Any ideas on this long haired beauty?

[scarlettleia]

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• scarlettleia
• Jan 26, 2017

This is JBJB (Jean-Baptiste). He's our bestfriends little addition and our kittens non-resident friend. We've been wondering for a while what kind of breed mix he may be, as he was adopted at 6 months and the previous owners weren't sure.  . Does anyone have any ideas? 

We're seeing a bit of Maine coon in him, but I may be wrong. (He's 8 months and really quite large, and there are lots of Maine Coon and NFC in the area. Of course he's a mix, but we're just not sure what may be in him! 

 

[Kieka]

Do you have any photos of him standing? A side face profile? Maybe a closer face photo in better light? 

I actually would lean more towards Siberian without some better photos. It may completely just be the angle of the photos but I am seeing rounder ear tips without tufts and a rounder small face than I would expect with Maine Coon but that are more indicative of Siberian. But those could also be from cross breeding Maine Coon with something else. With some better pictures might be able to give a more solid guess one way or the other; but right this moment I think Siberian ancestor more than the better known Maine Coon.

See the below image (credit: ? showed up on google search but best example I saw) to see better what I am talking about (obviously these are pure and your boy is likely a few generations removed so some aspects don't pass down as well and mixing changes things):

 

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• Kieka
• Jan 26, 2017

Siberians are also a larger long/medium hair cat with the mane. Both are slow growing so you can expect your boy to likely have a longer kitten hood and continue to grow for several years (most growth in first 18 months and barely noticeable when you see them every day after that). 

 

[scarlettleia]

Siberians are also a larger long/medium hair cat with the mane. Both are slow growing so you can expect your boy to likely have a longer kitten hood and continue to grow for several years (most growth in first 18 months and barely noticeable when you see them every day after that). 

I managed to find a couple more pictures, don't know if they're any help! 

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• scarlettleia
• Jan 26, 2017

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• scarlettleia
• Jan 26, 2017

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• scarlettleia
• Jan 26, 2017

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• scarlettleia
• Jan 26, 2017

 

[Kieka]

The problem with the big three long hair breeds (Maine Coon, Siberian, Norwegian) is when it gets down to it you are looking for some pretty minor details of difference. When talking of a mix of unknown ancestry those differences can become muddled. Honestly, if you want to get into it, they are all naturally occurring older breeds from colder regions where the cats freely bred to create what people then took and refined specific traits. In general broad terms, Maine Coons are square faced, Siberians rounder, and Norwegian triangular. There are some size and coat differences too but they are less apparent without scale or side by side comparison. But the bottom line is all three are what you can expect a long haired cat from a colder climate to trend towards when humans don't interfere with breeding. Larger, tabby, long hair, and mane to protect/warm the neck area. 

Yours...... given your area has Maine Coons, statistics force us to say Maine Coon mix that the mixing rounded out the features. However, that face. I wouldn't be too surprised if it turned out there was Siberian ancestry in there instead of a Maine Coon with softened edges.