Maine coons have both looks and personality

By Mary Hayashi

The Buddy Beat

The Maine coon is the first longhair working feline in the United States. The breed probably evolved from the first domesticated cats that arrived with European settlers, the ships’ mousers. To survive the harsh northeastern winters, they developed longer coats and ruffs (fur along the neck).

A Maine coon’s appearance is unique. The fur is thick and heavy, extends on the sides and supports a long ruff. The tail can be described as plume-like. The paws have been described by Maine coon enthusiasts as paddle-like, with tufts protruding between the toes.

You cannot talk about a Maine coon without discussing size. You certainly have more feline to love by height and weight. Maine coons are endearingly called the “gentle giants” of the cat world. Though they may be larger-than-life in physical size, their meow is a tiny chirp. The ears on a Maine coon are also physically attractive. They are large, full of hair and may even have lynx points. How expressive is that?

The personality of a Maine coon is both playful and intelligent. They play fetch, speak to you and love to play in water. They love to use their large paws to drink water from a sink faucet or water bowl. One might say they have an obsession with water.

For as large as these lovable lugs are, they love to jump — and jump high. They often misjump onto a space that is too small to accommodate their size, but they try anyway. I always know where my Maine coon boy has been when I come home from work. I usually find the vase and flowers knocked to the floor near the end table they were originally placed on.

If you cannot decide as a family whether to get a cat or dog, perhaps you should consider a Maine coon. They act and play more like a dog than a cat.

Lastly, the single best attribute of their personality is that they are in tune with their owners. My Maine coon and I are so in sync he is waiting for me in the front window, watching for my car to pull into the driveway. Each day I arrive at a different time, but he is never wrong. He knows when I am close to home and assumes the watch position.

He is just smarter than my other felines and he takes great pride in knowing so. He is so secure knowing how I feel about him that he gladly takes on the role of the daddy figure to any new feline I might bring home.

Please meet today’s cats who are both Maine coon mixes with all of the Maine coon personality and traits.

AdoptablesEmma is a Maine coon that probably is full-bred given her age, size and stature. She is 4-5 years old and is the size of a male Maine coon. She is brown in coloration, with a white bib and white tiptoes. Her personality is friendly and laid-back. She is a true lap cat that will be content to sit with you and watch whatever you are doing.Tabitha is a smaller brown Maine coon that displays more white. Her ruff and her face enjoy white markings that make her look very sweet. Tabitha may be much smaller than Emma but we consider that to be because she is only a little more than a year in age. True Maine coons can grow until they are up to 3 years old. She may be a mix, but she may still grow into her long legs.Her disposition is great. She is one of the first cats to greet anyone when they enter her room. She will let you know that she will not be ignored. Not a bad attitude for a cat that was left behind in a trailer park. She was left to sit on the unit parking spot after her owner relocated his trailer.Did You Know?The Buddy Foundation has a well-stocked gift shop. Think of us when you need an animal-themed gift. We have people-oriented gifts, as well as gifts for your animals. I guarantee that we have more animal-related gifts than any shopping mall, and when you shop with us you are assisting your local animal charity. You are also on-site to view the little whiskers that benefit from your shopping. Shelter NeedsWe are constantly running out of clumping litter, canned food, stage 2 all-meat baby food, and kitten food in general. We are now in kitten season full-swing, with two full rooms of kittens. If you cannot adopt, please assist us with supplies.Ÿ Contact The Buddy Foundation at (847) 290-5806; visit us at 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, or online at Thebuddyfoundation.org. 36492433Tabitha