About the origin and types of Maine Coon mestizos, the characteristics and risks of their breeding and purchase

Maine Coons are a breed that is very popular nowadays. Purebred kittens are expensive, and therefore not everyone who would like to have such a cat can afford to purchase a pet with documents. The thought involuntarily creeps into the minds of such potential owners about whether they should try to find a cheaper kitten, as long as it looks like a purebred one. What could be the risk of purchasing a mixed breed of this breed and is it worth purchasing such a pet?

About the origin

Most Maine-Coon mixes are born as a result of random matings. For example, when, having taken his pet with him to the dacha, the owner did not think that his fluffy beauty would probably attract the neighbor’s outbred cat as a bride. However, sometimes interbreed matings are also the result of the activities of unfortunate breeders who decided to see what would happen if they mated a Maine Coon cat, for example, with a British cat.

Interbreeding is a lottery in which it is impossible to predict how genes will fall.

Kittens born from such a mating will most likely turn out to be different from Maine Coons. In addition, there is a high risk that they will be predisposed to many diseases.

Participation in exhibitions, documents

This American cat breed was formed many years ago. The task of breeders is to preserve and improve the gene pool. The participation of a simple cat in breeding negates their efforts.

Due to such factors, owners of hybrids cannot exhibit their pets in the breed ring. However, exhibitions where animals of unknown origin are judged are open to them. There they can show the pet and get a description if the cat is healthy, has a beautiful exterior, and an easy-going character. When the kittens grow up, it will become clear how large they will grow and what their show potential will be.

They are allowed into the ring upon reaching 10 months of age. The rules are the same as at regular exhibitions. Separate rings, strict judging. A mongrel pet is prepared with full responsibility: grooming, purchasing accessories. This is a great chance to show your favorite cats to specialists and get a lot of positive emotions from communicating with like-minded people.

Outbred cats are not registered anywhere. They cannot have a pedigree, only a veterinary passport with notes on vaccinations and treatment against worms, which the owner obtains at his own request. Subsequent mating with a coon will still result in his phenotype, and not a true Maine cat.

Fraud

A conscientious breeder who is proud of his Maine Coons and their offspring will never think of breeding his champion cat with a yard Barsik.
If this happened by accident, for example, due to an oversight, then he will not sell mixed-breed offspring under the guise of purebred kittens.

And he will try to place them in good hands for free.

Intentional interbreeding is carried out by those owners whose cats do not have access to breeding. Such animals will consistently pass on all their shortcomings and vices to their offspring, and it does not matter whether it is from a representative of their own breed or mixed breed. At the same time, the breeder will not just give away mixed-breed kittens, but will try to sell them as early as possible and at a higher price under the guise of purebred Maine Coons.

You should be wary if kittens are sold significantly cheaper than other Maine Coons and, moreover, have not reached 3 - 3.5 months.

In this case, there is a very high risk that they were born as a result of interbreeding and their “breeder” is in a hurry to sell them as quickly as possible, before their external differences with purebred Maine Coon kittens become too obvious.

Temminck's cat

Asian golden cat on the hunt

It is also called the Asian golden cat and catopuma. Temminck cats are not common in Russia, but a couple live with famous politicians. But in Asia, especially in Thailand and Tibet, animals are quite domesticated. In addition to the above, Nepal, India, Southern China and mainland Malaysia became the habitat of golden cats.

Representatives of the species are beautiful, but characteristic creatures. If these beauties are kept, it is in private homes. It is possible to train an animal when it is adopted as a kitten; in adolescence there is no point in trying. As for adults, they will not make a cute pet. It's worth starting with cat activity at dusk and early morning. And no one has canceled the predatory character.

Asian golden cats feed on birds and small rodents. Due to the mobility of pets, they need the territory of a private home.

And the most important thing is the size of the animals. In terms of height at the withers, cats will give a head start to a German shepherd - from 56 cm and above. Weight fluctuates around 9-16 kg.

How to tell the difference?

The older the kitten, the easier it is to understand whether it is purebred or not.
By about three months, purebred Maine Coon babies acquire tufts on their ears, which are one of the most characteristic features of the breed.

Mixed-breed or outbred kittens usually do not have ear tufts.

In addition, a purebred Maine Coon has wide and strong paws at a very early age with tufts of hair between the toes, and a long and powerful tail.

The head and muzzle of a purebred baby is elongated and wide-cheeked; later it will acquire the so-called “box” shape characteristic of a representative of this breed. And in general, such a kitten looks much larger than its peers. Already at one and a half months he is the same size as a six-month-old young cat of another breed.

The only reliable confirmation of the Maine Coon breed is documents on the origin of the kitten.

Below is a selection of photos of purebred representatives of this breed.

Characteristic signs

Maine Coons have a rather specific appearance, with clear differences from the appearance of a natural mongrel cat.

Distinctive features of a Maine Coon pet:

1. Large, triangular ears set almost at right angles, pointing upward rather than forward. The tip of the ear is decorated with a noticeable tassel - this is the main distinguishing feature of the appearance of a Maine Coon cat.
2. The head is slightly elongated. The muzzle is large, with high cheekbones and, when viewed from the front, has a square shape.
3. The eyes are more fox than cat-like: slanted, not round, but almond-shaped.
4. The paws are large and heavy – this is another main distinguishing feature of the breed. There is fluff growing between the fingers.
5. The tail is long, 2 times longer than that of ordinary cats.
6. The coat is of medium length, but dense and voluminous.
7. The body is large. Already at 5 weeks, a Maine Coon weighs the same as a 6-month-old regular pet. And a six-month-old pet looks almost no different from an adult ordinary cat.
8. The physique is sinewy and strong. The skeleton is heavy. The chest is wide.

Features and risks of breeding

You should not hope that a mixed-breed kitten will look like a real Maine Coon. Indeed, during interbreeding, the characteristic traits inherent in representatives of a given breed appear extremely rarely, even individually, and never all at once. Even if the resulting kittens are a little larger than babies from a cat of another breed and a little fluffier, they will still be very different from purebred animals.

The amazing character of Maine Coons, which so distinguishes them from ordinary cats, is also, as a rule, not passed on to mixed-breed kittens. In addition, the more breeds are mixed, the greater the risk of genetic diseases or congenital pathologies.

Mating a Maine Coon cat with a representative of another breed is also fraught with the fact that due to the very large size of the kittens, the cat may simply not give birth and die.

Finally, there is a risk that mixed-breed kittens, which have disappointed their new owners because they are different from purebred animals, may end up on the street or in a shelter.

Care, maintenance, nuances

According to many people, the mestizo is unpretentious in food and does not require veterinary care.
This is a misconception that is completely wrong. These animals are fed no worse than purebred representatives. Their internal structure of the body is no different. Food must contain all the necessary microelements, vitamins, sufficient amounts of proteins and carbohydrates. If their health fails, then they need to go to the clinic. The legends about the strong immunity that kittens receive from parents of different origins are impressive until the first illness. They suffer from allergic reactions, the effects of poisons from parasites (fleas, worms, ticks), problems with joints and digestion.

From birth they carefully monitor their character. The temperament of such babies can be completely unpredictable.

Source

Varieties

Throughout the existence of Maine Coons, attempts were made from time to time to cross them with other cats in order to create a new breed. For example, in order for the Siamese color to appear in the breed, they tried to cross them with Siamese cats. But all the hybrid kittens and their descendants did not inherit the desired qualities and were not like their parents, and therefore there was no need to talk about breeding a new breed. What other Maine Coon crosses exist and how do they differ from purebred animals?

Crossed with a Siberian cat

The main advantage of a cross with a Siberian cat is the thick, long and fluffy fur that is common to representatives of both breeds, so such kittens will certainly be fluffy. They can also be larger in size than regular cats. A mixed breed with a Siberian cat will never reach the size of a Maine Coon and the characteristic tufts on his ears will also not appear. In addition, such cats will have a different head shape and a more massive build.

As a rule, mixed breeds with Siberian cats are quite affectionate, although less intelligent.

British mix

This British cross will have traits such as a calm disposition, quick wit, distrust of strangers and neatness. She will be smaller than the Maine Coon, she will have a fairly large and wider muzzle. If this is a kitten from a mating with a British Longhair, then it will grow up to be semi-longhaired. These mestizos are friendly and get along well with children, in addition, they are quite smart and quick-witted , although they are inferior in this regard to purebred cats.

Half-breed with a Norwegian cat

Such a mixed breed will probably be quite large and fluffy, with thick and dense water-repellent fur. He will probably even have small tufts on his ears, typical of Norwegians. The character of such a kitten is a little similar to the character of the Maine Coon: the mestizo will have a well-developed hunting instinct, and he will also be quite affectionate and affectionate towards people.

It should be remembered that even such a kitten may be completely different from either of its parents: it all depends on how the genes are distributed.

A cross between a normal cat

The most unpredictable combination, since an ordinary domestic cat can be the result of a mixture of many breeds. Here there is no need to talk about the similarity of mestizos with Maine Coons both in terms of appearance and character. With a high degree of probability, a mixture of genes from other breeds will turn out to be more dominant and will not allow even one or two of the characteristic breed characteristics of the original breed to appear. Perhaps such mestizos will grow a little larger than ordinary cats. They are also likely to have fairly thick, but somewhat short, fur.

General concepts

A mixed breed is a cat from parents of different breeds or without one at all.
In principle, any kitten without documents is called this all over the world. This does not make him worse or better, but the breed cannot be recognized in him. There are conditions that by the exterior at the exhibition you can determine whether you belong to the coon phenotype. There are two main definitions - genotype and phenotype. The first is “internal content,” the set of genes that was passed on from parents. From each of them, kittens receive half a set. Phenotype – external characteristics. It is also passed down from ancestors and depends on combinations of genes. Color, length of the body, limbs, shape of the skull are inherited, like other parameters, but assumptions about the appearance of the future offspring are usually not justified. You can delve into the laws of genetics and calculate what color kittens will be born. Character and temperament will remain a secret until the individual fully matures.

The breed was bred naturally. Breeders cultivate those qualities that are characteristic of the Coon:

1. Friendliness;
2. Equilibrium;
3. Flexibility;
4. Caution;
5. Lack of aggression;
6. Loyalty.

When mating with an ordinary representative of the cat family, these features are transformed and sometimes disappear altogether. According to the rules, a real Maine Coon is considered purebred if its ancestors are known in 4 generations. That is, he must have a pedigree with the specified parents, etc.

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Savannah (weight up to 20 kg)

It is rightfully considered not only one of the largest, but also the most expensive cats. Its cost can reach up to $25,000.

The breed is of artificial origin: the result of crossing a Serval, Siamese and Angora cats. The result was a kind of miniature leopard . Therefore, by the age of three, a cute and affectionate kitten becomes more wild.

A standard apartment for the savannah will not work. The best option is a spacious house , because the real ancestor of the serval will live there. Savannah loves to take water treatments, so a spacious pool or nearby pond will be very helpful.

The cat is smart, inquisitive and trainable. She also loves long walks. A real wild cat!

Turkish van (weight up to 9 kg)

One of the most ancient breeds, its birthplace is East Antalya, Türkiye. The cat is considered a talisman among the Turks, so taking it out of the country is prohibited by law. Unless you have permission from the Ministry and the consent of Ankara Zoo.

Turkish Vans are lovers of water treatments. It is not for nothing that the second name of the breed is the Turkish swimming cat. Heterochromia is common in animals, i.e. different color of the iris of the right and left eyes.

Very tender and affectionate creatures that recognize only one owner. The Van cat gets along well with small children , because it has gigantic patience. But those suffering from allergies to wool are not recommended to have a pet.

Photos of Maine Coon mixes

If you pay attention to the content of advertisements for the sale of Maine Coons, then quite often among them you can find something like the following: “Maine Coon mixed-breed kittens for sale”, “Maine Coon mom, British dad”, “Maine Coon mixed kittens with an ordinary cat." As a rule, their price is several times less than the cost of a purebred animal with a good pedigree, but how high are the chances of encountering disappointment when buying such a kitten?

Origin of Maine Coon mixes

First of all, it should be borne in mind that all felinological associations categorically prohibit the breeding of mestizos of this breed. It's official.

Of course, in reality, no one controls amateur cat breeders, and due to curiosity or not particularly conscientiousness, owners often come up with the idea of ​​​​mixing the Maine Coon with representatives of not only other breeds, but often even domestic cats. The result can be completely unpredictable.

Metis is a mixture of different breeds of animals crossed with each other.

Most often, animals that initially have some kind of breed defect end up in such breeding - this could be a defect in appearance or a character that does not quite correspond to the breed. After all, nurseries that care about their good name will never allow culled individuals to be bred; they can usually be bought as pets, and one of the conditions for purchasing such a kitten is the owner’s obligation to castrate or sterilize it in the future.

© instagram.com/cloudy_tin

In official breeding, specialist breeders strictly monitor the fulfillment of all requirements for the characteristics of the breed. This applies to appearance, habits, character, health.

The distinctive character traits of this breed are:

• Sociability, goodwill towards people, friendliness;
• Balance, calmness;
• Self-esteem;
• Absence of pronounced aggressive habits;
• High level of intelligence.

Mestizos scam

In addition to conscientious owners who do not hide their purebred origin, there may be dishonest “merchants” who pass off fluffy kittens from mixed marriages as real purebred coons, offering them at a discount under the pretext of good reasons.

Is it worth buying a Maine Coon mix?

As a rule, the main motive for purchasing a Maine Coon mestizo instead of a purebred cat is the desire or need to save money - after all, a good purebred animal is not cheap.

Future owners expect that since the kitten is born from one of the Maine Coon parents, the mestizo will certainly inherit the traits of this breed. In reality this is far from the case.

You need to be aware that a mestizo is not at all the same thing as a real Maine Coon, and no one can predict what he will grow up and become as an adult, in a year or two. Representatives of the Main Coon breed - as they are called in English - are very distinctive; breeders have worked for decades to develop all the qualities corresponding to the breed, so no mestizo will ever perfectly match these characteristics.

As a result of an irresponsible approach to breeding, Maine Coon mixes appear, which may have aggressive habits, poor health or an unbalanced psyche. As a result, instead of saving, you can end up with a lot of additional problems and expenses for visiting a veterinarian.

©instagram.com/yul4acorp

Everything may turn out quite well, your pet will delight you for many years, and your character and health will be in perfect order, but no one can give guarantees in this case, it’s always a game of roulette.

If your budget is limited, but you really want to buy a cat of this breed, you can contact a nursery: they often have animals that for some reason are not suitable for breeding and exhibition work, have finished their breeding “career”, then they can be sold at reduced price - 2-3 times cheaper. It will be an animal of a lower class within its breed, but at least you will have the guarantee that it is a healthy purebred pet, the origin of which is precisely known.

Features and risks of breeding Maine Coon mixes

1. In interbreeding, the breed's traits degenerate very quickly, and it is impossible to achieve a stable result. Uncontrolled matings with representatives of other breeds can lead to the appearance of genetic deformities, and this may not appear immediately, but only in subsequent generations of such mestizos.
2. If a Maine Coon cat is paired with a female of a different breed, there is a high risk that the babies will be born too large; perhaps their mother simply will not be able to give birth. In this case, it is better not to risk the life and health of your pet.
3. With a high probability, mestizos may not inherit the main qualities for which representatives of this breed are valued: friendliness, devotion to people, sociability.
4. If a grown-up mestizo does not look exactly like a Maine Coon, there is often a high chance that he will disappoint the owner, will not live up to his expectations and will end up on the street.

Varieties of Maine Coon mixes

Throughout the history of the breed, there have been some attempts to obtain mixed breeds of Maine Coon and other breeds so that the desired characteristics are fixed and a kind of derivative breed is obtained. For example, experiments were conducted on crossing coons with Siamese cats in order to obtain a large animal with long fluffy hair and a characteristic color. All attempts failed because the result was not stable.

The idea of ​​crossing a Maine Coon with a Bengal to increase the size of the animals also failed.

In addition, Maine Coon mixed breeds are often obtained by mating with an ordinary cat; they are crossed with British, Siberian, Neva Masquerade, Persian and other breeds. In all these cases, the result can be extremely disastrous.

©instagram.com/mokry_nos

A Maine Coon-British mix will look more like an ordinary yard Murzik - most likely it will be just a semi-furry animal, perhaps quite large, but that’s all. The fact is that the British and Coons are significantly different in their constitution, in many ways they are two opposites, therefore, what can happen with such a crossing cannot be predicted in advance.

Mixed Maine Coon and Siberian cat

In terms of appearance, perhaps a combination of a Maine Coon with a Siberian breed may be more or less successful. True, there is not much point in this either, given all the risks described above.

Mixed Maine Coon and regular cat

A mixed breed between a Maine Coon and an ordinary cat can extremely rarely appear during deliberate crossing; most often they are born from accidental matings, if the purebred cat had the opportunity to have contact with another animal. There is not much point in this adventure.

In addition, if one of the non-pedigreed parents has short hair, the mixed breed is more likely to also be short-haired. As a result, one of the main advantages of a purebred coon - a luxurious fur coat - will be lost.

How to distinguish a real Maine Coon.

For a real purebred coon, which can rightfully be considered such, all of its ancestors are known up to the 4th generation inclusive. All of them must be indicated in his pedigree.

When buying a kitten, it is worth getting to know its parents and looking at their origins in the pedigree. An honest breeder won't come up with "good reasons" why you can't see his mom and dad right now, he has nothing to hide. In addition, responsible owners do not part with kittens before 3-3.5 months - at this age, babies receive their first vaccinations. And it’s already much easier to distinguish a mestizo from a Maine Coon than when it’s still just a baby.

Owners will most likely try to get rid of the mestizos early in order to minimize the cost of maintaining them.

Distinctive features of purebred kittens:

1. By 3 months, characteristic tufts appear on the tops of the ears. If they are not there, this is a mestizo or even a simple outbred kitten.
2. A real purebred kitten is distinguished by a powerful long tail and wide paws - this feature is noticeable even in newborn babies. Pretty soon tufts of fur grow between the toes.
3. A purebred kitten has a rather long head with wide cheekbones. Later, the muzzle is shaped into a geometrically correct “box” shape.
4. Maine Coon kittens grow much faster than others. At the age of 1.5 months, it is already a fairly large animal, comparable in size to a six-month-old ordinary kitten. A Maine Coon mixed breed kitten will be noticeably smaller in size than its purebred counterpart.

If you have even the slightest doubt, before buying a pet you should consult with an experienced breed specialist, a professional breeder. Many breed experts are able to distinguish a Maine Coon mestizo from a real purebred animal from a photo.

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Maine Coon mixed breeds. What do crosses with different breeds look like?

Recently, exotic pets have become increasingly popular among breeders. The Maine Coon mix is ​​one of them. Despite the fact that breeding is prohibited, its cost will be several times less than for representatives of this cat group that have a pure pedigree. And when purchasing a pet, they are most often guided by feelings, and not by the origin of the animal.

Description of the animal

Purebred animals are divided into European and American. Which, in turn, are divided into the Shaw, Brid and Pet classes, distinguished by their large size, rich coat and tassels on the ears. When breeding, Norwegian forest seals are often found, mutations in the form of polydactyly - more than 16 fingers and Dutch rex - coons with curly hair. Maine Coon mixed breeds, like any other breed, are a mixture of the blood of parents of different origins. This can be a purebred and yard cat, or any other purebred with a representative of the animal in question. Such a pet may look different, depending on which genes were passed on from its ancestors.

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Types and how to recognize?

In most cases, mestizos are born from random mating; they are not specially bred.
The cat breed in question is distinguished by its large size, large ears with tufts, semi-long hair, a wide chest, strong bones and a long tail. The Maine Coon hybrid has generally accepted types, such as:

• si-kun - a mixture with Siamese;
• Renegade is a cross between a Bengal cat.

A mixed breed cat is undesirable for experienced breeders, most often resulting from accidental mating of animals. The most unpredictable results are obtained from Sphynx cats or yard cats. A half-breed will look different depending on what breed was present in the cross. More details are presented in the table:

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Pros and cons of mestizos

The main positive feature of hybridization is the moderate price of animals.

The main disadvantage of mixing blood is the loss of breed purity, the prohibition of breeding activities, unknown consequences in the mental and somatic development of the pet, and there is also a huge risk of the cat’s death during childbirth due to the large size of the future offspring. Positive qualities passed on from purebred parents are considered to be the loving and sociable nature of cats, their friendly nature and loyalty to their owner.

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Features of keeping a pet

Since the character traits of hybridized cats can be varied, it is necessary to carefully monitor the behavior of the animal in order to raise a well-mannered and docile cat. It is necessary to correctly combine punishment with encouragement, not to allow him to misbehave and recover in unacceptable places. The kitten is surrounded with love and attention. In terms of health, they are prone to allergies, diseases of the joints and gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, an annual examination by a veterinarian and a diet that includes the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements is essential.

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