The biggest 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 superiority to the hybrid savannah breed. An additional reason for the pride of Maine Coon owners are the record values ​​of the dimensions of their pets.

This remarkable breed got its name from the state of Maine in the northeastern United States. North American Longhair or Maine Coon belongs to the breeds of indigenous origin, that is, appeared through natural crosses. According to one version, Viking ships brought cats with long hair from Northern Europe, and in the forests of the American continent there were short-haired, not yet domesticated wild cats.

Although there are other opinions about the "ancestors": maybe they were beautiful long-haired cats from Asia Minor, or maybe from France, because sailors from different parts of the world kept their way to the American shores. The harsh climate of the East Coast of America with frosts and deep snow contributed to the fact that luxurious fur with a thick undercoat, strong muscular physique, powerful legs and an impressive size took on a new look.

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.The thoroughbred feline representative must meet the strict standards adopted by the felinologists and have a pedigree issued by the club.

Experts give the following description of this breed:

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

Surprisingly, it is in Maine Coons that a mutation is often found - polydactyly (multi-fingered). At the same time, standard voluminous round paws become even wider. Historically, for Maine cats this has been an advantage in the conditions of movement in deep snow and hard infusion. This gene is dominant, therefore, representatives with “extra” fingers in polyactic parents appear with high probability. According to sea legend, such cats bring good luck in dangerous swimming.

American felinologists allow these cats to be bred, and European organizations are more strict. In general, two sub-branches of the breed are distinguished: 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 large adult specimens are pulled by 9-10 kg. Well and for heavyweight champions, body weight can reach up to 15 kg. Females reach 8.5 kg. The championship title of the largest cat in the world is constantly moving “from paws to paws”. It is accepted that the title of world champion and the largest Maine Coon are given for length, not weight. Whereas in savannah cats, champions measure growth.

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

The curious world record of the largest tail belongs to Signus from Michigan. The furry tail of this cat is 44.66 cm long.

American 5 year old Maine Coon Stewie from Nevada It was rightfully included in the Book of Records, and its 123 cm long remained an unsurpassed 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 a proud hostess reflect its impressive dimensions.

According to the owners of the wonderful Maine Coon Omar, who also lives in Australia, his thoughtful diet, with the inclusion of delicious fresh kangaroo meat, caused excellent external data, 10 kg of weight already at one year old and 120 cm from nose to tip of tail.

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

Russian cat nicknamed Unicum at 2.5 years old he had a consonant with the name unique weight of 15 kg. These data were noted at the exhibition in 2017.

Ukrainian Pet Cupcake marble color won more than 300 cups and the championship title, and its weight exceeded 12 kg. There was some kind of confusion with the measurements of the length of the cat: at first, data on 115 cm were announced, then information on 121 cm appeared, and this is a serious application for a record.

Recently, the network has news about a huge cat from Melitopol (Ukraine): he bears the sonorous name of Walter de Lanesand the stunning declared 20 kg of weight at the age of 2 makes this domestic “lion” the largest and heaviest cat in the world: its mistress is going to fix a record and squeeze out a competitor who still holds this title, but is much behind in weight data. Walter is distinguished by his affectionate character, loves to play with children, and gladly fulfills the main “dog” teams. Unfortunately, no information was found on the length of this amazing Maine Coon.

The desire for a pet to make a stunning impression on others with its size is understandable. But the race for records should not be paramount. Overfeeding the cat, trying to achieve an impressive weight is not only harmful, but also dangerous for his life. The cat is able to quickly gain 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 future factors are influenced by the following factors:

• genetics and excellent pedigree - a purebred kitten with parents of impressive dimensions will probably also be large;
• the number of kittens in the 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 mom cats;
• kitten gender - the male, of course, will reach a greater length and weight than the cat;
• throughout life to the animal balanced feed is needed with vitamins and minerals.

The beautiful fluffy giants of Maine Coon possess not only a bright external attractiveness, but also a very kind disposition.

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

The next video presents the 2017 Unicum cat heavyweight champion of Russia.