The Maine Coon
Don't believe everything you hear about the Maine Coon Cat as they are shrouded in myth.
 | A wild cat mated with a Lynx or Bobcat? - impossible. |
| Descendents from Marie Antoinette’s cherished cats? – highly improbable. |
| Escaped companions of lonely sailors? – an unlikely possibility. |
| Brought to Maine by the Vikings? – a hopeful dream? |
Many other myths surround the Maine Coon Cat, but what you can believe is that they are amazingly affectionate; can be trained to walk on a lead; will retrieve small objects just like a dog; can catch flies and moths in the air, as they are so fast, and will follow you around just to see what you are doing. They also play with water, so watch out for those uncovered aquariums. Indeed they are one of the largest, hardiest, affectionate and most beautiful of the domestic cats.
They come in a range of colours, having those amazing lynx like ear tips and males can attain a weight of 9 to10 kilograms when fully grown, occasionally more. The breed has a reputation of longevity and doesn't reach full maturity until about 4 years old. A life span of more than twenty years is not uncommon.