[AnotherUnixGeek]

I was going to get a new cat and was looking for a large one. The largest I found was the Maine Coon Cat. Is that the largest?

Maine Coons are big and very natural looking cats - I think they're gorgeous and they're also very laid-back - not needy and clingy like a lot of cats. Also, apparently, prone to heart disease - my 3 yr old Maine Coon dropped dead one day, much to my family's distress and that of his sister, who spent a week meowing and looking for him.

[pbmaltzman]

my 3 yr old Maine Coon dropped dead one day, much to my family's distress and that of his sister, who spent a week meowing and looking for him.

I'm really sorry to hear about your Maine Coon; someday I would like to own one of them, when I have the money to buy a purebred.

There are some of them with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart)... but a reputable breeder should screen his/her cats for this and avoid breeding any who come down with this disease (even though that won't 100% eliminate it).