Maine Coons are large energetic cats. Average weight is between 13 and 20 pounds for males with some growing as large as 25 pounds. Average weight for females is 7 to 11 pounds. They take longer to grow into their full size than most cats as they don't usually reach full size till age 3 to 4 years.

Maine Coons are one of the oldest natural breeds in North America having originated from domestic cats brought over from Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. These cats were faced with extremely cold conditions in New England and only the strongest survived. Through natural selection the cats we know as Maine Coons today developed.

There is a myth that Maine Coons originated from the offspring of a house cat with a Raccoon but this is genetically impossible. Most cat breeders today believe that the Maine Coon breed originated from preexisting domestic short haired cats mating with long haired cats from overseas. While Maine Coons are similar in appearance to Norwegian Forest Cats this is believed to be because both species faced environments that were much alike thus through natural selection processes that mirror each other similar characteristics developed.

Maine Coons are known for their intelligence, their dexterity, and their playfulness. They use their paws more like hands than most cats. They can easily learn to open cabinet doors and turn on faucets. They can even pick up small objects and often eat from their paws rather than the bowl when eating. Their high intelligence makes them one of the easiest cat breeds to train. They are more dog like in their behavior and will even play fetch just like a dog.

Here's a Maine Coon playing with and drinking water from a water faucet:



Here's a Maine Coon opening up a door:



Here's a Maine Coon playing with a straw:



A Maine Coon kitten playing:

Labels: cat breeds