Maine Coon Cat (Straight Dope Mailbag)

Straight Dope Science Advisory Board ^ | 29-Jun-1999 | SDSTAFF Jill

[SunkenCiv]

One of the oldest breeds of cats in North America is the Maine Coon Cat, and some say 40% of the originals had extra toes. One article said it evolved as a "snowshoe foot" to help these cats walk in the snow. Cute story, but probably [expletive deleted] ...The breed closest to the Maine Coon Cat is the Norwegian Forest Cat which evolved in the same climate and lends credence to one theory that ancestors of the Coon Cat may have even come to the New World onboard Viking ships. I like that theory best.

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

I thought I had a file about this, wound up finding the "Straight Dope" take on it.

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[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Straight Dope Science Advisory Board.....hadn't heard of them before!!!!

And extra toes for snow sshoes.... ok!

[SunkenCiv]

That article also mentions the Pixie-Bob, which is a cross between what we call the Bobcat around here (the Lynx; the Canadian Lynx is the long-legged version, genetically compatible with the American Lynx, of which the Pixie Bob sprang) and any old housecat. Someone living in the building where I work was "walking" one of these (not a Maine Coon Cat, a Pixie-Bob), had it on a leash anyway, and it was easily identifiable due to its feet. :'D

[SunkenCiv]

Just updating the GGG information, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 8/05/2004. Re-ping.

[Ditter]

We had several of these cats a few years ago. Beautiful nice pets.

[bert]

My neighbor had two or three cats with six toes

She called them Hemmingway cats. They looked like ordinary cats

[SunkenCiv]

Pixie-bobs (lynx-domestic cross) have big feet, generally with extra toes.

http://cats.about.com/od/felinegenetics/a/polydactyl.htm

[SunkenCiv]

And I’ve heard, they’re even smarter than regular cats. That kinda holds me back, I’d be fighting ‘em for the TV remote all the time.

[Ditter]

Ours didn’t seem smarter than other cats. Our biggest was Junior, a grey and black tabby. He wanted to go outside a lot and he was probably sleeping under a car and was injured and died. Charlie was orange and white, he lived to a ripe old age. The other one had a birth defect, something was wrong about the location of his liver and he died young.

[Texan5]

Thanks! I have a gray tabby Maine Coon I adopted from the shelter almost 9 years ago-he was a pet that had gotten lost-he was about 3-4 then, according to the vet. He is a big cat-weighs 22 pounds-has long fur and huge paws-but no extra toes...

[trisham]

Silver Norwegian Forest cat:

[Texan5]

My 3 cats-all shelter cats-do not go out-I live in BFE, by the woods where there are lots of rabbits, turkeys, deer-and predators. Getting lost in the woods, found and brought to the shelter is how my guys ended up there in the first place-and even a big cat like Yeti boy the Maine Coon is no match for a mountain lion, coyotes or a wild hog...

[Ditter]

My brother a veterinarian, said that outdoor cats “ live short violent lives” . I believe that is true and I wouldn’t have let Junior out except he insisted.

[SunkenCiv]

i *suspect* that there’s something in the cross with the lynx that makes the polydactyly; years ago a coworker spoke of an area where she grew up in Michigan (boy, I’m drawing a blank now, but it was probably 30 years ago this happened) and everyone’s cats were polydactyl. Something like that can creep in due to inbreeding and then stick around if its a dominant gene. I joked at that time that she should crossbreed the polydactyl cats with tailless Manx cats...

[grimalkin]

I have an 18 pound tuxedo Maine Coon cat named Jasper. He’s very dog-like in his behavior and he’s been with us for 16 years and is still going strong.

[trisham]

They’re incredibly beautiful cats, all.

[Ditter]

I don’t think our Maine Coons had and extra toe.

[submarinerswife]

My husband and I have been wanted one for 20 years and have no idea how to get one.

Are there breeders? I would love to know.