18 Perfect Photographs Of Maine Coons, The Largest Domesticated Cats In The World

Many imaginative stories exist about the origin of the breed (some more believable than others), but hard proof is as elusive as a cat at bath time. One story alleges that the breed is a raccoon/domestic cat hybrid, thus the name Maine Coon. Even though both raccoons and Maine Coons have lush, long tails and the tendency to dunk their food into their drinking water, such a union is biologically impossible. Another anecdote, unlikely but at least possible, holds that the Maine Coon was produced by bobcat/domestic cat trysts, which would explain the ear and toe tufts and the impressive size of the breed. A more imaginative story claims that Maine Coons are descendants of longhaired cats belonging to Marie Antoinette. The Queen's cats and other belongings were smuggled to America by a captain named Clough, who was preparing to rescue the Queen from her rendezvous with the guillotine. Unfortunately, the Queen lost her head, and the cats ended up staying with Clough in Maine. Last, but not least, is the tale of a sea captain named Coon who, in the 1700s, brought longhaired cats with him on his excursions to America's northeastern coast. Allegedly, these longhaired buccaneers mixed with the local population while on shore leave.