Maine Coon Clubs and Organizations

by: Carrie Profenno: Author, Mainer, Maine Coon Mama, editor of The Maine Coon Magazine

by: Carrie Profenno - Author, Mainer, Maine Coon Mama, editor of The Maine Coon Magazine

There are a few Maine Coon clubs and prominent cat organizations that are important to know about.

When finding and choosing an ethical, responsible breeder (and avoiding scammers), you'll want to make sure they are affiliated and registered with at least one of these clubs or organizations.

Your breeder will likely belong to a couple of these. For a fan of the Maine Coon cat, they are great to know about.

TICA

The International Cat Association was established in 1976. It is the oldest and most well-known of the cat clubs.

It has clubs and members all over the world, and recognizes fifty-five cat breeds for championship competition including, of course, the Maine Coon Cat!

TICA oversees the establishment of breed standards for all cat breeds. It even has the largest registry of household pet cats and kittens.

TICA's extensive registry includes many pedigreed "show cats," and their breeders are members

CFA

The Cat Fanciers Association boasts the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats. Many excellent Maine Coon breeders are members of this organization. The CFA was founded in 1990.

The first major donation and "crown jewel" of the CFA is the silver collar (and medal) won by Cosey the Maine Coon cat at the first major cat show in North America on May 8, 1895.

Cosey won the title of Best in Show at the National Cat Show in Madison Square Garden.

MCBFA

The Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association is the first of the truly Maine Coon Cat clubs. It was established in 1968.

We can thank the MCBFA for bringing public awareness to this wonderful breed at a time when it had all but fallen out of existence!

They are responsible for promoting the Maine Coon cat breed, getting it recognized, establishing a breed standard, and getting it back into the cat shows.

You can expect your Maine Coon breeder to belong to at least one of the above organizations.

Maine Coon Rescue Clubs

Maine Coon Rescue is devoted to placing Maine Coon Cats in need. They have a petfinder tool which locates Maine Coons throughout the USA.

You can expect your breeder to be registered with at least one of these Maine Coon clubs

More Maine Coon Clubs

The United Maine Coon Cat Association (UMCCA) is one of the original Maine Coon organizations.

It is affiliated with the CFF (Cat Fanciers Association) and was established in 1972. This club is devoted to the preservation and promotion of the breed.

The Maine Coon Cat Club was established in 1985 and is based in the U.K.

There are many local and regional Maine Coon clubs as well. Do you know of any cat clubs or organizations in your area that we should include? Contact us and tell us about it!

Top of Maine Coon Clubs