We're Beginning To Suspect That The New Cat May Have Some Maine Coon Heritage

[sargon]

We recently adopted a second cat from a rescue organization. She's a sweet cat, who is bonding well with my wife and me, eating drinking, eliminating,and scratching in good ways.

As we've had her we've noticed a lot of traits often associated with Maine coons, and wondered if maybe she isn't some sort of mix.

There are definitely physical traits: ear tufts, big solid paws which have extra fur on the underside, her neck ruff, her super bushy "'coon tail", and just the general wild look to her fur.

There are some behavioral traits, too: She seems to love her fountain with its running water, plays fetch, and,most fo all, she makes the cute trilling sounds Maine Coons are known for.

Anyyhow, a couple of pictures of her.

 

[abyeb]

She’s gorgeous! I would describe her as a dilute tortie Domestic Longhair. That’s The landrace cat breed. Maine Coons have a wider, more square head than your girl. But, if you’re curious, you could have her DNA tested to see if she has genetic similarities to any breeds.

 

[lutece]

I agree, she is gorgeous!

Her color might be dilute tortie, but I would actually guess dilute torbie, also known as blue patched tabby, since I think I see tabby markings in her blue patches, too. So I would describe her as a blue patched tabby domestic longhair.

I'm not seeing any particular indications of Maine Coon ancestry in these pictures. It's normal for domestic longhairs to have a full ruff and bushy tail. Behavioral traits such as fetching, being interested in water, and trilling sounds, are all common in domestic cats (and generally, behavioral traits are not a good indication of breed ancestry in random-bred cats). Most cats are not any particular breed, and are also not mixed with any specific breeds.

I'm not sure what you mean by ear tufts, do you mean the long hair in her ears? The characteristic ear tufts in Maine Coons, also referred to as "lynx tips," are at the tip of the ear. Maine Coons have been selectively bred for very large "lynx tips," but small lynx tips are also seen in domestic longhairs and also domestic shorthairs.

 

[sargon]

I agree, she is gorgeous!
The characteristic ear tufts in Maine Coons, also referred to as "lynx tips," are at the tip of the ear. .

Ah, it's a second set at the tips, okay. That's good to know.

 

[jefferd18]

Looking at that first photo, that was my guess too. I think her head looks exactly like a Main Coon Cat.

 

[lutece]

jefferd18 I'm not sure the cat in the picture you posted is actually a Maine Coon... in any case, it doesn't have characteristic Maine Coon facial features, so if it is a MC, it's not a typical one. The whisker pads are more tapered than a Maine Coon, the ears are smaller and set wider on the head. Maine Coons normally have a larger muzzle that is squared-off in shape, taller ears and a different expression. I'm not at home right now so I can't do a google image search to look for where that picture originally came from, but if it is a stock photo, it's common that stock photos are not categorized correctly.

 

[jefferd18]

jefferd18 I'm not sure the cat in the picture you posted is actually a Maine Coon... in any case, it doesn't have characteristic Maine Coon facial features, so if it is a MC, it's not a typical one. The whisker pads are more tapered than a Maine Coon, the ears are smaller and set wider on the head. Maine Coons normally have a larger muzzle that is squared-off in shape, taller ears and a different expression. I'm not at home right now so I can't do a google image search to look for where that picture originally came from, but if it is a stock photo, it's common that stock photos are not categorized correctly.

Fair enough, but in regards to this thread we are talking about a cat who may have some Main Coon in her.

 

[mightyboosh]

Maine Coon Oliver's mush for comparison.

 

[sivyaleah]

Maine Coon Luna for comparison (kitten). The ears on MC's are set extremely high, angular and large
Ear tips clearly present - boxy muzzle is also a feature of this breed

 

[sivyaleah]

jefferd18 I'm not sure the cat in the picture you posted is actually a Maine Coon... in any case, it doesn't have characteristic Maine Coon facial features, so if it is a MC, it's not a typical one. The whisker pads are more tapered than a Maine Coon, the ears are smaller and set wider on the head. Maine Coons normally have a larger muzzle that is squared-off in shape, taller ears and a different expression. I'm not at home right now so I can't do a google image search to look for where that picture originally came from, but if it is a stock photo, it's common that stock photos are not categorized correctly.

That's not a Maine Coon.

 

[jefferd18]

That's not a Maine Coon.

I think the OP said that this cat might have some Main Coon in her, with some being the operative word.