywhere from 9 to 25 pounds. This big breed is also known as the “gentle giant,” “feline greeters of the world,” and the “dog of the cat world. Currently, they rank as the second most popular of all breeds listed by The Cat Fanciers’ Association. These kitties most likely were ship cats that traveled aboard ships and made their way into the communities where they docked. Other stories claim the Maine Coon is a cat descended from royal pets that escaped France when Marie Antoinette met her horrible fate.

Though a wildly intriguing tale, this hybrid animal could not ever exist. This breed is considered the oldest natural feline breed native to the United States.Ī common urban legend about the Maine Coon is that the breed is a hybrid mix of a domestic cat and a wild raccoon. Maine Coons are a large breed of rugged, wild-looking felines. Maine Coon These big kiddos are native to New England and are the official state of Maine. Many cat breeds can be Tabby, and just as many can cross with a Maine Coon. Maine Coon is a breed, and Tabby is a pattern. There is no specific information about crossbreeding because a Maine Coon Tabby is not necessarily a blend of two different feline breeds. Tabby-colored Maine Coons have been around for an exceptionally long time.

Maine coon tabby orange