The decision to acquire a purebred pet is always a lottery for lovers. To protect yourself from the tricks of scammers, you need to know how to distinguish a Maine Coon kitten from an ordinary Vaska. Familiarizing yourself with the distinctive characteristics of a descendant of American raccoons before a significant meeting will make the task much easier and ensure a good choice.
Maine Coon real in natural habitat
How to identify a purebred Maine Coon kitten
The easiest way to be deceived is when buying a recently born individual, so it is better to start studying the Maine Coon by determining the characteristics of the breed in kittens.
Main characteristics of the breed
Obvious differences in a purebred animal become noticeable at two to three months of age. Until this stage, it is quite difficult to distinguish a Maine Coon kitten from an ordinary representative of the cat family. The first thing that catches your eye when looking at a purebred baby is the weight: a purebred Maine Coon weighs 100-150 grams versus 80-100 grams for a purebred individual. Judging by its size, a six-month-old baby coon is similar to an ordinary adult cat.
Maine Coon kitten's paws are heavy, wide, large
The second sign showing how to identify a Maine Coon kitten: the shape and size of the head, the structure of the body. The head of a Maine kitten is elongated, and not rounded, like that of its simple counterparts. In shape it is longer than it is wide. The chest is well defined and has a developed muscular structure.
All these signs show how to identify a real Maine Coon kitten. The length, quality and color of the fur also show the purity of the breed: a purebred Maine Coon already at this tender age has a soft and delicate fur coat. The places where an adult cat will grow characteristic long locks are noticeably dense and full. When purchasing, you should pay attention to: fluffiness of the nape; the upper part of the hind legs; growth of fur between the claws.
Breed Features
You can recognize a Maine Coon by its size. Next to the yard cat, the coon looks larger. Representatives of this breed can be identified by the shape of their eyes: they are slanted, while in an ordinary cat they are round. Another notable difference is the bushy tail and “tassels” on the tips of the ears, with which small kittens are born.
A true Maine Coon differs from other cat breeds in its high level of intelligence. Thanks to this feature, this breed is easy to train.
How to recognize a real Maine Coon?
- The cats have a strong build (up to 1 meter in length) with a massive skeleton and large limbs. In this case, the weight reaches 10-11 kilograms.
- Large, high-set ears, on the inside of which hair grows, similar to a brush.
- The muzzle is square in shape.
- Fluffy tail and mane.
- Long hair on the legs, belly and chest. It is shorter on other parts of the body.
Maine Coons are peaceful and active animals that communicate well with all family members.
Coons are peace-loving, friendly and non-conflict representatives of the cat breed. The owner for them is one person whom the cat chooses himself. Does not express aggression towards other family members. These are mobile and active cats who are interested in everything that happens around them. In addition, they love to talk, which is expressed in the form of low, soft purrs or purrs.
How to recognize a real Maine Coon and a fake: advice from breeders
Real offspring of raccoons are put up for sale three months after birth. The terms and conditions of the transaction, the presence of a pedigree, and the real price are a guarantee that the merchant is selling a purebred animal. He is obliged to accompany the pet with a passport with notes on vaccinations. By this age, a kitten already knows how to use a litter box and demonstrates communication skills. And all breeders advise asking for a pedigree when buying a Maine. This is the surest guarantee that the money was paid for a real Maine, and not for a fake!
Appearance Features
It is worth knowing that at a young age it is quite difficult to notice the difference between animals. Thoroughbreds have similarities to ordinary ones, but they still have unique features. When inspecting, pay attention to:
- Ears. They are noticeably larger than those of ordinary pets, set almost at a right angle to the head, there is no forward bend, like in a Siberian cat. They are wide at the base and then gradually narrow. They end with a tassel - a unique external feature. The kitten can be born with it, more often it grows later, but by a maximum of 3 months there should already be a tassel on its ears. For this reason, it is better to select a pet at this age.
- Head. It is slightly elongated, since the length is slightly greater than the width. All features are clear, and the whisker pads form a “box”, making the muzzle square. The cheekbones protrude noticeably, which is not typical for ordinary domestic kittens.
- Eyes. They are slightly slanted and almond-shaped, unlike the rounded ones of other cats.
- Paws. Firstly, they are quite large even in babies, and secondly, tassels also grow on them - between the claws.
- Tail. This part of the body in purebred animals is long, about 2 times longer than in their domestic relatives. It is worth noting that selling Maine Coons is a profitable business, and there is a high risk of fraud. The breeder can tell that the tassels have not yet grown, the shape of the face sometimes seems similar, but the length of the tail can reveal the truth. Therefore, it is better to cooperate with reliable nurseries, where they will provide you with all the necessary documents.
- Wool. Even in kittens it is of medium length and thick.
- Dimensions. At the age of five weeks, Maine Coons are already comparable in size to a six-month-old ordinary kitten; at 4-5 months they “catch up” with an adult.
- Body type. It should be strong, the chest should be wide, the bones should be massive.
Also, purebred representatives of the breed are much more active and mobile than their ordinary counterparts, they develop faster and switch to food earlier.
Savannah (weight up to 20 kg)
It is rightfully considered not only one of the largest, but also the most expensive cats. Its cost can reach up to $25,000.
The breed is of artificial origin: the result of crossing a Serval, Siamese and Angora cats. The result was a kind of miniature leopard . Therefore, by the age of three, a cute and affectionate kitten becomes more wild.
A standard apartment for the savannah will not work. The best option is a spacious house , because the real ancestor of the serval will live there. Savannah loves to take water treatments, so a spacious pool or nearby pond will be very helpful.
The cat is smart, inquisitive and trainable. She also loves long walks. A real wild cat!
The biggest size
Several of the largest coons in the world have been recorded. The largest Maine Coon seen at shows weighed 15 kg. But the exhibition organizers canceled the “fattest cat” nomination. Sometimes owners overfed their pets, which led to a shortened life of the cats.
This is interesting!
The largest cat in length was included in the Guinness Book. The size of the Maine Coon from Nevada was 132.2 cm in length. Today this record has not yet been broken, so for now it is the largest cat in the world. The length was also recorded at 122 cm.
Factors influencing growth
Factors that influence the growth and development of the Maine Coon can be divided into two types - internal and external. Internal ones include:
- The growth rate of a kitten depends on the breed and its purebred. The higher your birth weight, the more you will gain weight in the future.
- Gender of the kitten. Boys grow faster and gain weight.
- Genetic predisposition. With a high degree of probability, parents of large sizes will have kittens of corresponding sizes.
- The combination of mom and dad's genotypes creates the kitten's own genotype. This is a unique organism that can have its own individuality.
- Hormones. The use of medications can affect the animal's body weight.
There are also external factors that have a significant impact on weight gain and growth of the Maine Coon. These factors include the hygiene of the animal and the conditions in which it lives. The attitude of the mother cat towards him greatly influences the growth of a kitten; sometimes a cat may deprive one of its cubs of attention and care. A newborn kitten should gain 10 grams in weight. in a day.
Why does a Maine Coon kitten not gain weight?
As soon as the owner notices a discrepancy with the body weight table, it is worth seeking help from veterinarians. Insufficient recruitment can be caused by a number of reasons:
- lack of vitamins;
- non-compliance with energy balance;
- the kitten is stressed;
- genetic or acquired diseases of the kitten.
If a cat gives birth to small newborn kittens, they may develop more slowly and take longer to reach the required weight and body size. Larger ones develop much faster than their smaller peers. Small size is often due to genetics.
Sometimes there are situations when just small kittens are born. This can be called a genetic failure; it cannot be corrected. You should not give your kitten any supplements that affect growth on your own. All drugs should be prescribed only by a veterinarian and if there are compelling reasons for their use.
Types of Maine Coon mixes
Purebred individuals are distinguished by the following parameters:
- large sizes;
- thick hair;
- trapezoidal skull shape;
- tassels on the ears;
- long tail, etc.
The main character traits of this breed are:
- equilibrium;
- friendliness;
- loyalty to a person;
- caution;
- agreeableness;
- equilibrium;
- lack of aggression.
However, not all mestizos inherit at least part of the parameters characteristic of purebred individuals. A classification of mixed-breed cats has not been developed. There is no single standard, since it is almost impossible to predict what set of genes and characteristics the offspring will receive as a result of crossing representatives of different breeds.
Now there are 2 described types of half-breeds: si-kun and renegade. 1 is a Siamese mix. 2 - the result of crossing with the Bengal breed. However, now you can often find a cross between a Maine Coon and an ordinary cat, British, Siberian, Persian, Neva Masquerade, etc.
Maine Coon (weight up to 15 kg)
Noble, intelligent and well-mannered are words that accurately describe cats of this breed. By the way, Maine Coons are also the longest. The Guinness Book of Records mentions the longest cat named Stewie, his body length is 123.2 cm.
The name of the breed translates as “Manx raccoon.” Maine Coons originated from cats that lived on farms in Maine, USA. The price of such a “raccoon” starts at $800.
Despite its impressive weight and menacing appearance, this cat is loving, sociable and becomes attached to all family members. Like the Savannah, the Maine Coon is not averse to jumping into the water.
It was the Maine Coon that you could see in the arms of Argus Filch from the Harry Potter films. Yes, this is the same Mrs. Norris.
How to distinguish a Maine Coon from a regular cat (adult)
The breed differs from an ordinary cat not only in its impressive dimensions, but also in its amazing sense of self-esteem. Beautiful cats in their appearance are close to wild forest animals. The purebred Maine Coon is characterized by slanted eyes (2), while the usual domestic cats remain the owners of round, eloquent eyes.
Comparison of an ordinary cat and Maine Coon
Neat, somewhat pointed ears with small “tassels” at the tips (1) are also a distinctive feature of the breed. In addition, ordinary cats, even the largest ones, rarely reach a weight of more than 5-6 kg. The average adult Maine Coon will be more respectable. His normal weight is from 8 to 10 kg.
This exotic differs from the simple favorite cat, which has long lived next to humans, in the intensity of its hair. The hair on the head and lower legs remains thick and short, gradually lengthens towards the back and sides, and the “panties” on the hind legs cause affection. The Maine Coon has an amazing fluffy tail of impressive size from 45 to 60 cm. Cute ordinary cats, unless they happen to be accidental mestizos, most often have a uniform short-haired and thick coat with down. Their tail rarely exceeds 25-30 cm in length.
The tail is long, at least to the shoulder, tapering to a pointed tip, covered with flowing hair.
What is the weight of an adult cat and Maine Coon cat?
The size and weight of a kun depends on many factors. The state of an adult cat is established at birth. The size of the animal is affected by:
- Genetics. If the kitten's parents were large and in good health, there is a high probability that the kittens will also be of impressive size.
- Floor. Males are larger and taller than females. Males also grow faster than their female counterparts.
- The use of hormonal drugs in a cat during certain periods.
- Conditions in which kittens grow up.
- Stress factor. If an animal is constantly exposed to stress, the endocrine system of the animal suffers first, which negatively affects further growth.
- Proper nutrition. It must be balanced. By following proper nutrition, healthy and strong coons will grow up with the correct size and weight.
Typically, a cat stops growing and gaining weight at the age of three. During this period it should reach its maximum size. For a male, the weight can range from 9-12 kg, castrated individuals can weigh 13-16 kg. All cats should be between 7-10 kg. The height at the withers can reach 25-40 cm. The length of the body from the nose to the tip of the tail can reach 100 cm, that is, 1 m. The maximum length established by the kunas is 1.23 m.
Maine Coon cat.Thoroughbred animals with a good pedigree will look larger and more massive than their counterparts. This is dictated by a special genetic exterior.
