The largest maine coon in the world

According to the classification of felinological organizations (professional international communities engaged in the standardization of domestic cat breeds), representatives of the Maine Coon breed occupy an honorable second place in size and weight, behind the primacy of the hybrid breed savannah. An additional reason for the pride of the owners of the Maine Coon are the record values ​​of the dimensions of their pets.

The name of this wonderful breed acquired from the state of Maine in the north-eastern United States. North American longhair or Maine Coon belongs to the breeds of aboriginal origin, that is, it appeared by natural crossing. According to one version, the Vikings' ships brought long-haired cats from Northern Europe, and in the forests of the American continent there lived short-haired, not yet domesticated wild cats.

Although there are other opinions about “grandparents”: maybe they were beautiful long-haired cats from Asia Minor, and maybe from France, because seafarers from different parts of the world kept their way to the American shores. The harsh climate of the lands of the East Coast of America with frost and deep snow contributed to the fact that the new species acquired luxurious fur with thick undercoat, strong muscular physique, powerful legs and an impressive size.

Currently, the number of breeds of domestic cats that have received official registration is nearing two hundred, plus there are about 700 of their subspecies. A purebred cat representative must meet strict standards adopted by felinologists and have a pedigree issued by the club.

Experts give the following description of this breed:

• body elongated, with developed muscles and a wide chest, straight back without sagging;
• powerful neck with a magnificent fur "collar";
• strong paws with rounded feet and thick wool between the pads;
• very fluffy long tail with flowing hair: thick at the base, it gradually tapers to the tip;
• large head with a square skull and pronounced cheekbones, broad bridge of the nose, forehead rounded, and the chin, nose and upper jaw should be in the same vertical plane;
• eyes are rather large, oval in shape, planted slightlyhave a pure color, in harmony with the overall color, but not directly dependent on it;
• the pride of these cats - ears that are furry and on the inside: large, triangular, set almost vertically, with a narrow tip, ending with a brush, although according to the standard, the presence of such “trot” marks is optional;
• An important distinguishing feature is the Maine Coon cover: waterproof, thick and soft down undercoat allows the animal to tolerate low temperatures, snow and high humidity; shiny shiny hair, shorter on the head and shoulders, noticeably lengthens to the back of the body, “flowing” along the tail, sides and “pants” of the legs; The guard coat also repels water, and the combination of two layers of wool creates the necessary thermoregulation.

Regarding color, the standards of different organizations of felinologists differ from each other in some nuances. The FiFe standard considers unacceptable: chocolate, purple hue and cinnamon (the color of cinnamon). But allows the presence of white patches: Flanks, markings on the face, “socks” on the paws, etc. In competing systems with FiFe, owners have different color requirements and regulate their preferences.

Surprisingly, it is precisely at Maine Coons that a mutation is often found - polydactyly (multipaw). Standard volumetric round legs at the same time become even wider. Historically, for Maine cats, this was an advantage in terms of movement in deep snow and hard crust. This gene is dominant, therefore representatives with “redundant” fingers appear with polydact parents with high probability. According to sea belief, such cats bring good luck in a dangerous voyage.

American felinologists allow similar cats to breed, and European organizations are more strictly. In general, there are two branches of the breed: the American and European. Coons from European nurseries are smaller, but their characteristics are more pronounced, including the famous tassels on the ears. “Americans” are more powerful, and their wool is thicker and longer.

The average weight of a domestic Maine Coon male is about 8 kg, numerous adult large specimens are pulled by 9-10 kg. Well and heavyweight record holders can weigh up to 15 kg. Females reach 8.5 kg. The champion title of the biggest cat in the world is constantly moving “from paws to paws”. It is accepted that the title of the world record holder and the largest Maine Coon is given for the length, not for the weight. Whereas in cats savanna to champions measure growth.

In May 2018, the world record was awarded to the cat Barivevel from Italy. Cat born in September 2016, on the time of registration in the Guinness Book he was not even two years old, and the length was already 120 cm. Beat the measurements of his predecessor from Scotland, Barivel became the pride of the small town of Vigevano, where everyone knows and loves him. Pet has an account in instagram, where the owners are photo essay of his serene life.

The curious world record for the largest tail belongs to Signus from Michigan. The furry tail of this cat is 44.66 cm long.

American 5 year old maine coon Stewie from Nevada It was rightly included in the Book of Records, and its 123 cm for a long time remained unsurpassed in length.

There are a lot of notes on the Internet about Australian pet Rupertwhich already in 3 years weighed more than 9 kg. Numerous photos on the hands of a proud hostess reflect his impressive dimensions.

According to the owners of the wonderful Maine Coon Lobsterwho also lives in Australia, his well-thought-out diet, with the inclusion of delicacy fresh kangaroo meat, caused excellent external data, 10 kg of weight already at one year old and 120 cm from nose to tip of tail.

The Maine Coons in Russia did not reach the record values ​​noted by the Guinness Book, like their foreign relatives, but we also have something to boast about. Moscow red cat Adam at 117 cm length weighed 13 kg. This handsome man had a personal website and many awards for an excellent exterior.

Russian cat named Unicum At the age of 2.5, he had a unique weight of 15 kg, which was consonant with the name. These data were noted at the exhibition in 2017.

Ukrainian pet Cupcake Marble color won more than 300 cups and the championship title, and its weight exceeded 12 kg. There was some confusion with the measurements of the length of the cat: first, data about 115 cm were announced, then information about 121 cm appeared, and this is already a serious application for a record.

Recently, the network appeared news about a huge cat from Melitopol (Ukraine): he bears the sonorous name of Walter de Lanes, and the terrific 20 kg weight declared at 2 years of age makes this home “lion” the biggest and heaviest cat in the world: its owner is going to set a record and press a competitor, who so far wears this title, but is far behind in weight. Walter is affectionate character, loves to play with children, with pleasure performs the basic "dog" commands. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find information about the length of this amazing Maine Coon.

The desire for the pet to make a stunning impression on others with its size is understandable. But the race for records should not be put at the forefront. Overfeeding a cat, trying to achieve an impressive weight is not only harmful, but also dangerous to his life. The cat is able to quickly gain heavy weight after castration, so you need to monitor the physical activity of such a Maine Coon. First of all, the animal should receive full care, love and affection.

The following factors influence the future size of the kitten:

• genetics and excellent pedigree - A purebred kitten with parents of impressive dimensions is also likely to be large;
• the number of kittens in the litter - if a kitten has many brothers and sisters, then, most likely, they will not grow into giants;
• good hormones, proper nutrition and general health of mom-cats;
• kitten floor - the male, of course, will reach greater length and weight than the cat;
• lifelong animal need balanced feed with vitamins and trace elements.

Beautiful fluffy giants Maine Coons have not only a bright appearance of attractive, but also a very good temper.

Communicating with such a cat will give a lot of pleasant moments, but if you manage to grow a unique giant, the title of record holder, fame and world-wide title will be an additional bonus for the owner.

The following video presents the record holder in the heavy weight of 2017 cat Unicum from Russia.