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#11
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On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 10:30:45 -0500, "Cathy Friedmann"
wrote: "Sherry " wrote in message ... I'm thinking of purchasing a Maine Coon and would appreciate any tips on care, grooming, indoors vs outdoors, etc., as well as caveats. The no.2 on my list is a Bengal, and so I would especially appreciate comparisons between the two in terms of personality, habits, and the like. For example, my impression is that the Maine Coon is not a jumper like the Bengal. Thanks Bruce Just my experience. Maine Coons aren't jumpers. In my limited experience (my parents' Maine Coon) I don't think they are jumpers, either. Maybe because they're so big/long that they can reach a lot by simply stretching? ;-) snipped Now. That said, and all pretentiousness aside, a "Maine Coon" is nothing more than an extra-large jumbo sized furry cat with a bushy tail. Wanna-be Maine Coons are in shelters everywhere. I second this. My parents' cat may well have not been a purebred Maine Coon - my father found him in their driveway, wandering around, when a tiny kitten. Otoh, all of his physical characteristics certainly matched those of a Maine Coon. Cathy Is the cat being used as a pillow by the Bengal a Maine Coon? http://frontpage.visi.com/~blink/images/Henry%20001.jpg Or this kitty? http://frontpage.visi.com/~blink/images/Henry%20005.jpg Nope. Mutts, both of 'em. At one point I'd heard it explained that the common type of mouser/ratter that was brought to the new world from overseas had most of these characteristics. It shows up very frequently in arbitrary DSH matings. Tiger (first cat above) had short-haired parents, one solid black the other tortoise-shell. Who knows who Henry's parents were. Maine Coon breeders have simply selected the nicest of these characteristics and bred for it, AFAIK. BLink |
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#13
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Sherry wrote:
Just my experience. Maine Coons aren't jumpers. The males are just big goofy love sucks really. They're very laid back and tend to bond to one person in particular. They are quiet, and don't meow much at all; they "trill" more. The coat maintenance varies from cat to cat; one of my grandcats has particularly oily fur and matts easily. The other one doesn't. But it's still not a big deal. Daily brushing takes care of it just fine. They thrive as indoor cats. As far as caveats, I really don't know any. They are delightful cats. I believe there are issues concerning hip dysplacia (sp?) and PKD, probably other genetic things common with that breed, you'd have to ask a breeder; I don't know much about that. Maine coons are known for sleeping in odd positions, like half on and half off an object, or twisted so that they look as though they fell off the furniture and just stayed the way they landed. Mine is not a jumper, but he had mild hipdysplasia such that he had some difficulty jumping higher than a chair until he was more than a year old. He had the habit very early of sitting up like a gopher to look around, probably because jumping was difficult, and instead of lying down normally, he tended to pick a spot and let himself fall over (with a "boom" on the old wood floors where we lived when he was young). In old age he finally started lying down normally, I guess letting himself fall over eventually became painful on old bones, even though we have carpeting. He likes to be in the room where the people are, but is too big to be comfortable in a lap. He prefers to either lie at our feet or on the puffy top of the couch above us. He also doesn't meow, he sort of bleats like a baby goat. His coat was never a problem until he was over 12, even though he would never tolerate more than a few strokes of brushing with any kind of brush or comb or shedding blade. But he became less active and got rather round when he was 12, which interfered with his own grooming of his lower half, and his hair became finer and somewhat frizzy. He likes to lay on damp grass in the warm weather, and the frizzy hair almost instantly mats when it gets wet. I do my best to work a flea comb under the bottom of the mat, so I can cut it off without catching any skin. -- jamie ) "There's a seeker born every minute." |
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By the way, my main coon (Hobbes) LOVES to lay on his back with his
legs hanging open. He does this all the time and loves it when I pet his stomach. He makes these cooing/snorting sounds when I do that indicating that he's in cat heaven. He also follows me around all the time which is so cute. |
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I would agree with the judge. They prefer to be next to you rather
than on you. I That must depend on the cat. Some of them like very much to be "on" their owners. :-) http://members.aol.com/jjrich0523/jamieorion2.jpg |
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