My Maine Coon Cats

reply to post by elouina


You speak about the 'talking' of Maine Coon cats. Amikas will talk and talk and I talk back and I can work out when he actually needs something.

It's funny when I am in bed and trying to sleep - he will start talking and keep talking and I encourage him to sleep next to me - he does sometimes - but - he will walk down the hallway and just keep on talking. I think to myself as I am laughing - is he having a chat - a rant - a discussion - giving a speech - all I know is whatever he is telling me - it sounds so funny as he continues off into the distance.

He certainly talks more than the girls - my tortoiseshell only make little meows (she's little in size) and my tabby talks when she wants food - can open doors and knows how to hide.

Much Peace...

reply to post by Amanda5


Oh how cute! A rambling MC! I can just picture it. He's probably muttering under his breath, why doesn't that supposedly smart human understand what I am saying?

Some folks say their Maine Coon's aren't talkative. But mine talks a lot like yours. Especially if he catches me peeking around a corner at him. He always looks up and meows a hello. I have a video of one of our conversations. I will post it when I get home.

Maine Coons are such beautiful cats! I have wanted one for many years now, but we already have 9 cats, all rescues. They find me, I don't find them. I couldn't really get my husband on board with purchasing one, because we tend to feel that our home is open to the kitties that need us, and buying a Maine Coon doesn't fit that scenario.

The best I could hope for is to have a Maine Coon find us.

In the mean time, I loved the pics you shared of your gorgeous cats.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


Well, my husband didn't like the thought of me buying a cat either. He put his foot down for decades. I just went ahead and did it. It was one of my life dreams. And no one was gonna get in between me and a life dream. For now on, it will be nothing but Maine Coon's for me when I get new cats in the much later future.

Anyways, thanx for you kind comments. Maine Coon's are really unique, and you don't know what you are missing. I say go for it.

Ok here is a video of Teddy holding one of his "conversations". Oh an he just turned one in this video. He has matured a lot since then.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


I've known at least two people who got a Maine Coon from the Humane Society. I had a very rare purebred cat as a rescued stray. So keep an eye out on the local shelters in your area. They often post pictures on their web sites and a surprising number of purebreds of good quality and good health crop up. You might be able to get the Maine Coon of your dreams via rescue after all. But if you end up buying don't feel guilty. The breed is worth preserving, and purchasing a non show, non breeding cat from the litter enables the breeder to continue the breed and ensure the others in the litter go to loving homes, too. At least it's a breed bred for functionality and health and not some bizarre standard of appearance that causes health problems for the cats.

Maine Coons are definitely different. I have never seen a cat so unbelievably large as a Maine Coon. I'm barely five feet tall myself and when my furry "nephew" sat on my lap you could barely see my eyes over his head. I was smothered. When he decided it was time to chase his toy and launched himself off my lap I nearly went over backwards in the chair! I felt like such a wuss! Ah but his personality was as big as his furry body. What a great cat. He lived a very long life. I think he was twenty when he passed away a few years ago.

Originally posted by SheeplFlavoredAgain
reply to post by FissionSurplus

 

I'm barely five feet tall myself and when my furry "nephew" sat on my lap you could barely see my eyes over his head. I was smothered. When he decided it was time to chase his toy and launched himself off my lap I nearly went over backwards in the chair!

I felt like such a wuss!

Oh I loved that tale! And what about him getting on your lap? I made up a term for my boy hopping on my lap. I call it being fwamped. Named after the loud sound of him hitting my lap.

This is an amazing thread, thank you! I had one as a child and it was my best friend, quite literally. We shared a powerful bond and he treated me different than all other humans. I love and miss him so much.

I've never known an animal -- cat or otherwise -- quite like the Mane Coon Cat. I used to say that it combines the best qualities of both cats and dogs. But actually I think its more than that.
:thumbup:

Originally posted by Never Despise
This is an amazing thread, thank you! I had one as a child and it was my best friend, quite literally. We shared a powerful bond and he treated me different than all other humans. I love and miss him so much.

I've never known an animal -- cat or otherwise -- quite like the Mane Coon Cat. I used to say that it combines the best qualities of both cats and dogs. But actually I think its more than that.
:thumbup:

No, thank you for contributing. I understand exactly where you are coming from. I had a powerful bond with my childhood MC also. And he was my best friend too. And he also treated me differently than all other humans. Deja vue.... You mirror my sentiments exactly. I think all of this is related to their empathic abilities. I also think some humans are more empathic than others. Combine an empathic human and an empathic MC, and you have total harmony. 2 living beings connected by their souls.

Love the thread! Love Teddy ! Love all animals! Thank you sO much for this : Makes my day. Something to bring a smile to your face - for once!

Had never heard of this breed until my rescue of a beautiful mix I believe to be part Maine Coon. She was and is soO beautiful - I had to keep her! If you don't mind, maybe you could id whether my "Whisper" is part Maine Coon or not. I believe she is. She is my avatar but I could get a better close-up. Regardless, I love her, of course, and what a personality . I fell in love at first sight, I must say.

Thanks for sharing your photos and vids with us. I know your ''babies'' are a joy to you. I don't know them but they sure brought me joy --
From one animal lover to another - Have a blessed day! Thanks once again.

ETA: Close-up of Whisper



Love how Teddy eats with his paws. Thanks for the vid. Whisper will sometimes does this too. Teddy and she are somewhat alike. I also didn't know that full blooded Maine Coon's didn't mature until 5 yrs. Wow. Thanks. lol my Whisper is a runt. 11 lbs . Who knows maybe she will keep growing? If I may ask your expert opinion

reply to post by SeekerLou


Why thank you for the compliments! I got home from work on New Years Eve at 11:52 PM. And they are the ones that rang in the new year with me. (My husband was sawing logs... ) And it made me realize just how much I appretiate the joy they bring into my life.

Your gal is quite pretty! Love her color and pattern. Which BTW, is MC'ish. And 11 pounds is not that shabby for a female MC, if that is what she is. She looks like she may be at least part MC, but I need more pictures. With the right pics, I can spot one from a mile away.

The eating with her paws is a MC trait. They don't do it all the time. Especially when very hungry (always). Often times, they will do it once 2/3 of their food is devoured. I get a good laugh out of watching Teddy B do this with kibble. (It rolls off his paws.) They also like water play. Have long fur sticking out around their paw pads. They meow differently and trill. Some will play catch. And will also follow you from room to room while watching your every move. They also have extremely long tails. A med fur coat with britches and often times a ruff. Their ears are large and some will even have lynx tips. (Teddy has tiny ones you can barely see, while Sasha's are big.) Their muzzles are square, and the nose bridge drops down suddenly. And their bodies are recangular. Hope I didn't miss anything.

Here are some shots that would help me.

A closup of her face and ears from the front
A closeup side shot of her face
A side view from head to tail of the entire cat (tail extended - walking may be best)
A closeup of the paw pads.
A couple shots of her relaxing (MC often have peculiar poses plus it helps the overall impression.)

Hi and thanks once again. I'm really needing to get updated photos of my babies. Hopefully soon ! The photos are a mix of the years - in no certain order.

So hope these will do and are at the right angles for you to be able to tell. I don't have any close-ups of her paws but she most definitely has the hair between her toes - like snow shoes. Of course, moreso in the winter.


You mentioned Teddy loving water. You can see by the water beads- same here! Talk about water resistant - I'd never seen hair such as this until her.





I've had cats in my life for as long as I can remember. To me, this cat has the most unique coat I've ever seen. Like she has three sets? If I didn't know better myself, I'd think she was a different cat with the different seasons /winter coat .

The hair on her, imo, is really wild . She will be thick with fur all over but the hair on the top of her head and back of neck to shoulder is shorter then she will poof out again. Again, I'd never had a cat like this, and I've owned lots of cat's.

Earlier in your thread, someone had a Norwegian Forrest that looked a lot like Whisper too but I ruled that breed out earlier for some reason.

She def has the M mark. So Maine Coone and Tabby mix ? Again, I love her regardless: I just like to know things! if and when possible





Forgot to mention I S & F'd your thread! Thanks for sharing your Teddy and for your ID'ing expertise! I hope more folk come into the thread and share too. I enjoy the critters so much and enjoy reading about them!

Have a blessed day!

Thanx for all the pictures. She is a real beauty. Ok, my overall impression from all the pics, is that she is part Maine Coon. The best pic was the straight on face shot. And that tells you a lot and I could see her part domestic in that. Most notably in the nose and ears. In the side views alone of her face, she did a pretty good impression of a Maine Coon. Another giveaway of her domestic roots was her tail. Since it is shorter than most MC. Anyways, I am not a professional at identifying MC cats vs domestic. So I could be wrong.

Oh and I remember missing one trait in my previous post. The fur is soft like a bunny rabbits. And the "M" is something you will see on all tabbies, domestic or MC.

reply to post by elouina


Thank you and hugs elouina, I appreciate your opinion. I knew you with Teddy would recognize the MC trait more than I would and I'm glad you agree with me. I just wasn't for sure. I always thought she had some of the traits. Maybe I am learning a bit afterall.

Would love to see more vids of Teddy. I love the stills but prefer the action. Honestly, I can get more enjoyment out of your vids than I can most tv! Watching these beautiful creatures make me want to melt and fall in love. lolol. Maybe I was born in the wrong body. I feel I should BE a cat JK

Again, beautiful thread and I value your opinion... thanks once again. Without a DNA on my baby , we can only guess at what is in my heinz57! Oh one other special thing about Whisper is that she LOVES to stand/ ride on my shoulders as I go about in the house. The first time she jumped on my shoulder, I was caught off guard. She jumped from a table 4 ft away from me to on top of my shoulders. Sometimes she will walk up/down , or even perch on my arms when I hold it out, which is unusual to me. She loves it. This wouldn't be a trait would it? I've never seen such! Wilma Flintone would kill for the stole! lol

Full blooded MCs are sO Huge. Do you allow him to sleep with you? lol I can't imagine one that big laying on my chest nuzzling my neck/hair. Feel weighted down much?

reply to post by SeekerLou


Yesterday was the day from heck at work, I am still tired! Yawn... Had to take Sasha for her shots today. The vet just adores her! She runs up to the doc for attention even and tries to hop in her arms. And the doc even has a hard time listening to her lungs etc over the purring. The vets always hang in the room longer than usual when both my MC's are involved. But I think super duper lovable Sasha pulls on her heart strings. I call her Sasha Fierce since she is so fearless. She will actually throw herself backwards into your arms and expect you to catch her. A bit too hazardous actually...

Honestly until I got better pics, I was wondering if you cat was full MC. But no such luck. But that is how MC'ish your cat looked in the first pic without some good views or close-ups. I think anyone that can get a full or part MC for free hit the MC lottery. Funny you mentioned the shoulder business. I don't think I ever mentioned that my MC Sasha sits on my shoulder all the time like a parrot. Many MC owners have noticed this.

Maybe I will post one of Teddies kitten peek-a-boo videos later. So adorbz! I have another where a squirrel throws a nut at him. You can't see it, but you can hear it and see Teddies perplexed look. He gets that cute perplexed look on his face often, and I call it Teddies "look". Never saw a cat with that facial expression before.

reply to post by elouina

Hope you got the rest you needed from your long day at work...

and Awww, I bet the the vets do go wild over your babies. Thanks for sharing. And I am so sorry, I've neglected to mention Sasha... I do hope you keep the thread up so we can see her growth stages. Glad they like going to the vet . *I think that unusual*: but that is a blessing, huh!
It's funny how the doc has a hard time listening to her lungs over the purring. Too, I can see whY they hang around longer . Sasha sounds like a hand-full and a lot of fun

It would be cool to have a full MC but yeah I agree , and feel I did hit that lottery. She is a Godsend.

So Sasha does the parrot bit and Teddy has never attempted the shoulders? Interesting. .and that a lot of MC owners say their cats do this. I had to ask.

Would love to view Teddies kitten peek-a-boo and squirrel videos! When you have the time, keep them coming!

You know I forgot to mention this... One day months ago, Teddy Bearz stood up and tapped my chin. It scared the heck out of me since I have never had a cat stand up and tap my face (I am 5'6"). It was like seeing a ghost. Anyways becuase it scared me, he never did it again. Oh and I honestly think he has grown a tidge. I just can't imagine how big he will be at 5 years when he stops growing...

reply to post by elouina


Hi elouina,
Glad to see you back posting on your maine coon thread.
I got concerned about you when it got quiet! But I know how day to day activities can keep us busy.

LOL .at your last post.. dang big tall cat to do that...to touch your chin! It must be smart too for it sensed your fear and to never do it again...wow..

Questions: Are your cats protective of you and do they have a growl that resembles (sounds like) a dog? Just curious! I know all aniimals growl etc but my whisp sounds more like a dog than a cat.

Hmm...If your Maine coon keeps growing, you may have to get a saddle! You could save the petro! lol

Here are a couple updated pics of my boy.

Gorgeous cats.

I don't approve of cat shows. The animals are too roughly handled.