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It's always crazy around here! The Maine Coons demanding their wet food!
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Spider the Tuxedo Maine Coon Cat!      Meet Spider the black and white Maine Coon. He is a year old and his parents are Jane and Roman. He looks like he is wearing a tuxedo! Tuxedo cats get their name from being mostly black with a white chest, as if they were wearing a little tuxedo. While this pattern is often associated with black and white cats, it can also apply to blue and white white. There are also red colored tuxedos and reverse tuxedos who are white on top and black on the bottom. This is a color pattern and not breed-specific. Tuxedos are called bicolor. Bicolors can also have different patterns as well. It's the white on them that gives the name. Other Bicolor patterns are harlequin which are random patches of black and white. Van-patterned will be mostly white with the top of their head and tail being another color. The gene for tuxedo cats' distinctive white spotting is dominant, so it only takes one parent with this gene to pass it on. This does mean however that two cats with no white spotting will never have tuxedo kittens. If the gene is present in a cat, it shows in its appearance. My Maine Coons love to play in their water bowls and this toy is just perfect for them. Click here to get yours today ⬇️ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNYFYkHg/ Skylar is having a blast with both paws in playing in the water! Arkham and Celeste enjoying the fun too! 💦 Our Maine Coons love to play in their water bowls and this toy is perfect for them! Click here to get yours today ⬇️ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNYFYkHg/ Cat Allergies; Are Maine Coon Cats Hypoallergenic?Cats are well-loved for a million different reasons. They’re not only adorable and loving. They also have proven wellness benefits for their owners and their families. Having a cat at home has given a great number of people a better quality of life. Cats have stress-relieving qualities and just simply makes their owners live a happier life overall. Even just petting your cat can already ease away some of the stress and make you feel better in a jiffy.
Just imagine having a charming Maine Coon cat at home with you. Maine Coon cats are loving and loyal cats. They enjoy spending a lot of time with their owner and just being nearby ready for snuggle. They have such playful personalities too. Playing with a Maine Coon cat can surely brighten up a gloomy day. Cat Allergies Unfortunately, despite these benefits there are people who couldn’t have cats even when they want to. It’s because they’re allergic to cats. For somebody who is aware of this condition beforehand, it’s not much of a problem. But there are people who find out about being allergic when they already have a cat that they love. It can be heartbreaking to decide whether to keep their beloved cat. Some people even choose to live with the symptoms and learn to manage it so that they wouldn’t have to let their cat go. What Causes Cat Allergies While some people may think that they are allergic to a cat’s fur, it’s not actually the fur that causes the reaction. Usually the allergens come from a cat’s dead skin called dander. It can also be from their salivary glands or urine. When the cat grooms, the proteins from their saliva get into contact with dander. Exposure to these allergens can cause an allergic person mild to severe symptoms and so, treatment will also vary. Symptoms and Treatment of Cat Allergies When exposed to allergens from cats, symptoms may vary depending on exposure and how allergic a person is. Some common symptoms are runny/stuffy nose, swollen red eyes, sneezing and wheezing, coughing, itchy throat, rashes on the face, neck and chest. It can also cause asthma for some people. As they say, prevention is better than cure. If allergic to cats, it will be good to avoid or at least lower exposure to the allergens. If there’s a cat in the house, thorough cleaning can help to ensure allergens like dander don’t collect in some areas. Wash hands right away after touching the cat. Restricting the cat from certain areas of the house like the bedroom of the allergic person can also be a good idea. Bathing and grooming the cat regularly can also help reduce the amount of allergens in the air. Are Maine coons hypoallergenic? Maine Coon cats are well loved by a lot of people. However, there is no indication that Maine Coon cats produce low levels of allergens too. With that, the simple answer is no, they are not hypoallergenic. If a person’s cat allergies is severe, it may be for the best to avoid owning a Maine Coon cat. Maine Coon cats have thick fur and some possibly shed a lot of it at certain times of the year. Are Maine Coons lap cats?For many cat owners out there, these "gentle giants", as we like to call them, are one of the preferred cat species to own. They are all about the cuddles, but are Maine Coon cats lap cats? Maine Coons are famous for their kind and loving characters. Some Maine Coons love laying on their owners lap, others don't. Statistically, only 30.4% of owners claim their Maine Coons are a lap cat, with the rest stating their cat prefers to lay beside, or nearby them. On occasion, some Maine Coons will enjoy cuddles on owners laps, though in general this cat breed isn't likely to be a regular lap cat. Whilst this particular cat breed will undoubtedly get close to their owners' hearts, they might show their affection in different ways other than sitting on a person's lap. Some Maine Coons are lap cats, whilst others aren't. Understandably, many potential owners would love to know for definite if the kitten they are buying will have a tendency towards being a lap cat, or not. However, unless you are a clairvoyant, this simply isn't possible to know in the beginning. With time, love and affection though, you will soon discover your own Maine Coons personal preferences on the matter. Despite being known as one of the friendliest cat species, Maine Coons will not necessarily sit on their owner's lap. So the answer to 'are Maine Coon cats lap cats' is divided between both yes and no. They will almost certainly like to be near you, but depending upon your own individual Maine Coons personal preferences, they might not necessarily sit on your lap. What we can say with certainty, however, is that Maine Coons love the company of their human guardians, and may be tempted to rest in their laps from time to time.  Blue and white polydactyl male kitten at 4 weeks old. His parents are Wren and Roman. About Maine Coon PolydactylsEveryone loves a polydactyl cat! They are so unique and endearing! Did you know that early in the breed's development, Maine Coons were often polydactyls? Because of this, there is a common belief that there is still a connection between polydactyl cats and this breed. When breeding a polydactyl Maine Coon to a regular Maine Coon, 40 to 50 percent of the kittens will be polydactyl. A polydactyl Maine coon is a Maine Coon in every characteristic and with extra toes. This word means multi-toed, and the extra-large paws are nick-named double-paws, because the paws are usually double-wide in size. They can walk through snow more easily, hence another nick-name of snowshoe cat; but most often though, they are simply called polys. A natural anomaly, the polydactyl dominate gene in Maine Coons is a simple autosomal, meaning not linked to a dominate gene. The Pd gene is a harmless genetic trait that is not to be associated with other anomalies. Because of this, you must have a polydactyl parent to have a polydactyl kitten. There are no documented ill effects of the polydactyl gene in the Maine Coon cat. Much scientific research data collected has suggested that the polydactyl Maine Coon is a more preferred trait in the working breed for health and vigor. Many non-polydactyl Maine Coons have a polydactyl member of their genetic lines in their pedigrees, and breeding these polydactyl cats is still fully accepted and recognized as purebred worldwide. They can be registered with any official cat association. When looking over a Pedigree, you can see all the polydactyl Maine Coons in the pedigree because they will have a P. somewhere in the name. Why Aren't Most Maine Coons Polydactyls? Good question! This trait is not allowed in “show cats” so it is not common. Many breeders participate in showing their cats. That's a big part of what it's all about! It is unfortunate that a magnificent feline would be denied the chance to become a champion just because this trait is deemed a "fault." Because of this, there are groups and organizations with an eye to bringing Polydactyl cats back into the show ring. There are breeders who specialize in polydactyl Maine Coon cat and kittens. They are fully registered, pedigreed, purebred cats. Every bit a Maine Coon – plus some (extra toes, that is)! So there you have it, the polydactyl cat is a healthy, hearty, and endearing cat! You want one, now, right? The History of the Polydactyl Maine Coon Maine Coons come from Maine and polydactyl Maine Coons most especially show their Maine heritage visibly in their extra-wide, multi-toed paws. Descended from cats that hardy seafaring people chose, our present-day polydactyl Maine Coons are a direct visible genetic link to the beautiful heritage of maritime family life. A polydactyl Maine Coon from a Kennebec River town or village has living visible proof of its original native Maine heritage. This heritage goes back through the generations of kittens possibly 300 years or more, to the earliest Maine cats, when the polydactyl gene became intertwined with and irrevocably part of the original Maine Coon. Purified by centuries of natural selection, polydactyl Maine Coons embody the most distinct and visible proof possible of the long and esteemed heritage of this native Maine Coon breed. A polydactyl Maine coon is a Maine Coon in every characteristic and with extra toes. This word means multi-toed, and the extra-large paws are nick-named double-paws, because the paws are usually double-wide in size. They can walk through snow more easily, hence another nick-name of snowshoe cat; but most often though, they are simply called polys. The history of Maine's polydactyl Maine Coon tugs and whispers from the porches of stately sea captains homes and from memories of old ships and schooners; one wonders, how did the double-pawed cats get here? The visible heritage embodied in a polydactyl Maine Coon stems from the olden days of Maine, when hardy self-reliant families sailed and settled along the shores. The distinctly unique Maine coastal environment favored the origins of this breed. The byways, sloping shoresides, and deeper coves were launching ways for locally built schooners and other vessels. Salt-water farms lined the shores where we have forgotten now, that everyday people did business by sail with canvas and masts and wind, not trucks and gasoline. The highways of yore were the rivers and the sea. Maine has excellent deep and navigable rivers. The Kennebec River, for example, is famous for the number of vessels built and launched from its shores. The talented Maine maritime families and the vastness of the trade they dealt in are the real reason it is the Maine Coon Cat. This breed was developed in the Maine coastal regions specifically as a result of ship cats coming home to families who prized them for their usefulness aboard ship as well as on the farm and around the wharves. The years following the Revolutionary War were likely the heyday of the Maine Cats development, as the state was known for its bustling shipyards. Downeasters sailed with wheat world-wide, clippers sailed to China and back, but mostly the trusty schooners carried vital local maritime cargoes; as hundreds of various Maine-built vessels were launched every year from riverside shipyards. Cats were just as common at working waterfronts as dories, and are still to be found living free at the working waterfront area of Portland Harbor, for example. When Kennebec cargo schooners sailed to Boston and back with lumber, bricks and supplies, cats were simply on board to control rodents, and for pleasure. Boston Harbor has been scientifically designated the arrival point in this country of the polydactyl cat, and location of the first polydactyls in America. It was an easy matter for the cute poly cats to be accepted aboard the Maine-bound vessels, for luck as well as something new to share with family at home. The Boston wharfside poly cats and Maine-bound schooner cats mingled as they pleased. In this manner, the poly gene was introduced into the isolated early Maine Coon gene pool; protected as it were, by villages united only by sea or horse-drawn wagon. The early Maine Cats were able to breed pure and without dilution, and the polydactyl gene became intertwined with the other characteristics, back in the chill coastal and riverside locations, where the pure strain of Maine Coon was developed. Long-coated, rugged bodied Maine Coons naturally developed for survival, as a working cat that people treasured, and their adaptation to the cold winters and chilly ocean air resulted in eventual recognition as a legendary distinct breed. The poly Maine Coon is more adept, and often smarter, because of the increased ability that the shape of their paws gives them. Their larger paws enabled them to survive in conditions requiring them to catch their own food. Some of them always survived and to this day the dominant gene, polydactylism, continues to be present in a certain percentage of native Maine Coons. Being still visible, it is likely present in the same percentages now as in the earlier times. It can be estimated rather accurately from genetics rules that a constant minimum of 25% of early native Maine Coons would have been polydactyl, and perhaps more in some isolated locations and the many coastal islands. Thus the early Maine Cat developed into the traditional type and style still seen in todays moderate Maine Coons. These early Maine cats were known as 'Maine cats' or 'cooncat' in the mid-1800's (in a story by a celebrated Maine author of that period, whose cat named "Polly", grew up together with her.) Of course, normal-footed Maine Coon Cats developed concurrently, often as litter mates; and were the feline stars in the first CFA Cat Shows in the USA in the early 1900s.           Female and Male Maine CoonsMaine Coon cats have several nicknames that people have bestowed upon them in direct relation to their personality traits. They are called the “gentle giants” and the “dogs of the cat world”. They are very intelligent friendly cats. They are also very playful and curious. These large sized cats are outgoing and socialize well with both people and other animals. They are curious and love to interact with people and other pets. Maine Coon Size The male Maine Coon is larger than usually. The size of a full grown male Coon cat is typically 20-30 pounds, while the female averages between 10-15 pounds. The height of the male cat is 10-16 inches and be about 40 inches long. The female can stand at about 8-14 inches tall and be the same length as the male (these averages vary greatly). At the larger end of the spectrum a coon cat can easily measure 45 inches plus long and 30 lbs. Male Cats Most owners of Main Coons will agree that the males of the breed are far more outgoing than the females are. The males are larger and will go out of their way to entertain their human companions. They are comical and are typically the life of the party. The females are also quite outgoing but initially will seem a bit “cat-like” and aloof to strangers. The males are more free-wheeling and looking for a good time with everyone, friends and strangers alike are potential playmates for them. Female Cats The female Coon cats are nice to be around. They are also outgoing, once they get to know you. They are highly intelligent and playful. Both the males and the females have been described as being docile and easy to train. Both Genders They are both considered excellent “mousers”. They like to hunt and spend time being enticed to chase so it is very important that they have toys available. They are not aggressive with children or other cats, but they can certainly hold their own in an argument so it is always best to introduce them to a new cat with supervision. They are very accepting of new circumstances. If you come across a Maine Coon that is not friendly or seems to feel a bit nervous they are very likely coming from a bad situation–that’s how rare it is to find one that does not want to make friends. They are referred to as the dogs of the cat world because their size is that of a dog AND because they display dog-like traits when it comes to loyalty to their family. They will accept the whole family as their own but will be especially loyal to the person that cares for them. Overall this is a great breed that is simply a joy to be around. *Note- Each one is unique with their own personality just like children.  |
AuthorI'm Crystal Rhine, owner of Wildcat Creek Cattery LLC. Follow along to watch cute videos, see testimonies, cute pictures and Maine Coon information! 
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