Maine Coon

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Maine Coon's lineage is surrounded by mystery and myths. One myth claims it is a hybrid with a raccoon or bobcat; another suggests descent from Viking ship's cats (Norwegian Forest cats); a third involves Marie Antoinette's Turkish Angora or Siberian cats, which supposedly arrived in Maine and bred with local short-haired cats. Scientific studies show the Maine Coon belongs to the Western European monophyletic cat branch, with its closest genetic relationship to random-bred cats in the Northeastern US and to cats from the United Kingdom. Its similarity to Siberian and Norwegian Forest cats is due to convergent evolution, not direct relatedness, as all three breeds developed thick coats and large bodies in harsh climates.

Reader's Guide

The Maine Coon was popular in late 19th-century cat shows, with a female named 'Cosey' winning Best in Show at the first North American cat show in New York City in 1895. Its popularity declined in the early 20th century after the introduction of other long-haired breeds like the Persian, and the breed was declared extinct in the 1950s, though this was considered premature. Revival efforts began with the Central Maine Cat Club in the early 1950s, which created the first written breed standards. After initial rejections, the breed gained provisional status from the CFA in 1975 and championship status in 1976. By 2024, the Maine Coon was the most popular cat breed in FIFe registries, comprising 24.7% of registered kittens, and in 2025 it became the most registered breed with the CFA. Its significance lies in its comeback from near-extinction to global popularity, representing a successful preservation of a regional landrace through selective breeding.

Did You Know?

• A female Maine Coon brown tabby named 'Cosey' won Best in Show at the first North American cat show at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 8 May 1895.
• In 2010, a male purebred Maine Coon named 'Stewie' was accepted by Guinness World Records as the 'Longest Cat', measuring 123 cm from nose to tail tip.
• The breed was declared extinct in the 1950s, though this declaration was considered exaggerated and reported prematurely.
• In FIFe's 2024 statistics, the Maine Coon ranked first as the most popular cat breed, comprising 24.7% of total registered kittens (23,775 cats).
• The Maine Coon's similarity to Siberian and Norwegian Forest cats is due to convergent evolution, not direct relatedness.

From Folklore to Phylogenetics

For generations, the Maine Coon's ancestry has been wrapped in folklore. Some tales cast the breed as a cross between a domestic cat and a raccoon or bobcat. Others trace its bloodline to Viking ship's cats that later became the Norwegian Forest cat. A romantic story holds that Marie Antoinette, fleeing France before her 1793 execution, entrusted six prized Turkish Angora or Siberian cats to Captain Samuel Clough; they supposedly landed in Wiscasset, Maine, and mated with local short-haired cats. Modern genetics has dismantled these narratives. Phylogenetic research places the Maine Coon within the Western European monophyletic cat branch, with its nearest relatives being random-bred cats in the New York region. The breed descends from cats carried to New England by Puritan settlers from the United Kingdom in the 1600s and 1700s. Its resemblance to the Siberian and Norwegian Forest cat is not shared ancestry but convergent evolution: natural selection in harsh northern climates independently favored thick double coats, ear and toe tufts, broad bodies, and large snowshoe-like paws. Since the nineteenth century, human selective breeding has pushed the breed's size beyond what natural pressures alone would produce.

Rise, Collapse, and the Long Road Back

The breed first appeared in print in 1861, and by the late 1860s, Maine farmers were holding 'Maine State Champion Coon Cat' contests at the Skowhegan Fair. The golden era arrived in 1895, when a dozen Maine Coons entered a Boston show and a brown tabby female named Cosey, owned by Mrs. Fred Brown, won the silver collar and 'Best in Show' at the first North American cat show at Madison Square Garden in New York. Then came the collapse. Imported long-haired breeds like the Persian arrived in the early 1900s, and the Maine Coon's show presence evaporated. The last recorded national win came in 1911 in Portland, Oregon, and by the 1950s the breed was so rare that some declared it extinct—a premature claim. Resurrection came through grassroots effort. Ethylin Whittemore, Alta Smith, and Ruby Dyer founded the Central Maine Cat Club in the early 1950s, holding shows for eleven years and drafting the first written breed standards. After the CFA denied provisional status three times, the Maine Coon Cat Club formed in 1973. Provisional CFA status came in May 1975, championship in May 1976, and in 1985 Maine made the breed its state cat.

The Gentle Giant: Anatomy of an Icon

Few breeds command the same blend of size, softness, and sociability as the Maine Coon, a title the cat world has long summarized as 'the gentle giant.' The breed is large and notably social, often described as possessing 'dog-like' characteristics that set it apart from the more aloof temperament of many other cats. Physically, the Maine Coon is a long- or medium-haired cat with a soft, silky double coat whose texture can shift depending on the individual's color. The fur is shorter across the head and shoulders, then lengthens over the stomach and flanks, and some individuals sport a full leonine ruff around the neck. Ear and toe tufts, a broad body, and large, snowshoe-like feet all trace back to the natural selection pressures of Maine's harsh winters. Despite the impressive coat length, the breed requires minimal grooming compared with other long-haired breeds. The double coat is largely self-maintaining, a practical advantage for a cat descended from one of the oldest landraces in North America and selectively bred for greater size since the nineteenth century.

From Near-Extinction to Global No. 1

The Maine Coon's journey from a near-vanished curiosity to the most registered cat in multiple global registries is one of the most dramatic comebacks in the feline world. After decades of obscurity, the breed is now pedigreed in every major cat registry worldwide and holds the distinction of being the official state cat of Maine, a title it received in 1985. The numbers tell the story of that resurgence. In FIFe's 2024 statistics, the Maine Coon ranked first among all registered breeds, accounting for 24.7 percent of total registered kittens—23,775 cats in a single year. The following year, it overtook the Ragdoll to become the most registered breed with the CFA, cementing its position as the most popular cat breed across multiple global registries. The breed's legacy is also preserved in small, tangible ways. Cosey's 1895 silver collar, won at the first North American cat show, is housed at the CFA Central Office in the Jean Baker Rose Memorial Library. And the first written breed standards, drafted by the Central Maine Cat Club in the 1950s, remain the foundation on which every modern Maine Coon registration is built.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

A common misconception is that the Maine Coon is a hybrid of a raccoon or bobcat, but no genetic evidence supports this. Another is that the breed is directly related to the Norwegian Forest Cat or Siberian cat; genetic studies show the similarity is due to convergent evolution, not shared ancestry. A third is that the Maine Coon was truly extinct in the 1950s, but this declaration is described as exaggerated and premature.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

The Maine Coon endures as a cultural and genetic touchstone—a living link to North America’s early domestic cats, shaped by natural selection in a harsh climate. Its legendary size, gentle temperament, and consistent popularity in global registries prove that a breed can thrive on both myth and measurable fact, appealing to those who value history as much as companionship.