The Shaggy Cat

Written by Riviera Reporter

Thinking of taking a cat? Jeanne Oliver offers some advice

"The only problem with Maine Coons," said the breeder Jayne Adams, "is that once you have one, you won't want any other kind of cat ." She should know. She's been breeding them for 20 years and currently presides over the rustic Adamaine cattery at St Paul-en-Forêt. Visiting Adamaine is like entering a cat resort. A dozen or so creamy, smokey or silvery Maine Coons, lie around their spacious quarters like big furry pillows. An equal number of meltingly adorable kittens scamper busily around an immense cage. When a visitor approaches, they gaze up with large, expressive eyes that seem to be saying, "Take me! I'm yours!"

There's a lot of cat to love in a Maine Coon. Females weigh in at a reasonable four to six kilos but the males can tip the scales at a hefty nine or ten kilos - and none of it is flab. With big-boned, muscular bodies and shaggy coats Maine Coons have a wild look that is completely at odds with their sweet personalities. Highly people-oriented, these "gentle giants" are at home with dogs, kids, other cats and sometimes even press agents and popping flashbulbs. One of Adamaine's favourites, Reebok Rascal, was famous for prancing his way through cat shows with all the aplomb of a starlet at the Cannes film festival, and eventually became a European champion.

Long before Maine Coons became popular on the international show circuit, they were hard-working mouse-catchers in Maine. Their fluffy tails, furry ears, tufted paws and hairy bellies evolved to protect them from snowy, New England winters. Yet, their exact origins remain mysterious. Legend had it that they were the result of a (biologically impossible) union between a cat and a racoon, hence the name. Nearly as unlikely is the theory that they are the descendants of cats that Marie Antoinette sent to America just before her execution. Most breeders believe that there is a European connection though. European longhairs (Angoras? Norwegian Forest Cats?) probably travelled to America aboard ships and then mated with domestic shorthairs, producing America's oldest natural breed. Now, Maine Coons are one of the world's most popular breeds, second only to the Persian.

Naturally such classy cats come at a price, but maybe less than you thought. If you plan to make the cat show scene, you'll need a show-quality kitten with his pedigree papers which Adamaine sells for ?950. The difference between a show-quality and pet-quality kitten is usually imperceptible to the untrained eye however. If you just want a beautiful, loving pet, a pedigreed Maine Coon kitten without papers costs ?500. An older kitten costs less and, because of new French regulations limiting the number of cats in a cattery, Jayne has a few females that are available for adoption.

From Reporter 111 - Oct/Nov 2005

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