Supreme Ch. Kernes Dolphin De Portland's Maine Coons
Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats
Maine Coons
Supreme Ch. Kernes Dolphin De Portland's Maine Coons
The Maine Coon, the largest breed of domestic cat is often referred to as the gentle giant of the cat fancy. It is lynx-like in appearance, yet gentle in temperament. It is North America's only natural longhair breed, and the state of Maine's official cat. It has now become the fastest growing breed worldwide.
BREED ORIGIN
The distant history of the Maine Coon is unknown. Many believe the Norwegian Forest Cat to be an ancestor of the Maine Coon. Others believe it to be the result of a mating between a raccoon and a semi- wild domestic cat (a genetic impossibility) hence the name. Another story is that a longhaired cat was brought by ship to Maine by a Captain Coon, that it escaped and lived in the woods and mated with semi- wild domestics. Although no records were kept, the Maine Coon was well known in the east coast states by the end of the nineteenth century Maines were kept as mousers long before they became show cats, but were one of the earliest breeds seen at cat shows. A Maine was the Best Cat in Show at a Madison Square Garden Show in New York in 1895. However interest in the breed almost died out until the formation of the Maine Coon Cat Club in 1953. The Maine Coon is no longer confined to the state from which it takes its name but is well known and bred throughout the world.
A Maine Coon is muscular and broad-chested with substantial legs and well tufted paws suitable for walking atop snow.
His heavy, all weather coat - shorter on the the shoulders and longer on the stomach and britches - makes the Maine Coon appear larger than life. With a silky smooth (not cottony) texture, the Maine Coon's coat does not mat as easily as other longhair coats. All this plus a demeanor that suggests controlled power, gives the Maine Coon a regal, feral look. When we hear the name Maine Coon most of us think of a large brown longhair tabby.. Although brown tabby is the most common pattern, Maine Coons come in a plethora of colours, including , if you choose, red, white and blue!
Mainely
Magic
Maine Coons
Norwegian Forest Cats
Nyfiken Mimir
THE NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT
Norse mythology suggests that the Norwegian Forest Cat has existed for a long time, even playing a role in the affairs of the gods. One tale recounts how Freyja, the Norse goddess of love and also of those slain in battle, rode about in a golden chariot pulled by large, longhaired cats. Despondent at the disappearance of her husband, Od, she used this cat-powered vehicle to search for him.
Another Norse myth tells of a contest of strength between Thor, the god of thunder, and Utgardsloki, the strongest frost giant. Challenged by Utgardsloki to pick up his house cat, Thor made a valiant attempt, but the cat )ust arched its back higher and higher, keeping its feet on the floor until Thor had to admit defeat. (It turned out that Utgardsloki had earlier replaced the cat with a huge serpent. Thor must have been extremely unobservant not to notice the switch.)
NORSE CAT TALES
Most of the Norse myths were passed down by oral tradition and were finally recorded in what was called the Edda poems, written sometime between 800 A.D. and 1200 A.D. Regardless of when these cat tales were written, they suggest that domestic cats have been in Norway for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years. Whether or not the cats portrayed in the myths are Forest Cats is sub]ect to debate, though.
The Norwegian Forest Cat, called the skogkatt (forest cat) in Norway, is a natural breed that, despite its appearance, is not a hybrid of any wild cat species. Forest Cats probably arrived in Norway from Europe, descendants of domestic cats that were introduced to northern Europe by the Romans.
Wherever they came from, Forest Cats survived and adapted to the severe climate of northern Norway, where the sun never sets from May 12 to August 1, and where the winter nights are correspondingly long and dark. Centuries of prowling the Norwegian
forests caused them to develop long, dense, water-resistant coats; hardy constitutions; quick wits and well-honed survival instincts.
An interesting footnote: It is theorized that Forest Cats were the rodent-catching shipmates of the Vikings and voyaged to America 500 years before Columbus made his celebrated journey. That may explain why the Maine Coon and the Forest Cat share so many characteristics. It is also known that the Vikings colonized the Isle of Man. If the skogkatts made that trip, it may account for the similarities in body style between the Norwegian Forest Cat and the Manx.
MODERN HISTORY
The first efforts to have the Forest Cat recognized began in the 1930s. The first Norwegian cat club was founded in 1934, and in 1938 the first Forest Cat was exhibited m Oslo, Norway. World War II, however, put a damper on all cat breeding and showing. After the war the breed came close to extinction due to interbreeding with Norway's shorthaired domestic cat (the hauskatt). It wasn't until the 1970s that the cat fanciers of Norway started a serious breeding program to preserve the Forest Cat.
Wegies (as Forest Cats are affectionately known in America) arrived in the United States in 1980. That same year, a small group of American fanciers founded the Norwegian Forest Cat Fanciers' Association and began working to get the Forest Cat accepted by North American cat registries. TICA, the first to recognize the breed, accepted the Wegie for championship competition in 1984. The breed attained CFA championship status in 1993. In the last 14 years, the Forest Cat has gained many fans in the United States for its charming personality and beautiful coat.
