From: jhoskins@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (James M Hoskins)
Subject: Re: What kind of cats do I have?
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 16:31:41 GMT

In article <uPZJqB1w165w@ailanth.UUCP> ailsa%ailanth.uucp@wang.com (Ailsa N.T.
Murphy) writes:
>crystal@glia.biostr.washington.edu (Crystal) writes:
>
>>
>> Therefore, to refer to your cat as a Maine Coon, without the papers to
>> back up the  actual structure and pattern of the cat, you may have a
>> tabby Persian-like cat or an Angora-like cat that does NOT fit the
>> description of a Maine Coon.
>>
>>  And the Maine Coons were just Domestic Longhair household pets until
>>  someone gave them a name for show/breeding purposes.  Hence, my description
>>  still stands.  The cat is question is a Domestic Longhair household pet,
>>  NOT a Maine Coon, because only Maine Coons have papers.
>>
>> Sorry...but it took me a long time to understand this concept, too. And
>> knowing genetics helps (believe it or not).
>>
>
>the rest of the post was of interest, up to this point.  the maine coon cat wa
s
>NOT just a domestic longhair until the cat fancy deigned to name it.  coon cat
s
>haev been around for a long time here, much longer than snooty cat breeding
>societies.  a red squirrel does not requirte papers top be a red squirrel, or
>even to be CALLED a red squirrel, it just needs to look like a red squirrel.
>likewise a maine coon cat does nto need papers to be a maine coon cat.  papers
>are all very nice, especially for people who like to rook the public out of it
s
>pictures of dead presidents, but that's about it.  coon cats are the common
>type of cat in maine, and part coon cats are common as dirt.  WE, as in
>mainers, named the coon cats, not the silly cat appreciation society.  and the
>cat appreciation society has no jurasdiction to tell us what is and is not a
>coon cat.
>
>remember the norweigian forest cat, if you will...
>
>                                               -ailsa


I agree with ailsa's reaction to Crystal's above statement.  The Maine Coon
is a distinct breed which, historically, originated along the Maine coast.
All this occurred outside of the need some cat-lovers have had since the mid to
late 19th century to "paper and register" cats according to defined breed
standards.  The Maine Coon developed its distinctive qualities in
geographic isolation.  However, the state of Maine is not an island; over time
the Maine Coon cat has intermixed considerably with other cats.  Many domestic
longhairs have Maine Coon in their lineage.  If you read about the breed you
will discover that fact is often hard to separate from fiction with this cat,
and there does exist interesting mythology about the origin and nature of
the Maine Coon.  My feeling is, who cares "what" your cat is.  Any cat is
unusual, unique and beautiful; if your cat has Maine Coon characteristics call
it a Maine Coon if you want, call it a Domestic Longhair, the cat won't be
offended either way.

Maybe 10 years ago or so the Cat Fancier's Assn. (or whatever it's
called) gave official breed designation to the Maine Coon.  This worries me,
and I would ask ailsa or others to comment if there is basis to my worry:  I
fear that the endearing character qualities (curiosity, gentleness, humor) of
the Maine Coon will become a secondary consideration to the need to ever-more
exaggerate the physical characteristics which make the Maine Coon so visually
distinctive (little ear tufts, the furry flanks, the breastbone hair...).
Over time, didn't the Persian's face become more and more squashed in?

I hope that the Maine Coon Cat of the future will keep the bloodlines of the
hearty Maine cats that still roam around the barns and seaports of that
beautiful state.  I hope that breeders supplying a market of people wanting
the new in-vogue-cat will not irresponsibly manipulate the distinctive
features of these cats into some sort of exaggerated monstrosity that can be
officially papered and registered.


JH/Ohio State Univ./Horticulture