The largest Maine Coon in the world

According to the classification of felinological organizations (professional international communities involved in the standardization of domestic cat breeds), representatives of the Maine Coon breed occupy an honorable second place in size and weight, yielding primacy to the hybrid Savannah breed. An additional reason for the pride of Maine Coon owners is the record size of their pets.

This wonderful breed acquired its name from the state of Maine in the northeastern United States. The North American Longhair or Maine Coon belongs to the native breeds, that is, it appeared by natural crossing. According to one of the versions, the Viking ships brought cats with long hair from Northern Europe, and short-haired, not yet domesticated wild cats lived in the forests of the American mainland.

Although there are other opinions about the "progenitors": 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 frosts and deep snow contributed to the fact that the new species acquired luxurious fur with a thick undercoat, a strong muscular constitution, powerful legs and an impressive size.

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

Experts give the following description of this breed:

• elongated body, with well-developed muscles and a broad chest, straight back without sagging;
• powerful neck with a magnificent fur collar;
• strong paws with rounded feet and thick hair between the pads;
• very fluffy long tail with streaming hair: thick at the base, it gradually tapers towards the tip;
• large head with a square-shaped skull and pronounced cheekbones, a wide bridge of the nose, the forehead is rounded, and the chin, nose and upper jaw should be in the same vertical plane;
• the eyes are large enough, oval in shape, set slightly obliquely, have a pure color, in harmony with the general color, but not directly dependent on it;
• the pride of these cats - ears that are covered with hair and on the inside: large, triangular, set almost vertically, with a narrow tip ending in a tassel, although the standard does not require such "trot" markings;
• an important distinguishing feature is the Maine Coon cover: waterproof, dense and soft down undercoat allows the animal to tolerate low temperatures, snow and high humidity; lustrous abundant hair, shorter on the head and shoulders, noticeably lengthens towards the back of the body, “flowing down” along the tail, sides and “pants” of the paws; the outer 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 (cinnamon color). But it allows the presence of white blotches: shirt fronts, marks on the face, “socks” on the paws, etc. In systems competing with FiFe, owners have different color requirements and regulate their preferences.

Surprisingly, it is in Maine Coons that the mutation is often found - polydactyly (polydactyly).The standard, round, round feet become even wider. Historically, Maine cats have benefited from this in deep snow and hard crust conditions. This gene is dominant, therefore, representatives with "extra" fingers appear in polydactic parents with a high probability. According to maritime belief, such felines bring good luck on a dangerous voyage.

American felinologists allow such cats to be bred, and European organizations are more strict. In general, there are two sub-branches of the breed: American and European. Coons from European nurseries are smaller, but they have more pronounced characteristic features, including the famous tassels on the ears. "Americans" are more powerful, and their coat is thicker and longer.

The average weight of a domestic Maine Coon male is about 8 kg, numerous adult large specimens pull 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 largest cat in the world is constantly passing from paws to paws. It is accepted that the title of world record holder and the largest Maine Coon is given for length, not weight. Whereas in savannah cats, record holders are measured for height.

In May 2018, the world record was awarded to the cat Barivel from Italy. The cat was born in September 2016, on at the time of registration in the Guinness Book, he was not even two years old, and the length was already 120 cm... Beating the measurements of his predecessor from Scotland, Barivel has become the pride of the small town of Vigevano, where everyone knows and loves him. The pet has its own Instagram account, where the owners conduct a photo report of his serene life.

The curious world record for the largest tail is held by Signus of Michigan. The fluffy tail of this cat is 44.66 cm long.

American 5 year old Maine Coon Stewie from Nevada was rightfully included in the Book of Records, and its 123 cm long remained unsurpassed in length.

There are a lot of notes on the internet about the Australian pet Rupert, which already at 3 years old weighed more than 9 kg. Numerous photos in the hands of the proud hostess reflect its impressive dimensions.

According to the owners of the wonderful Maine Coon Omar, who also lives in Australia, his thoughtful diet, including delicious fresh kangaroo meat, has resulted in excellent appearance, 10 kg of weight already at the age of one year and 120 cm from nose to tip of tail.

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

Russian cat named Unicum at 2.5 years old, he had a unique weight consonant with the name of 15 kg. This data was noted at the exhibition in 2017.

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

Recently, there was news on the network about a huge cat from Melitopol (Ukraine): he bears the sonorous name of Walter de Lanes, and the stunning declared 20 kg of weight at 2 years of age makes this domestic "lion" the largest and heaviest cat in the world: its owner is going to set a record and push the competitor who still bears this title, but is far behind in terms of weight data.Walter is notable for his affectionate character, loves to play with children, and is happy to carry out the basic "dog" commands. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find information about the length of this amazing Maine Coon.

The desire for a pet to make a stunning impression on others with its size is quite 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 for his life. A cat is capable of quickly gaining heavy weight after castration, so you need to monitor the motor activity of such a Maine Coon. First of all, the animal should receive full care, love and affection.

The following factors affect the future size of a kitten:

• genetics and excellent pedigree - a purebred kitten with parents of impressive size will probably also be large;
• number of kittens in a litter - if the kitten has many brothers and sisters, then most likely they will not grow into giants;
• good hormonal background, proper nutrition and general health of the mother cat;
• kitten gender - the male, of course, will reach greater length and weight than the kitty;
• throughout the life of the animal a balanced feed is needed with vitamins and minerals.

Beautiful fluffy giants Maine Coons have not only a bright external attractiveness, but also a very kind disposition.

Communication with such a cat will give you many pleasant moments, but if you manage to grow a unique giant, then the title of the record holder, fame and the world-recognized title will become an additional bonus for the owner.

The following video presents the 2017 heavyweight champion cat Unicum from Russia.