The true ancestral origin of the Maine Coon Cat cannot be said for certain, but it is widely accepted that the breed originated in the North Eastern parts of America somewhere in the mid 19th century.
The Cat Fancier Association’s Breed Article entitled “America's First Show Cat – The Maine Coon Cat” says this:
“It was during the 1860s that farmers would tell stories and brag about the powers and intelligence of their Maine Coon Cats. During this decade these same farmers began having their own cat show at the Skowhegan Fair where Maine Coon Cats from all over the territory competed for the title “Maine State Champion Coon Cat.””
As cat shows picked up in popularity, their venues and attendance grew in size. A dozen of these very first Maine Coon Cats were listed in a program of a show held in Boston in January 1878.¹ And, in another more famous show held in NYC’s Madison Square Garden in 1895, a brown tabby female Maine Coon named “Cosie” took home the win and also special for best cat in the show.²
While the brown tabby was the iconic look for the breed, it was a blue Maine Coon Cat that placed best in class and best of breed in a Portland, Oregon show held in 1911.³ It was with this show, and the arrival of the more exotic Persian cats, that some say the Maine Coons were widely represented for the last time for another 40 years (except as household pets who continued to reign supreme in the North East parts of America).
In the 1950s The Central Maine Cat Club was created. It was with this club, and thanks to a handful of dedicated breeders and enthusiasts, that the Maine Coon breed made a comeback. So much so that a few short years later, in 1956, Dr. Rachel Salisbury created the very first written standard in hopes to assist with properly describing and evaluating the breed.⁴
Now before this first standard was officially documented, and for those who love literature as much as they love Maine Coons, I think it’s important to pause here for a moment to make note of the 1903 book called “The Book of the Cat” written by Frances Simpson. This book is a gem and while currently out of print, I was able to locate an archived version of a chapter in this book which was dedicated to the breed and written by a woman named F.R. Pierce, who owned several Maine Cats. In this book he writes:
“As early as 1861 my younger brother and myself owned jointly a beautiful long-haired black, pointed with white; he bore for several years under the remarkable name of “Captain Jenks of the House Marines.” I have no recollection of his earlier history or advent. I fancy, however, that these cats came into Maine much in the same way and about the same time that they did in England.” ²
Pierce goes on to describe the long-haired cats of the time, that today we know as Maine Coons:
“I really know nothing of the cats that are said to be found on the islands; but no doubt they are much the same as those found all along the New England coast.
For a long time the long-haired cats seemed to be confined mostly to the coast towns and cities; but the giving their best to “their sisters and their cousins and their aunts” have spread them over nearly every state in the Union. They thrive as well as any other long-haired cat. No doubt they still do better in Maine, but the difference comes from the fact that they have the freedom of living a natural life, without dopes or over-coddling. Their offspring are beautiful, because they are from their own choosing, and not from compulsory mating—often distasteful, no doubt.” ²
Almost a decade before The Book of the Cat was published, and before the Salisbury standard was written, Harrison Weir, organized the first cat show in England in 1871, and was the first to create a written standard for many breeds, albeit not the Maine Coon. I mention this simply because Weir also wrote a book. His book was published in 1892 and entitled, “Our Cats”. In the foreword to the second edition of that work you can find the first documented description of the Maine Coon Cat, and also some of the lore common to the breed:
“Among the numerous letters I have received from America is one from Mrs. Mary A. C. Livermore, of Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A., who writes: "I have just come possessed of a black long-haired Cat from Maine. It is neither Persian, Angora, nor Indian. They are called here 'Coon' Cats, and it is vulgarly supposed to be a cross between a common Cat and a 'Coon.' Mine is a rusty bear-brown colour, but his relatives have been black and white, blue and white, and fawn and white, the latter the gentlest, prettiest Cat I know. His tail is very bushy and a fine ruff adorns his neck. A friend of mine has a pair of these Cats, all black, and the female consorts with no one but her mate. Yet often she has in her litter a common short-haired kitten."
Since the above reached me, I have received from another correspondent in the United States a very beautiful photograph of what is termed a "Coon" Cat. It certainly differs much from the ordinary long-haired Cat in appearance; but as to its being a cross with the Racoon, such a supposition is totally out of the question, and the idea cannot be entertained. The photographs sent to me show that the ears are unusually large, the head long, the length being in excess from the eyes to the tip of the nose, the legs and feet are large and evenly covered with long, somewhat coarse hair, the latter being devoid of tufts between and at the extremity of the toes; there are no long hairs of any consequence either within the ears or at their apex. The frill or mane is considerable, as is the length of the hair covering the body; the tail is rather short and somewhat thick, well covered with hair of equal length, and in shape like a fox's brush. The eyes are large, round, and full, with a wild staring expression. Certainly, the breed, however it may be obtained, is most interesting to the Cat naturalist, and the colour, as before stated, being peculiar, must of course attract his attention independently of its general appear-ance. Since the above was written, I have received the following from Mr. Henry Brooker, The Elms, West Midford, Massachusetts, United States of America. After asking for information respecting Cats of certain breeds, he says:
"I have had for a number of years a peculiar strain of long-haired Cats; they come from the islands off the coast of Maine, and are known in this country as 'Coon' Cats. The belief is that they have been crossed with the 'Coon.' This, of course, is untrue. The inhabitants of these islands are seafaring people, and many years ago some one on his vessel had a pair of long-haired Cats from which the strain has sprung. There are few short-haired cats on the island as there is no communication with the mainland except by boat. I want to improve my strain and get finer hair than the Cats now have. Yellow Cats are the most popular kind here, and I have succeeded in producing Cats of a rich mahogany colour with brushes like a fox. They hunt in the fields with me, and my Scotch terriers and they are on the most friendly terms." This, as a corroboration of the foregoing letters and the photographs, is, I take it, eminently satisfactory.” ⁵
By the 1960s, and before the club dissolved, the CMCC had existed for just over a decade and accomplished many things. It successfully brought attention to the Maine Coon as a legitimate, documented breed. It now had credentials and records, and people all over the country were beginning to take interest in breeding and showing the Maine Coon Cat.⁴
In 1968, the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association (MCBFA) was founded with the goal to protect and promote the breed. It seemed to fill the void that was left with the loss of the CMCC and pick up where the club left off with helping to generate recognition for the Maine Coon Cat.⁴
Most notably, in 1969 big things happened for the breed. Henning Mueller-Rech said it best when penning the following for the Maine Coon International website:
“Ethelyn Whittemore (Whittemores) finally officially registers her cats, whose lines she has been breeding for a long time. Sonya Stanislow (Tati Tan) creates a first Maine Coon Standard for her own club, which will then become one of three pillars in the so-called "Unified Standard", the first generally binding one. Conny Condit (Heidi Ho) finds a pregnant cat, keeps a long-haired kitten from this litter and calls him "Andy Katt". And her friend Bonnie Rich (Richelieu), who also lives in Maryland, brings a long-haired tortoise female back with her from a vacation in Florida and gives her to her friend. They call this female "Bridget Katt". Do these two cat names seem familiar to you? Every classically bred Maine Coon has them in her pedigree - at the very beginning, you only have to go back far enough to the first foundation of the registered breed. In the course of time these two, together with three animals from Sonja and Ethelyn, will become the so-called TOP5 cats of the Maine Coon. And Ethelyn, Sonya and Conny will thus become the first holy triad of the Maine Coon history.” ⁶
In 1975 the Maine Coon Cat was finally awarded provisional status within the Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA), and in 1976 championship status first occurred.¹ The MCBFA was monumental in advocating for this.
In 1979 The International Cat Association (TICA) was founded and unlike most of its counterparts, has accepted both the Maine Coon Cat and Polydactyl Maine Coon since its inception.
The Maine Coon Cat, while represented in countries all across the globe, is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America. It is believed to be a breed native to the New England region and was made the official state cat in the state of Maine in 1985.³
The Maine Coon has evolved quite a bit in the last four decades. With this evolution came some high points and low points for the breed. Most notably, the work of Dr. Mark D. Kittleson and Dr. Kathryn Meurs, and the discovery of the HCM gene mutation in cats.⁷ With this new ability to test for genetic mutations common in the breed, breeders came to the sad realization that approximately a third of our “TOP 5” cats carried this “defective” gene.⁶ Dr. Kittleson was interviewed by Bengals Illustrated and published in “The Cat Breeder’s Handbook.” In this article he sets the bar for proper health screening, recommending that an echo by a board certified veterinary cardiologist should be standard procedure for breeding cats like Maine Coon where HCM is prevalent.⁸
Original Photo Credit UNKNOWN (sourced via Facebook -image shared by Sandra Hummel)
According to TICA Breed Standard, the Maine Coon Cat has an “amiable disposition, developed through a natural selection process where only the fittest survived. It should always be remembered that the Maine Coon developed basically as a "working cat" able to fend for itself in rough, woody terrain and under extreme climatic conditions. The Maine Coon is a large breed with big ears, broad chest, substantial boning, a long, hard-muscled, rectangular body and a long, flowing tail, and large feet with tufts.” ³
Every Cat Association has their own written breed standard for the Maine Coon Cat. Each is worded slightly different, but has one common theme. They describe an American native, long haired cat that is uniquely large, natural, yet uncommonly beautiful and with a well balanced look. With their amicable disposition, and highly intelligent nature, it’s no wonder our beloved breed has become a favorite among many, both in the states and across the globe.
SOURCES:
Frew, Gail. Cat Fanciers' Association. "Breed Article: America's First Show Cat – The Maine Coon Cat". Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2021. https://cfa.org/maine-coon-cat/maine-coon-cat-article/
Simpson, Frances (1903). “The Book of the Cat” Chapter 28: Maine Cats. London, Paris, New York, Melbourne, Cassell and company, limited. pp. 325–331. Archived from the original on 9 March 2007 22:43:51. Retrieved 22 June 2021. https://archive.org/details/bookofcatsimpson00simprich/page/324/mode/2up
The International Cat Association. “The Maine Coon Breed” Published 21 January 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2021. https://tica.org/maine-coon-breeders?view=article&id=1194:the-maine-coon-breed&catid=48
Butters, Daphne. Maine Coon Cat Club. “The History of the Maine Coon”. Retrieved 27 April 2022. http://www.maine-coon-cat-club.com/about/history/history.html
MessyBeast. “Longhairs of the 19th Century - Maine Cat”. No date. Retrieved 27 April 2022. http://messybeast.com/retro-longhair-maine.htm
Mueller-Rech, Henning. “The Maine Coon History in 9 Short Chapters.” No date. Retrieved 22 June 2021. http://mainecooninternational.com/The-breeds-history-in-9-small-chapters/
UC Davis. https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/first-gene-mutation-cause-heart-disease-cats-identified. 4 November 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
Bengals Illustrated Exclusive Interview with Mark D. Kittelsnon, DVM, PhD. “The Cat Breeder’s Handbook, Second Edition”. HCM: Get Definitive Answers. A TIBCC Publication, 2009, pp. 40-44.
