Thursday Thirteen

As some of you will know, my new fur baby is a Maine Coon. So today, I thought I would share 13 fun facts about these amazing cats.

1.The Maine Coon was originally the American wild cat, living mainly on farms where it was held in high esteem by farmers for its ability to catch vermin.

2.The Maine Coon's pride and joy is his tail. In fact he is often referred to as 'the tail with the cat on the end'.

3.The Maine Coon takes 3-4 years to finish growing.

4.Maine Coons are the clowns of the cat world, with a rather quiet but extrovert personality.

5.The Maine Coon is very well known for its loving nature and great intelligence. They are especially good with children and dogs and have always been a popular and sought after companion.

6.Maine Coons do not constantly pester you for attention, but prefer to "hang out" with their owners, investigating whatever activity you're involved in and "helping" when they can.

7.Maine Coons are relaxed and easy-going in just about everything they do. The males tend to be the clowns while the females retain more dignity, but both remain playful throughout their lives.

8.First recorded in cat literature in 1861 with a mention of a black and white cat named "Captain Jenks of the Horse Marines". Maine Coons were popular competitors at early cat shows in Boston and New York. A brown tabby female named "Cosie" won Best Cat at the 1895 Madison Square Garden Show.

9.Interestingly, the breed closest to the Maine Coon is the Norwegian Forest Cat which, although geographically distant, evolved in much the same climate, and lends credence to the theory that some of the cats responsible for developing the Maine Coon were brought over by the Vikings.

10.One folk tale about the Maine Coon involves Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, who was executed in 1793. The story goes that before her death, Marie Antoinette attempted to escape from France with the help of Captain Samuel Clough. She loaded Clough's ship with her most prized possessions, including six of her favorite Turkish Angora cats. Although Marie Antoinette did not make it to the United States, her pets safely reached the shores of Wiscasset, Maine, where they mated with a Norwegian Forest Cat and evolved into the modern breed of the Maine Coon.

11.Maine Coons have several physical adaptations for survival in harsh winter climates. Their dense water-resistant fur is longer and shaggier on their underside and rear for extra protection when they are walking or sitting on top of wet surfaces of snow or ice.

12.Many of the original Maine Coon cats that inhabited the New England area possessed a trait known as polydactylism (having one or more extra toes on the feet).

13.I have a blog devoted to jola, my Maine Coon. So if you love these cats as much as I do, then please take a look. http://jolathecat.blogspot.com/