Who are we?

The Maine Coon cat, the American giant, is the quintessential North American cat. They are without doubt the oldest breed in northern America and on the American continent in general. Their origins are uncertain and the only certainty is that they originate from Maine, a state in the extreme north of the United States, on the border with Canada, with a very harsh climate, covered with forests and immense lakes. They came in via ships and the state of Maine at that time was one of the largest and most important shipbuilders at the time. Foreigners bought them as pets in the ports to amuse the children on board, and in this way the cats reached all the towns along the coast. The sumptuous tail of the Maine Coon, their dense fur, their love of water, their venison habits, have long led to the belief that they were the fruit of a love affair between a "bobcat" and a "raccoon", a small carnivore widespread in North America (Maine, meaning raccoon). Obviously, this is only a legend, since genetically, it is impossible. Therefore, the Maine cat develops mainly in coastal areas and slowly spreads inland to farms when given as gifts to friends and relatives. The predominant colours were reds, whites, blacks, blues, creams and brindles. Silvers or silversmokes were found in only one out of every two hundred kittens. The shipping industry disappeared and today, we can say that the Maine kittens found in this state are truly native. Breed recognition The recognition of the breed was granted in 1967 by the Canadian Cat Association and by the American Cat Association. CFA waited until 1976.