The Maine Coon cat is named after its origin in the state of Maine, USA. It is the first long-haired breed naturally developed in North America, forming a relatively stable breed around the mid-18th century. The Maine Coon cat has a strong build, thick dense fur, and an appearance similar to the Siberian Forest cat, making it one of the large-sized breeds among cats.

　　Physical characteristics

　　Medium-shaped face, high ear placement, large ears, wide spacing between eyes, and an M-shaped tabby marking on the forehead.

　　Belongs to the large-sized cats, strong, with large and round paws.

　　Smooth and layered, with a soft fine undercoat; the fur on the back and legs is long and dense, and the tail fur spreads out like feathers. There is a ruff of fur around the neck.

　　The essential traits for a purebred Maine Coon are: the eye rims, lips, and paw pads must all be black.

　　The coat colors of the Maine Coon are very diverse, with an estimated over 60 types of coat patterns.

　　Characteristics

　　The Maine Coon cat has excellent mouse-catching skills, which brought recognition to this long-haired cat native to Maine, USA. Through a unique breeding program, this cat developed into a robust physique, especially suitable for living in harsh winters and various seasons. The beautiful appearance of the Maine Coon cat is often admired. However, it was not easy for this ordinary farm cat to be recognized as a breed by the American CFA, which took a long time. Although the Maine Coon cat once fell out of favor and disappeared from cat shows for quite a while, this beautiful breed is now active again in various cat shows.

　　Originally a working cat, the Maine Coon cat is sturdy and hardworking, capable of enduring harsh weather. Its most remarkable feature is its smooth and dense coat. It is unrelated to the Norwegian Forest cat by blood, but looks very similar. The head shape is of medium width, with a square muzzle and high cheekbones. The chin is strong and firm, aligned with the upper lip and nose. From the side, the chin's outline is almost right-angled, and the nose is straight without a break. The ears are large and heavily tufted, with big eyes spaced wide apart. It has a medium to large body size, strong with a broad chest. Females are generally smaller than males. It has a long tail with flowing fur like a fur coat. The fur is thick and dense; the fur on the chest is shorter, while that on the back, belly, and thighs is longer. The hair texture is silky and smooth, flowing downward. The coat comes in many colors, including solid, tabby, bicolor, tricolor, silver shaded, tortoiseshell, and more.

　　The Maine Coon cat has litters of 2-4 kittens, which vary greatly in size and coat color. Their development is slow, reaching full maturity at 4 years old.

　　Breed classification

　　People can see Maine Coons of various colors and patterns, except for chocolate point, lilac point, or Siamese point types of cats. Their eyes can be green, golden yellow, or copper. Overall, there is no fixed relationship between coat color and eye color. (Source：PetsZone)