Trying to figure out if my cat is Maine Coon or not

by Danielle
(Alaska)

I found a stray that had been attacked by a dog when he was 4 weeks old. He would have been a feral cat, but I adopted him and cleared out his conjunctivitis, bathed him, (which he seemed to love) and he has been attached to me ever since.

He really seems to enjoy bath tubs, and running water, and TOOTHPASTE, (he is very in to people food, although I discourage it) and enjoys playing fetch, he is highly intelligent, and when he was very small was incredibly sweet and affectionate.

As he got older, he got quite rambunctious, and MEAN, (drawing blood, and getting VERY temperamental when being told NO). He has recently calmed down a lot, he is now going on 6.5 months old, and he is getting HUGE.

He is a very reddish color, which I called Orange when he was a baby, and hence his name is Oren G. I have looked at several pictures online, and he does seem to be of Maine Coon descent, except for the tips on his ears.

I am just looking for someone to verify this to see how big he is going to get, and if he is in fact Maine Coon, or just a mix breed Tabby. Any info you could provide would be most useful! Thank you!

PS- I just posted a picture of my cat, Oren, at 6.5 months old, but this is a picture of him at just under 5 weeks old. Thought it might help determine the breed. Or he might just be a Heinz 57. Doesn't matter, I love him dearly anyways.

comments:

Oren G.
by: Maine Coon Cat Nation

Hi Danielle,

What a good-looking boy! You must have found him just in time, he's so lucky to have been rescued by you.

Well, it's not going to be possible to know for sure if he's a Maine Coon mix. The only way to know for sure is to know his parents, and their pedigrees. So, all I can give you is a guesstimate :-)

Also, if you think he came from a feral colony, the chances are very slim that there are any Maine Coon genes there. Those cats would only be breeding with other ferals; unaltered purebred cats would very rarely end up as a stray.

As for his size and personality, they seem to share some Maine Coon qualities. So, you never know, there could be something there.

His appearance looks more like a mixed breed Tabby, otherwise known as domestic house cat. If he were full Maine Coon, he would have a longer, shaggier coat. A neck ruff and very full tail, too.

It sounds like Oren is a lot of fun and full of personality! He reminds me of a cat I once had. I'm sure he'll bring you many years of fun and companionship. Thanks for sharing him,

~Carrie