It seems strange that there was ever a time when cats were not a part of our lives. It's been less that 10,000 years since cats swaggered into our lives. Hardly an eye blinks in the grand sweep of life on this planet. Why were cats so late to join our team? The simple answer is they didn't need us to survive. Cats were surviving just fine on their own. Then, people invented agriculture. Agriculture resulted in large scale storage of grains which attracted the usual and well know group of freeloaders, mice and rats. Grain attracted rodents. Rodents attracted cats who consider them tasty meals. The result was that cats set up housekeeping close to human settlements. Eventually, cats being cats, moved right on in.

            Who were these first cats? The first clue lies in where agriculture was first practiced. Agriculture first took root (no pun intended) in the Middle East in a great sweep from modern day Turkey to Egypt. Within this area ranges the African wild cat, Felis libyca. African wild cats are slightly larger that our modern house cats and are yellow in color with muted stripes. These cats have a docile, almost laid back nature. Interestingly, these cats still tend to live and hunt near human dwellings today. Locals still like to catch and rear young wild cats as pets. When mature, wild cats raised by humans tend to behave very much like our familiar housecats. A very good case can (and has) been advanced designating Felis libyca as the principal founding population for domestic cats. At least two other varieties of wild cat are speculated to have contributed to the genetic make up of domestic cats. One is Felis silvestris, The European wildcat who appears to have contributed darker markings and a peppery spirit to the African wild cat base. Also, from Asia, comes the Pallas or Steppe cat (Felis manul) that appears to have contributed long-haired coats to the mix.

            The early period of domestication of cats is vague with only patches of evidence. However, by 6,000 B.C. statues found in Anatolia (modern Turkey) show women playing with domestic cats. Cats had clearly become common and affectionate pets by that time. The earliest written records about cats appear by approximately 4,000 B.C. in Egypt where they were frequently kept to hunt mice and rats from stored grains. It was a good time to be a cat in ancient Egypt. Domestic cats were thought to be the embodiment of the goddess Bast (or Bastet). There was a necropolis at her principal temple at Bubastis that contained mummified cats.

            Romans spread the domestic cat northward into central Europe and westward to Britain during the expansion of their empire. Cats were quickly adopted and admired as great hunters.  And they continued to move north and east in Europe.  The Vikings used cats as both rodent hunters and pets. The Viking goddess of love and war, Freyja, was associated with cats. Huge winged cats drew her chariot. It also became the custom to give new brides a kitten in her name.

            The Middle Ages it were a very bad time to be a cat. Cats were said to be witches familiars, in league with the devil. Because of this superstition, cats were routinely killed during festivals. Sometimes they were even burned alive or thrown off tall buildings. The Europeans paid heavily for their cruelty to cats. The deaths of so many cats allowed the rodent population to rise out of control, bringing in the Black Death which killed so much of the European population. Eventually, the cats' cleanly ways and hunting prowess redeemed them in the eyes of the people of Europe. By the 1600s, people in France began putting little holes near the bottom of their doors to allow their cats to enter and leave as they please.

            In Asia cats continued to be familiar hunters and cherished pets. Cats were often subjects for drawing and painting in China. In Japan, cats in the form of Maneki Neko, usually portrayed as a sitting cat with one paw raised and bent, are considered good fortune. They are often found in businesses to draw in money.

            The history of cats is a fascinating one, worthy of much more in depth study. It fosters an appreciation for the personalities and talents of our pets.

            Cats are what are known as obligate carnivores. An obligate carnivore is one that must east meat. You cannot just turn her out to graze in a pasture. The digestive tract of cats has been shortened and optimized proteins from meat. They simply don't have the dental or digestive apparatus to process plant materials. It's therefore surprising, given their physical inability to process plants, that you will still find cats nibbling on plants from time to time. There are many theories for why cats would nibble plants. They may be trying to balance an upset digestion or add missing vitamins and minerals. Perhaps they simply like the taste. Maybe it's a combination of factors. The jury is still out on this matter.

            Fortunately these days, we don't have to go out and hunt for food to feed our cats. There are a large number of very good, nutritionally balanced foods available in pet stores to satisfy any cats' tastes. Try to feed good quality food. It really does make a difference in the health and appearance of your pet. Pick one that your cat likes and stick with it. Cats don't actually need a lot of variety. Changing their food constantly tends to just make them picky eaters.  

Nutritional requirements for your pet will vary by age and size. What she needs as a kitten will be very different than what she will need as an adult. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bag to avoid feeding too much or too little. The average adult cat will need about one cup of food a day. Cats appreciate consistency in their feeding schedules.  Try to feed them at the same time each day. Also, try to keep their bowls out of high traffic areas. It's hard to eat your dinner when people are stepping on you!

            Try not to feed your cat people food. Some things, such as chocolate and raw liver, are actually toxic to cats. Others cause digestive upset.  Remove the bones from any cooked meat you might want to give to your cat. Poultry and pork bones in particular are given to splintering and can injure your cat.

            When you need to switch from one type of food to the other, do so in a gradual process. Shifting gradually from one to the other over the course of a week will help prevent digestive upsets. You may need to switch foods because your store may stop carrying the brand you like or perhaps your kitten has grown old enough to graduate to adult food. Do the changeover slowly and your cat will thank you for it.

            Feeding treats is something for you to decide if you want to do it. Some people are dead set against them. Others lavish treats on their pets at every opportunity. There are many good cat treats on the market today. Read their directions carefully. You don't want to overindulge your cat and turn her into a furry beach ball with legs. The only other thing that a cat requires is water. Do your best to keep a nice fresh supply of water available for your pet. With a little thought and planning you can keep your pet healthy and happy for a long time to come.

           Cats are known as solitary animals. They don't hunt communally or share the spoils of a hunt. Sometimes cats with adjoining territories will get together for a pleasant evening grooming session, but on the whole they are not the most social creatures with others of their kind. This general wisdom does not always seem to hold up.

            My barn cats are a single family descended from a lone female who wandered onto our place one day and decided to stay. She and her children and grandchildren police the local rodent population. Their behavior doesn't always match the solitary hunter of common wisdom.

            The original female, Patch, used to like to take her kittens for daytrips around the area. I've watched her bring her little brood back from wherever they've been in the evenings. One evening I watched her stop and sit down near the edge of a small, lightly used road running next to our farm. Two of her kittens stopped next to her. As she turned her head one way and then the other, carefully looking for traffic, the kittens mimicked her actions. The only one who didn't was the little orange tiger who became distracted by a butterfly. Patch retrieved her wandering kitten and brought the whole family home. Walks are still a part of kitten lessons.

I recently watched Patch, her daughter and three of their kittens taking a walk around the boundaries of our farm. Patch and her daughter led the way. The two younger kittens were in the middle. The oldest kitten, not quite a year old brought up the rear. When one of the younger kittens stopped too long, he tried to move them along. If he couldn't then one of the mother cats would come back and get the little guy moving. I've wondered what this little jaunt was about. Possibly Patch was showing the newest members of her family where their territorial boundaries were?

            Some of the most interesting behavior I've seen regards family member who were injured. One of Patches' sons is a big burley black and white adult tom. A very handsome and friendly boy, he unfortunately has a talent for trouble. One day he came limping heavily into the yard wailing at the top of his lungs. His mother and sisters raced up to him as fast as they could. While he continued to cry, Patch began washing his face and ears while his sisters lay down over top of him. They stayed that way for some time while I called the vet. I'm happy to report that he recovered just fine with only a hitch in his giddy up to remember his adventure by.

 Another of Patches sons, a brown and white tom just under a year old, got into a fight with his eldest brother. During the fight his foot was injured and began to swell. I found him limping along on three legs the following morning. I brought him onto our porch where I could keep a close eye on him and he could recover without further injuring his foot. While he was recuperating, various members of the family perched outside the porch windows, keeping him company.

            These are just a few examples I've seen among my cats. Maybe they are unusual. I've certainly never seen cats act this way before. Or maybe, just maybe, cats aren't such social isolates as everyone's always thought!

            Are you looking to get a new cat soon? Great! You may want to consider a purebred cat. There are many breeds that can be found in this country, each with its own characteristic appearance and temperament and history. Think carefully about what you would characteristics you would like to see in your new companion. Perhaps you would care to consider:

The Persian

            A very ancient breed of cat, the Persian was first mentioned in hieroglyphs beginning at approximately 1684 B.C. The Persians' beginnings have long been lost to time. The Persian was so named for their ostensible country of origin, the great ancient empire of Persia which was located in around the modern country of Iran. The first known Persian cats to arrive in Europe were brought by an Italian traveler, Pietro Della Valle, in the 1600s. Persians became very popular throughout Europe. At the first modern cat show, held in 1871 in London at the Crystal Palace, Persians were a featured breed. The show at the Crystal Palace, and the others that followed, served only to increase the popularity of this already very popular breed. Queen Victoria herself adored blue Persians.

Persians are a wildly popular breed. They are, in fact, the most popular breed of cat on the planet. Their long flowing coats and sweet faces immediately endear them to so many people. Their personalities are gentle and affectionate. They are strong creatures of habit and are most comfortable in secure environments with regular routines, but with gentle support, they can adapt to a more lively environment if need be. Persians are soft spoken cats with pleasant and melodious voices that many people enjoy. Their expressive eyes charm people of all ages. Persians are built long and low with sturdy short legs. They are not big jumpers but do enjoy lounging in their favorite strategic locations. They can often be found beautifully draped on a sunny windowsill posing for sheer pleasure of it. Friendly cats, Persians will seek attention, but not demand it. Persians have long been a fixture in artwork. Their great beauty has earned them frequent roles in commercial advertising and in movies.

            Persians need to be kept indoors, away from dirt and burrs that could knot up those beautiful coats. Daily combing is a must to prevent snarled fur and hairballs. Those huge beautiful eyes do tend to do a bit of tearing. Washing a Persians' face daily will take care of tearing. A well bred Persian can be hearty and healthy. When properly cared for, Persians can live to be 15 years old.

The Persian is an extraordinarily beautiful breed and comes in an amazing variety of colors and patterns. The registry divides their colors into seven categories: solid color division, silver and gold division, shaded and smoke division, tabby division, particolor division, bicolor division and Himalayan division. Each color and pattern exquisitely beautiful.

            The Persian cat is an ancient breed whose winning ways continue to charm people to this day. They appear in a rainbow of colors and patterns, one of which is sure to catch your eye. Give the Persian cat a closer look. The Persian has long been a gentle, loving, loyal companion to many people over the years. This cat may be exactly what you are looking for in a new companion.

            Cats as familiars have a long and dark history in western mythology. These cats often found their way into literature. One of the most famous was Grimalkin, the witches' cat from Shakespeare's MacBeth. Cats as witch's companions are still a part of the popular symbology associated with the modern holiday of Halloween.

            What is a familiar? In western mythology a familiar was an animal companion given by the devil to a witch in order to help her with her evil magic. These familiars would have names just like any other pet. In the middle ages, if you were caught talking to your pet (like a lot of people do) you was considered to be consorting with the devil in speaking to w obviously your familiar. The Middle Ages were a very dark and violent period in Europe. Their alternative name "Dark Ages" should come as no surprise. Learning was confined to clergy and nobility. The general population was therefore quite ignorant and prone to superstition.

A familiar could be any type of animal such as a toad, dog or cat. Black cats became the traditionally cited companion and hence cats became particularly reviled. In 1233 Pope Gregory IX wrote in his Papal Bull "Vox in Rama" actually denounced black cats as satanic. The Popes' proclamation began the persecution of cats all over Europe. Thousands and thousands of cats were burned alive in the attempt to drive out the evil Satan. Wild tales of these cats shape shifting into other creatures were common among the populace and justified these terrible acts in their minds. When the power of the Knights Templar was broken, some of the knights were said to have confessed to worshipping cats. As these so-called confessions were given under extreme torture, they would seem to speak more to the attitudes of their inquisitors than to anything the Templars themselves had actually done.

            Why black cats were in particular singled out? There are a couple of legends that might explain this singular revulsion. In the first legend, so the story goes, is that cats that were born at the end of blackberry season were called blackberry cats. According to this legend, the end of blackberry season coincides with the expulsion of Satan from heaven. When he fell he landed on a blackberry bush which he defiled with his urine and spit. Thus, blackberry cats, especially black ones are associated with the devil in this tale.  The second tale comes from Italy. The Italian witches, called streghe, tell a legend about Diana who is goddess of the moon and also called "Queen of the Witches". Her brother who was known in ancient times as Apollo, is renamed Lucifer (Light Bearer) in this tale. Supposedly, Diana wanted to have a son by Lucifer, so she attempted to trick him by taking the shape of a black cat.

            As you can see, these stories were pretty wild, and yet the people of those dark times took them as the gospel truth. The irony of this superstitious hysteria against cats was that by destroying the cats the Europeans nearly destroyed themselves. Cats had been used for centuries to keep down the population of vermin, especially mice and rats. When their predators were destroyed, the vermin population exploded. They ate large amounts of grain that had been meant for human consumption resulting in widespread hunger among the people.  Even worse than the hunger was that the enormous numbers of rats became disease carriers. The worst of these diseases was the bubonic plague, otherwise known as the Black Death. The Plagues of the Middle Ages are terrible instance of the repercussions that can befall humans due to misplaced zeal.

           Why should dogs have all the fun? Many indoor cats would love to go outside and enjoy the sun but it is often far too dangerous to let them simply wander about as they please. Busy roads, large dogs and careless people are hazards many of us don't want our cats exposed to. So why not teach him to walk on a leash?

            But cats don't walk on leashes! That's the sentiment many people have when the idea is first introduced. It's true that some cats will absolutely have nothing to do with the whole business. They apparently think it is entirely beneath them to be seen out of doors on a leash. What would the neighbors think! Fortunately, there are other cats willing to entertain the idea and some who actually come to like their walks. There really isn't any way of knowing which way your cat will turn out unless you try. Let's get started.

            The first thing you will need is a properly fitting harness and a light weight leash. It doesn't need to be fancy, just sturdy and well made. Trying to teach your cat with only a collar is not a good idea. Pressure around their necks seems to make some cats freeze. You want to teach him to move forward, not lock in place. The second thing you will need is a bag of treats. Preferably something he really likes but doesn't often get. The third thing you will need is lots and lots of patience.

            Begin training inside your home. Do not take him outside until he is walking freely and comfortably along with you on his leash. Place the harness on your cat and let him get accustomed to it. If your cat is particularly timid, you might want to leave the harness where he can investigate it and get used to seeing it first before you put it on him. Leave the harness on him for ten to fifteen minutes a day for the first few days. After that the period can be raised to fifteen to twenty minutes. Give him one or two treats during the time he is wearing the harness so that he associates it with good things. When he is fully comfortable with the harness, add the leash in the same manner, allowing him to drag it around for a slowly increasing period over several days. Don't forget the treats.

            By now, your cat is comfortable wearing both harness and leash. Pick up the end of the leash and just hold it. Don't try to lead him anywhere. Follow him around if he moves. Do this exercise for a few minutes a day until he is comfortable with it. Now comes the big step, teaching him to follow where you lead. Place your cat to your left side, your leash should be in your left hand. Let your arm hang relaxed at your side. Take a treat in your right hand. Turn toward your cat and show him the treat. Now take a couple of step forward, continuing to show the treat. If he follows you, take a couple of more steps. If he follows to your new position, give him his treat and praise. If he is reluctant to move forward, place the treat closer to him. Praise him if he takes a step forward and give him the treat. If he doesn't want to move forward no matter what you do, don't drag him. Pick him up and take him somewhere else to take his harness off. Do not give him a treat since he didn't do as you asked. Here is where patience comes in. Keep repeating the lesson every day, asking him to move farther each time.

            When your cat is walking freely on leash with you all over the house, take him into your back yard and walk him around in it. If he freezes and refuses to move, don't panic. Reassure him he is safe and take him back inside. Try again tomorrow. If he tries to take off on his own you can easily check him with your leash. Once he is comfortable in the yard you can start taking him farther. Before long you will be able to take nice walks wherever you choose.

            Cats as deities are most closely associated with ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians had several feline gods and goddesses. Lions were said to guard the great god Ra during his nightly journey through the underworld. The Egyptians had a fascination with lions. They created their sphinx with the body of a lion and the head of Pharaoh. Three lion goddesses existed in ancient Egypt. Sekhmet was a fierce and powerful goddess. She was a war goddess who was sent by her father Ra to earth to destroy his enemies. She is usually depicted as a woman with the head of a lion. Another lion headed goddess was Tefnut whose name means moisture. She represented a primeval force of nature. The third lion goddess was Mafdet who was the goddess of protection.

            Among her fierce sisters, gentle Bast may seem a bit out of place. Often shown as a graceful cat wearing bracelets a broad collar and earrings, Bast was the protectress of domestic cats and those who cared for them. Her principle gifts to the world were joy and pleasure. She was a much beloved household deity. Her principle temple was at Bubastis and was said to be one of the most beautiful and popular in all of Egypt. She had a secondary seat in Memphis as well. There is some evidence to believe that the ancient Egyptians believed that Bast and Sekhmet were actually two faces of the same divine force. Sekhmet representing the violent aspect of the divine, and Bast, the gentler qualities.

            Egyptian children were often consecrated to Bastand placed under her protection. Bast was considered a divine mother and was sometimes depicted with kittens. When a woman in ancient Egypt wanted to have children, she would often wear a bracelet or a necklace depicting the goddess Bast with kittens. The number of kittens shown with the goddess represented the number of children desired by the woman.  Ancient Egyptians seemed to consider cats to be the height of beauty. The styles of makeup they used, especially around the eyes, tended to give them a feline look.

Cats were so highly regarded by the ancient Egyptians that the penalty for killing one was death. When a family cat died of accident or old age, its' human family would go into mourning. They would shave their eyebrows off to show their grief. Cats were often mummified.  One royal cat was buried in a marble coffin. The hieroglyphs on her coffin referred to her as "Lady Cat".

            Bast was said to be the wife of the god Ptah. Ptah was the creator god of the universe. Ptah and Bast were said to have had a son, the fierce lion god Maahes. Maahes originated as a Nubian god. During the New Kingdom, his worship moved northward where he was incorporated into the Egyptian pantheon as the son of Bast and Ptah. On becoming a divine mother, Bast became associated with the protectress of Lower Egypt, Wadjet. They became linked as Wadjet-Bast. A similar association was created in the Upper Kingdom By the combination of Sekhmet and the Upper Kingdom protectress Nekhbet.

            The constantly changing nature of Egyptian religion can be rather confusing. They had an inclusive attitude towards other gods and religions. The ancient Egyptians freely adapted and adopted these others into their own cosmology. This attitude makes it difficult for modern readers to understand. Most of us have been raised in religions whose nature is highly exclusive. With an exclusive religion, outside influences are rejected or even actively repelled. The Egyptians, as demonstrated by the story of Bast and Maahes, had a very different way at looking at religion.

            Ah yes, everyone's favorite pet chore. One day you clean your cats' box and discover little white chunks of what appear to be cooked spaghetti lodged in the feces, that is, until one starts to move. You know then that it's time to deworm your cats. If your veterinarian says that your cat doesn't have anything particularly tough or nasty then he or she may recommend a regular schedule using commercial dewormers that can be found readily in any pet store. Your veterinarian even may have a good general purpose dewormer on hand for your use. Fortunately, there is a wide range of deworming medicines available on the market. Most are liquid or pill form.

            If you have only one cat, your task is relatively simple. Choose a dewormer that your cat will find acceptable if not palatable. Many liquid dewormers claim to be very tasty to cats. Unfortunately, many cats would vigorously disagree with that assessment. In such a case, if you have access to a pill form of dewormer that your cat is willing to swallow, you're in luck. If your cat won't swallow pills without major mayhem breaking out and turns his nose up at every liquid dewormer you try, then you have a problem. If you have more than one cat, it can become even more of an issue. If your cats will happily take whatever you offer, then the only thing you have to worry about is keeping the greedy guts from getting more than they should.  But, If each of them has a different idea as to what is acceptable (or not) for deworming medicine, then you have a major headache.

            Rather than cater to each cats whims and maintain a veterinary pharmacy worth of dewormers in your house or routinely running your finicky feline into the veterinarian every to he needs deworming, you might try a different route. You will need a liquid deworming medicine and a syringe. Syringes are readily available in the livestock medication section of farm supply stores. You only need the section with the barrel and plunger. No needles are needed or should even be used. Syringes in farm supply stores usually offer the two sections separately. Select one of smaller size. Your cat won't need large amounts of medicine at any one time.

            Measure out the proper amount of dewormer for your cat into a measuring cup. A measuring cup usually comes in the package with a liquid dewormer. Take one of your syringes and place the open end (where the needle would normally attach) into the measuring cup and draw the medicine up into the barrel by pulling upward on the plunger. Try to get it all at one time. You could do this task by increments but trying to manage a squirming cat while refilling a syringe really is more difficult than it is worth. Now restrain your cat gently and situate yourself so that you can hold the cat and use the syringe easily. It could require some experimentation to work out a suitable position for the both of you. . If you keep one hand underneath the cats head and cradle his chin it will make this part of the task go more smoothly. Slide the end of the syringe a little bit into your cat's mouth and slowly depress the plunger This will empty the medicine into your cat's mouth slowly enough that he can readily swallow it without choking. Repeat for each cat.

            Naturally, your cat will not be particularly pleased with this method. He may object rather strenuously. With repetition, however, you will become much smoother with the task. You don't need to rush during this task. Take your time to discover what will work best for you and your cats. Your cats will become more accustomed to it despite themselves. This method will ensure that each cat, even your most finicky, gets the proper amount of medicine he needs.  And that, of course, is the whole reason for the entire exercise.

            Cats have been famous for hunting mice and rats for as long as cats and people have been together. As strange as it may seem to some people, cats are not born knowing how to hunt. It is a skill they learn from watching their mothers. If the mother cat is a good hunter, then her kittens will learn to be good hunters. Interestingly, kittens seem to learn the best from their mothers. They do not seem to learn as well or as quickly from watching other adult cats.

            At about five or six weeks of age, a mother cat will begin teaching her kittens how to hunt. At first she brings dead mice to the kittens. She will eat some of the mice in front of the kittens. In this way she is showing them that mice are their prey and that they are good to eat. As time goes on the kittens begin to play with the dead mice their mother brings them. Before long the kittens are flinging the dead mice around and pouncing on them. It's a good idea to stand clear of them when they're at this stage. You might get smacked by a flying mouse if you don't!

            After awhile, the mother starts bringing mice that are still half alive and releases them for the kittens to practice. Very soon the kittens are leaping on and flinging these mice around as confidently as they did the previous dead ones their mother brought them. Then, mother start bringing live, healthy mice and releases them for the kittens to practice on. The first time the mother cat releases a live mouse, and it tries to run off, there's immediate bedlam among the kittens. Wildly excited, the kittens flying around trying to leap onto the running mouse zigging and zagging between them. If the mouse escapes the kittens, the mother will usually swat it back into play.  By this time the kittens are so over excited they're leaping at anything that moves. The mouse, a blade of grass, a blowing leaf or even each other, are all fair game to the kittens. Not surprisingly, the mouse often escapes during these early lessons.

            As the lessons progress the kittens become more discriminating in their targets and develop their skills in catching the quick and agile mice. These lessons don't always go smoothly. One kitten got the surprise of her life when a large mouse she was chasing suddenly sat up in front of her and began scolding her at the top of its' lungs. The mouse was apparently so fed up with the whole business that it actually jumped at the kitten. The startled kitten fell over backward and the mouse raced off to safety. Live and learn.

            Eventually, the mother cat will decide that the kittens are ready for their first real hunt. She will take them out to a good location that she knows will have plenty of mice for the kittens to practice on. She does not demonstrate her hunting technique to the kittens. Instead, lets them develop their own unique styles on these hunting forays. Each kitten discovers the techniques that work best for them. By the end of their lessons the kittens have become fine mousers in their own right.

            Are you looking to get a new cat soon? Great! You may want to consider a purebred cat. There are many breeds that can be found in this country, each with its own characteristic appearance and temperament and history. Think carefully about what you would characteristics you would like to see in your new companion. Perhaps you would care to consider:

Maine Coon Cat

            The ancestry of these big, hearty cats from New England is unknown. Most likely they came across from Europe with the early settlers as working cats on the ships. Some of these long haired ship cats apparently decided to disembark in the new world and made their home there along with the new colonists. Winter in New England can be extremely tough. Only the strongest survived those early winters, human or cat. Once they settled in to their new homes, these long haired cats began to thrive. The Shaggies, as they were called then, became a familiar part of colonial life throughout New England.

The Maine Coon Cat is a big, strong, intelligent cat. They are also very loving and devoted family members and remain very playful into old age. Maine Coon Cats do not seem to make snap decisions about people. They remain somewhat reserved when they first meet new people or move into a new home. Once they have made their decision, they become affectionate and devoted companions. Maine Coon Cats also have an unusual fascination with water. They are known to dabble in their water dishes or play in showers before the water has all run out. Once in a while, a cat will actually go swimming.

Maine Coon Cats are gentle giants in the cat world. Males can top out at 20lbs while females can reach 12 lbs. The size difference between the sexes is unusually large. The females are no pushovers despite their lack of size. They feel they are every bit as strong as the males and aren't afraid to prove it. These ladies can be quite feisty. Maine Coon Cats have broad chests with well muscled bodies and medium length legs. This breed does not reach full maturity until they are four years old. This cat has an easy going and affectionate temperament. The smallest part of this cat is its voice. Maine Coon Cats speak with a high squeaky voice that seems entirely incongruous coming from such a massive cat. These cats chirp, cheep, chortle, and trill as well as meow. It's quite an eye opener to hear a Maine Coon Cat speak.

 These cats have thick semi long coats which are all-weather and water resistant as well. Fortunately, the Main Coon Cats coat does not tangle easily. The texture is surprisingly silky. The most common coat color pattern is tabby though they can come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

            The Main Coon Cat is a breed whose cheerful ways continue to charm people every day. Give the Main Coon Cat a closer look. The breed is hardy and affectionate.  This cats' laid back temperament would make an outstanding family pet.  This cat may be exactly what you are looking for in a new companion.