The name stuck. In 1985, the Maine Coon Cat was designated the Maine State cat by act of legislature. Maine is still a source of lovely, pure, unregistered Maine Coon Cats. They may never see a cat show or registration slip, but are valued and appreciated for their unique quality. Maine Coon Cat is extremely rare and hard to find today.
Few breeders exist who breed or have bred Maine-origin Maine cats exclusively.
The breed itself is barely beyond its infancy because the registered genetic base is notably very small. The Maine Coon Cat is truly the every day cat of New England. Many still do barn-duty and many more are ordinary house pets. Through the efforts of a dedicated group of breeders in the '60's, the Maine Coon Cat has found its way back to the fancy show halls, since its heyday in the earliest cat show of America in 1895. Family farms have virtually disappeared from existence, but the now quiet field fields are quiescent.