2021 Summer Mixes and Maybes

Tarragon is just under a year old, and the sweetest cat I’ve met.

(I grew up in a house where there were cats for every corner, so that’s my highest praise!)

She was thrown into a group of other kittens of a similar age at the rescue where she was fostered, and immediately struck me with her silly, inquisitive spirit.

She’ll meow when she’s due for a treat, but typically our conversations are lots of chirps and trills. (maybe it’s the pandemic brain talking, but I’m convinced she varies the tone of these—for example, when I’m out of sight, there’s a questioning quality to her chirrup, like “where’ve you wandered off to, pal?”)

She’s a gentle girl. She isn’t thrilled by the sound of running water, but she’s calm and cheerful in the bath, and she accepts bouts of brushing as a game.

I’m biased, clearly, but I think she’s very bright; if there’s a treat on the line, I’ll say “sit, please,” and get an obliging, cat-shaped triangle for my trouble.

I don’t have much information about where she came from, but one of the first questions I get tends to be, “is she a Maine Coon?” (an acquaintance with two Maine Coons of her own has sworn that she recognizes some similarities.

To be fair, all cats involved have four legs and pointy teeth!) I’m pretty skeptical of that, but I haven’t ruled out the possibility that she could have some connection to the breed somewhere down the line. I’d be interested in hearing from folks with more familiarity than I have!

Tarragon’s coat is of varied length. Along her spine, the strands of the top coat are long and sleek. Her shoulder area, meanwhile, is tamer; the fur, while still dense, is pretty short.

She’s fluffy. Like, sheepskin fluffy. like, someone described her as “a mystical floof” kind of fluffy. There’s more than one layer to her fur; there’s downier, more insulation-textured stuff closer to her body, while the outer coat has a silkier feel.

Her back legs grow shaggy pantaloons, which I have to trim back sometimes to help her stay clean.

Her tail is a creature all its own (sometimes calling for an inexpert trim), and aside from the tufts of hair growing out of her ears, locks of hair grow between her toes.

(they remind me of feathering on a draft horse, and sometimes I have to trim these—rather unwillingly!—because litter is a nightmare.)

Her coat is never tangled, and she’s fastidious; even so, I brush her because there’s just so much hair, and I don’t want her consuming another cat’s worth of hairballs.

She has the prettiest jade eyes, big, expressive, white-rimmed. A gray tabby overall, she has an orange-creamy belly. There are no stray white markings.

She’s clean to the point of accusing. (litter is a whole thing. I clean the tray daily, and if she feels I’m slouching she will lead me to the tray and fuss until the litter has been refreshed or replaced.

I think I need to invest in a larger tray because keeping her hindquarters clean and fresh can be an ordeal.

I’m meeting with a vet to talk about ways I can help more — whether that means adjusting her diet, or making sure there’s nothing medically wonky digestion-wise.)

Any thoughts, advice, opinions are welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read about my little housemate.

comments:
Looks like a Maine Coon
by: Jan

From the way you are describing her fur in various places, it certainly sounds like you have a Coonie there.

Her hind quarters getting messed with poop for you to clean doesn't sound right. This should not be a frequent event. Cat poop is dry and hard normally, when it gets soft to where it would stick on the fur, that sounds like a problem. Do talk to your vet about that.

When we first adopted her

I think Vera may have Coon in her due to her sheer size, (12 weeks old) her dog like play style, and her physical characteristics.

We got him and his sibling when they were 1 day old. They fell from the rafters of a pawnshop store.

The sibling sadly did not survive the first night, likely due to sustained injuries. A friend knew I have experience with neonatals. He was born March 15, 2021. His personality seems all Maine Coon and he looks like he could be also. What do you think?

comments:
Yes, he has Maine Coon in him
by: Anonymous

With those huge ears, I would say there is Maine Coon in him. You just have to see how he later develops.

His tail will be pretty slender while he is young and then get fluffy. He will have shorter fur around the front and shoulders and longer fur around the back side and britches.

Then there is the personality which is so different from other breeds. You are reading the descriptions here.

My boy Merlin is 3.5 months. He weighs just over 4.5 lbs.

He’s the sole survivor of a litter of 5. I did see the mother a few times and she was obviously all Maine coon from the ears and tufts on top of the ears to the hairy feet to the floofy tail and Maine. A beautiful girl.

His daddy has a wide face and floofy tail and mane which is all the picture showed me. My boy. Well you please tell me what you think.

Is My Kitty a Maine Coon Mix? Please Help!Hello there I'm looking for some advice and help.

I've recently rescued this little girl from some cruel vile person who had left her in the dumpster!!!

She is around 8 to 9 weeks old!

I seem to think she has large pointy ears and different shaped eyes (squinty) also very large pads and back legs. I would really appreciate advice and anyones thoughts.

Doris came to live with me a year ago.

She was 8 years old and had been given up to the SPCA. Her fur was very matted so it was mostly shaved off when I got her.

She settled in very quickly and in the first few days I thought some of her behaviors were similar to my son's cat Dusty, who is a Maine Coon.

Now Doris' fur is grown out, and as you can see she is a beautiful Tuxedo with a shaggy coat and impressive mane.

Her fur is short over her shoulders, long otherwise, with has furry shanks and her tummy is fine and curly. Her ears have small tufts and also on her feet. She has a wonderful, loving personality and intense gaze.

She comes when I call her. Her tail is about 12 inches and very fluffy, which she expresses herself with.

Officially she is a Domestic Longhair and when I got her she weighed about 10 pounds after recovering from a severe infection. She is heavier now but I haven't weighed her recently. She is due for a wellness check so I'll see how much she has gained in the past year. I believe she has Maine Coon genes, at least.

comments:
In memory of BabyHuey
by: Anonymous

Doris is very Beautiful and very fortunate to be in such good condition after 8 yrs,and not being properly cared for by her previous owner.
You and Doris our meant to be, is sounds like she is going to be well taken care of.

I do not understand how some people can take in a cat and not properly take care of them. Especially A Maine Coon they are very special cats almost human.

Anyone who owns a Maine Coon knows how special they are. All cats are special yet Maine Coons are really special. Wishing you and Doris many years of happiness and Love together. Doris will teach you so much. Please cherish every minute with her and keep her safe.

Love to you both.

Donna