# Maine **** cats



## Troy McClure (Aug 3, 2005)

This past weekend I went to the CFA Cat Show in Cincinnati and was amazed at the number of Maine ***** that were showing. I had never seen one in person before but let's just say I was impressed and I'm seriously considering getting one. Does anybody here have one? What is his/her personality like? Any info on age, size, color pattern, etc is appreciated (so are pictures!) I'm also interested in how you got your Maine ****. I've contacted a few breeders but I think the price for kittens is somewhere in the neighborhood of $600. I'm more interested in shelter rescues or retired show cats that need a home.


----------



## orlando (Feb 14, 2007)

Hi Troy,
I work with every type of large cat known to man. The cat your looking at is a large cat and is known to sometimes be very moody. Cats that size can be hard to handle sometimes. But man are they cool, huge cats with very soft fur. Ill try to get you some pics if youd like. I work with lions, tigers,panthers,african wild,snow leopards,bobcats,cougars,leopards Ect. You name it we have it. Allong with hundreds of other animals.


----------



## frugalfish (Apr 20, 2005)

I have a cat that is half Maine ****, even so her looks and temperment etc. are very Maine ****. She has just turned 18 years of age and is still going very strong...her vet check up came out great! Her brother was a very large cat, weighed 17 pounds in his prime, which was a healthy weight she was around 12 pounds at prime and is now 8 pounds and steady. He passed away a few years ago due to Cardiomyopathy, which I was told is not totally uncommon with male *****. When young both their tails were like a skunks tail, very fluffy and always stood staight up in the air. Of course they had the white collars and the ears were tipped with fur. The males patterning was a beautiful tiger striping while the female is black and white. Probably the best thing about their personalities was/is how dog like they act. Always following me, easily trained, friendly, very athletic, and confident. Funny thing is neither meowed much. Only audibles were squeakish and weak. Mine also liked to headbutt and most times it would hurt me pretty good and always surprised me that they didn't get hurt doing it. I've owned many different animals throughout my life, but these two cats have been by far my most special.


----------



## Ajax (Apr 3, 2006)

Yeah Maine ***** are definitely moody. You do things on THEIR terms, but most cats seem to be that way :lol: If you are looking for more of a people oriented cat, I would highly suggest an abyssinian. I have 2 now, and I would say they are by far the best cats I have ever been owned by. They are really cool looking too. The ruddy colored ones look like little mountain lions. I'll post some pics tonight when I get home.


----------



## Ajax (Apr 3, 2006)

frugalfish said:


> Mine also liked to headbutt and most times it would hurt me pretty good and always surprised me that they didn't get hurt doing it.


That's funny! My dominant male does that to me all the time. The ones that really catch me off guard are the ones right to the chin in the mornings when I'm still in bed. "Dad time to get outta bed, and FEED ME!" Talk about an alarm clock.


----------



## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I'm not sure if my Daniel is a Maine ****, but he is at least a Maine ****-type cat. I found him as a sick kitten in a local park and nobody claimed him so he became mine (or more accurately, I became his). He is a pewter grey with white spot on his chest (soft, plush fur), now almost 7 years old and about 15 pounds (down from a high of 17 pounds) and very attitudinal. 

He has this chirpy mew that he's not afraid to use to get me to do what he wants. Everything from imperial demands to polite pleas in an absurdly little voice. He always greats me at the door when I come home from work and likes to be nearby. He'll cuddle on occasion, but really only when he feels like it, though he'll tollerate me holding him when I feel like it. He just turns into a fur-covered back of jello and shifts his weight so I have to let him down, the little turkey. He'll also play fetch for a bit when he chooses. While he's not a hard head-butter, he does like to knead, especially my scalp when he thinks I've slept in too long and his breakfast is late. He enjoys stalking the neighbors beagle/poodle cross and expresses great disdain for any dog on the other side of a fence, as well as for my own 2 dogs. Not a timid cat at all, and a truly great personality. 

When he's upset with me (like I'm taking him inside and he wants to keep exploring the yard) he'll lash his tail and swear at me, but never uses his claws. If he feels too thwarted or out-of-sorts he might "hunt" one of my other cats, so I make sure they have plenty of escapes, especially ones that Daniel's too big to get into.

I've seen cats similar to him at the local humane society. If you don't care about knowing for certain about breed, you can get a wonderful companion from a shelter. Better yet, get an adult so you have a better idea about personality AND you can avoid the invincible, hellion stage - and boy was Daniel ever a hellion as a kitten. I don't know how we made it through, but we did and I'm very glad for it.


----------



## argblarg (Aug 10, 2006)

I have had my Maine **** for a little over a year after getting him from a breeder. At the breeder's house they had a room with just the males in it. When we walked in, this huge cat walked up to me, put its paws on my belt and stared at me waiting for a neck scratch. That was the grandpa to my cat, he weighs 28 lbs, the dad weighs 25 and skinny, so I am hoping for a big cat.

I'm worried he may be showing early signs of hip displaysia which is common for this breed. I will be taking him in for xrays here soon. That will be expensive in about 5 years I think.

If you get one, be prepared for everyone to tell you how they think their cat is at least half Maine ****. Someone told me this before I got one and man is it true.

Very playful, loves his toys obsessively, little chirp instead of a meow. Not much of a cuddle cat, likes to be in the same room with you but not being pet constantly.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r121/argblarg/catfish.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r121/argblarg/fish013.jpg


----------



## frugalfish (Apr 20, 2005)

argblarg...the pictures of your Maine **** are what my cat "Quarters" looked like. Love the huge "M" on the forehead. I wish my scanner hadn't died so I could post pictures of my big dude. I hear you on the bit about everyone thinking their cat is half Maine ****, only reason I knew mine were is I knew the parents. Same thing goes for people who think they have a big cat or have seen a big cat, after they see one of these they freak at the size. They also laugh at the tiny little voices that pop out of such a big animal.


----------



## Ajax (Apr 3, 2006)

Here's a couple of my boys.


----------



## Troy McClure (Aug 3, 2005)

Beautiful cats, folks!

Ajax - Where did you get those pictures taken? I swear I've seen some Maine **** show cats (grand champions, possibly) in that same setup with the red velvet and spot lighting. Very classy for cats! 

Argblarg - The cat in the second picture, the brown tabby and white, is beautiful! Definitely a lot of MC in that one...the tail is huge!

I am very concerned about hip dysplasia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Both sadly common in the breed. That's one of the reasons I'm interested in getting a rescue or retired show cat around 1-2 years of age. Usually they've been vet checked for those things by then. The other option is to buy a purebred from a breeder that does the DNA testing for the gene mutation that causes a form of HCM. I have contacted one breeder that does this but haven't heard back about pricing.

So far from what I observed from the cats I was around this weekend and what I've read, the MC sounds perfect for me. I want a cat that will be intelligent, affectionate, and playful but laid back. I want a companion, not a baby. If I can find a male in the "20lbs and lean" range, I'll be happy. It'll be strange having a quiet cat, though. Anybody that's ever owned a Siamese knows they'll talk up a storm, moreso than almost any other cat. My Siamese, Woo, and I would have long conversations...he'd just go on and on. They can be crabby and demanding, which is humerous. He doesn't do that so much anymore since I've moved out but he picks it right back up when I visit. I wish I could have brought him with me when I moved about, but splitting him from the other two seemed wrong. I gues if the MC can play fetch (and I've only played with one cat that would actually run down the hall, get the toy, bring it back and drop it at your feet then wait for you to throw it again,) I can overlook the lack of vocalization.


----------



## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

I have what the vet refers to as a 'part Maine ****'. He's 22 pounds, and a licker (loves to lick you). Friendly, though not a lap cat by any means.


----------



## argblarg (Aug 10, 2006)

On the HCM our breeder gave a several year warranty and I believe they hadn't had any cats in that bloodline show up with it so it was pretty safe for us. 

For fetch he does do that, but every cat I have ever had has picked up on it pretty quickly.


----------

