One of the most popular breeds of cats in the United States is the Maine Coon. Its big hair and big body do not fit the standard feline stereotype of a typical domestic shorthair, and one can almost conclude that they look a little weird. However, their playful nature, extreme intelligence, and mellow disposition (where they seek and enjoy the companionship of their owners but without constantly demanding physical attention) more than compensate for their unconventional appearance. In fact, many of them will eagerly learn to do tricks such as fetch (or more accurately, they will teach their owners tricks like how to play fetch).
There are several theories about the origin of the Maine Coon cat. One impossible one, genetically speaking, is that normal house cats mated with wild raccoons (or even tame ones, for that matter). Another one, implausible but not totally impossible, is that Marie Antoinette, after her arrest, arranged for her snobby long-haired Persian kind of cats to be smuggled to the USA, where they bred with conventional style felines. A third theory is that English sea captains, including one named Charles Coon, introduced long-haired cats on trips to America, where they swapped genetic material with the local population. A fourth postulate is that Maine Coons are the result of matings between bobcats and domestic felines. A final possibility is that they are the descendants of Norwegian Forest cats which were introduced by the Vikings in the 11th century when the Norsemen landed in the New England area. This hypothesis may not be totally bogus, as sea captains brought long-haired cats to America all up and down the Eastern Seaboard, but only the Maine Coon cats (which in fact originated in Maine) resemble Norwegian Forest cats.
No comments:
Post a Comment