Who is better: a Bengal cat or a Maine Coon - what do you need to know to make the right choice?

Why are they similar

As the name suggests, the Siberian breed originated in a harsh climate. Her ancestors were brought to Siberia from the European part of the continent. The conditions of the region caused a change in the genotype of cats. They became larger, more powerful, grew thick hair, and learned to survive in the cold.

The situation is similar with coons. Although it is not known for certain how they appeared in America, the climate and living conditions are very similar. The standard Maine Coon has the same length of hair, tufts on the ears, and is significantly larger in size than other domesticated relatives. The rich edge of the tail, its size, mane, decorating the hair on the paws are additional similarities.

If the Maine Coon is already a fully formed breed, then cats from Europe have been very diverse for a long time. This is explained by the fact that cat breeders for a long time could not come to a consensus on the characteristics of the livestock. Moreover, the breed is young.

Maine Coon mixed breed: types

The cross between a Maine Coon and a regular cat has quite a rich history. A large number of experiments were carried out on crossing with the Siamese cat. It was planned that the result would be a large animal with long hair and a characteristic color. Unfortunately, these experiments failed because the results were not consistent.

Maine Coon and Bengal cat mixes look like barn cats

For your information! Maine Coons were crossed with representatives of a variety of breeds, including Persian, “British”, and Siberian.

Mixed Maine Coon and regular cat

Mixture between a Maine Coon and a non-pedigreed cat does not happen very often. At least the breeders don’t cross them on purpose. Such a crossbreed can appear as a result of accidental mating.

The resulting offspring with a high degree of probability will not be able to boast of distinctive thoroughbred features. In addition, if the non-pedigreed parent has short hair, the kittens born will most likely also have short hair.

Maine Coon and British mix

This is a losing proposition and will not bring breeders any new purebred species. The bottom line is that a half-breed Maine Coon, crossed even with a purebred “British”, looks like an ordinary yard cat, maybe a little fluffier and larger.

Note! In fact, the kitten is not similar to any of the specified breeds. Given the length of the coat of the “British”, the crossbreed is most often born with short hair.

Mixed Siberian cat and Maine Coon

The Siberian cat itself is quite large, with a thick fluffy coat. In terms of crossing with a Maine Coon, she can become one of the more or less suitable options.

Externally, kittens look like fluffy, red, striped. However, even in this case, the cat most closely resembles a yard cat.

Maine Coon and Scottish Fold mix

A mixture with Scottish Fold gives the most unpredictable results. In rare cases, offspring appear that have characteristics of the fold-eared breed.

Mixed Maine Coon and Bengal cat

In most cases, the offspring do not have similar characteristics to any of the above breeds. Such crossing, like most, is a failure and does not bring permanent results.

Body structure with dimensions

The Maine Coon body standards describe the body as follows:

• rectangular format;
• elongated shape;
• high legs;
• wide chest;
• neck of medium length;
• muscular limbs;
• size from large to very large.

In the Siberian cat:

• legs of medium length;
• medium to large size;
• the neck is short;
• the chest is deep;
• the format is triangular, but the body is shorter;
• wide croup, back.

Useful to read: Variety of Maine Coon colors

In addition, among them there are often massive individuals, especially males. The main difference is in size, but Siberians have shorter legs and a deeper and slightly wider chest. This will make an adult Maine Coon appear much taller. Their tail tapers towards the end, but in other breeds it is rounded. For Coons it should reach the shoulder blades, and for Siberians it should reach the shoulder. Many experts talk about the slightly convex back of Siberians, although this is not visible under the fur and in movement.

The overall impression is different. A one-year-old Maine Coon of a stretched size, with high and strong legs. Cats look more graceful than cats. Siberians are dense, muscular with a wide body. The average weight of coons is 9-11 kg, and their opponents in comparison rarely exceed 8 kg. Cats weigh even less; there are specimens up to 4 kg that fit the standard.

Cost and where to buy a Maine Coon

The price directly depends on the status of the animal.

Individuals are usually divided into the following classes:

1. Show. Animals participating in exhibitions cost about 100 thousand rubles.
2. Brit. Females that produce show-class offspring are valued at 30-35 thousand rubles.
3. Pet. Animals with deviations from standards or with visible defects are sold for 15-20 thousand rubles.

How to choose a Maine Coon kitten?

When purchasing a small pet, you should decide on the purpose of its purchase:

1. If the animal will participate in exhibitions and be used for further breeding, it is worth purchasing a purebred individual. The costs will fully pay for themselves after some time.
2. If the pet pleases exclusively family members, the costs will be much lower.

Maine Coon nurseries

List of organizations involved in breeding this breed:

1. "Eurasia". The club is located in Orenburg and is engaged in breeding this breed and coordinating the work of its member nurseries. Employees of the organization provide explanations on the issues of keeping animals at home.
2. Imperia Helen (Ekaterinburg). The nursery is engaged in breeding the breed. The number of individuals is small, which allows you to devote maximum time to each animal.
3. "Avakun." The organization is also located in Yekaterinburg. Among the representatives there are titled individuals. Cats are distinguished by a variety of colors, which allows you to get offspring with unusual colors.

There are many other similar organizations in the country, in each of which you can choose the pet you like.

Head and muzzle

These body parts deserve special attention. The look and the shape of the eyes are the calling cards of the breeds. Every Maine Coon has a friendly and sometimes predatory look.

Other characteristics of Americans:

• long muzzle;
• pointed wedge shape;
• slightly convex forehead;
• prominent cheekbones with a high waist;
• prominent pads with vibrissae;
• there is a transition;
• strong chin.

If you outline the profile of a Coon with conditional lines, you can see the angles where the nose meets the forehead, near the chin and mouth. Siberians have smooth, rounded outlines.

The eyes in the Maine Coon breed are oval, slightly slanted, the degree of expression depends on the intrabreed type and breeding lines. The look is usually friendly, but sometimes the animal looks proud. The eyes of the Siberian cat are round, set wide at a barely noticeable angle.

The ears of Maine cats are large and almost vertical. In the second case, the shape is round, the dimensions are smaller, and the shells are tilted forward. Both breeds prefer tassels on the tips. The distance between the ears of Siberians is greater than that of Maine Coon Cats.

Useful to read: How to distinguish a Maine Coon from an ordinary cat

Diversity of mestizos

All felinological associations prohibit mating between breeds. Each species has distinctive characteristics that disappear during uncontrolled reproduction. Belonging to a particular breed is determined by genotype and phenotype. That is, according to the set of genes inherited from the parents and external characteristics (body size, color, coat length, skull structure).

Maine Coon mixes

Officially, breeding Mei-Coon mixes is prohibited. In fact, there is no control over cat lovers. Unscrupulous owners cross Maine Coons with other breeds or ordinary cats. As a rule, culled individuals participate in such breeding. Serious breeders do not allow such animals to mate. Owners who purchase “defective” animals from nurseries are required to castrate or sterilize them. Large fluffy kittens are sometimes offered under the guise of purebred Maine Coons. Dishonest owners try to sell them inexpensively, explaining the discount for various reasons.

Maine Coon and Siberian cat mixes can be very beautiful

A purebred Maine Coon is expensive. Wanting to save money, cat lovers buy Maine Coon mixes in the hope that they will inherit the qualities of a purebred animal. Distinctive character traits of Maine Coon cats are:

• sociability, goodwill towards people, friendliness;
• calmness, balance;
• self-esteem;
• absence of pronounced aggressive habits;
• high level of intelligence.

In fact, a Maine Coon mixed breed cat and a purebred cat are completely different cats. Breeders worked for several decades to create and consolidate the original characteristics of the breed. Not a single mestizo will fully comply with the standards of behavior. It is impossible to predict what the character of a mature cat will be. As a result of illiterate crossbreeding, aggression may appear and poor health may occur.

British cat mixes

Uncontrolled crossing of the British cat with the Scottish Fold almost led to the degeneration of both breeds

Not everything is so simple with English cats. First of all, do not confuse the British Shorthair and the Scottish Fold. The breeds are related, but completely different. Scottish Folds (Scots) are descended from the British as a result of mutation of the ears. Strictly speaking, these are mestizos from crossing fold-eared cats with British ones. It took more than half a century for the Scottish Fold to gain independent status from a spontaneous breed.

In 2004, a ban was introduced on the crossing of Scottish Fold and British cats.

The appearance of a huge number of mestizos when crossing the British and Scots led to the gradual degeneration of both breeds. In 2004, a law was passed banning their mixing. For the same reason, in 2003 it was prohibited to cross Persian and British cats.

Mixed bengal cat

The Bengal cat is a mestizo who has become an aristocracy. This is a cross between a domestic and Asian leopard cat. To stop the barbaric export of exotic Bengals from their historical homeland, enthusiasts bred a stable breed with a wild appearance and gentle character.

Crossing Bengal cats with other breeds is prohibited by all felinological associations . Therefore, there are no officially recognized mestizos of this breed. That doesn’t stop owners who aren’t too scrupulous from pairing Bengals with other cats. As a result, smaller mixed breeds with inappropriate colors appear. The second generation completely loses the characteristics of the breed.

As a result of crossing the Bengal cat with other breeds, the characteristics of the breed are lost

Recently, the long-haired Bengal has been gaining popularity. With all the characteristics of the breed, they have long hair, a fluffy tail and a collar.

If earlier, in order to avoid damage to the breed, breeders of such kittens sterilized, now a long-haired Bengal cat is valued more than a traditional Bengal.

Persian cat mixes

Persians are considered the most common cat breed in the world. And in terms of the number of colors they have no equal. It is not surprising that there are a huge number of Persian cat mixes. The Persian-British hybrid has become widespread. A crossbreed with an ordinary domestic cat is often found. Among connoisseurs, mixed breeds of Scottish Fold (Scottish Fold) and Persian are valued.

Persian cats are used as a basis for developing new breeds

Persians are the progenitors of many cat breeds. The exotic cat is very popular. In appearance it is a Persian with short hair. Breeders do not stop there. Taking the Persian breed as a basis, they gave the world such cats as:

• Napoleon (a cross between a Persian and a Menchkin with short legs);
• Himalayan (Persian with Siamese coloring);
• Cherub (curly-haired Selkirk Rex with a Persian face);
• Tiffany (a hybrid with the Burmese breed, which has obtained unusually soft, silky wool);
• Iranian cat and Tonkaline (hybrids bred by adding genes of the Tonka breed);
• Alaskan snow cat (alliance of Somalia and White Persians).

Coat and color

American cats have a rather thick undercoat, medium-long coat with a silky structure. There is no covering hair resembling a cloak on the lower part of the body. The Siberian breed has wool that feels elastic to the touch, the fluff is denser, and the coat is thick and long. Otherwise the parameters are the same.

Acceptable colors are the same, with the exception of color-point Neva Masquerade cats, which are essentially Siberian cats. This coincidence in standards is natural. The preferred colors for these cats include the tabby pattern common in the wild. After all, coons and Siberians developed independently, learned to hunt in forests, snow-covered fields and remain unnoticed by prey, large predators.

Prohibited colors:

• chocolate;
• lilac;
• faun;
• cinnamon;
• acromelanic (changing due to ambient temperature).

The latter includes color point. This color is accompanied by blue eyes and characteristic darkening on the face and other parts of the body in cats.

Both types of coat are easy to care for, but the Maine Coon needs regular brushing. The shedding of Siberians is pronounced; during this period the animal sheds most of its fur, which is noticeable by the sparse undercoat. Before the cold weather they grow again.

Maine Coon kittens: polydacty and classic

Polydact kittens are special representatives of this breed that have a natural mutation. It does not occur so often and can occur in 50% of cases, provided that one of the parents had a similar gene.

For your information! The mutation appears as an extra toe in a cat. This does not in any way affect the development and activity of the pet’s life, and for some breeders it is even an elite branch of the breed.

Description of polydact cats

In most cases, the polydact is the larger representative of the breed. Taking into account the mutation, the size of the paws is much wider; they look like mittens. Animals with the mutation begin to walk later because they have difficulty adjusting.

What do polydacts look like?

The joints and ligaments of such cats are much stronger. Also, individuals are much stronger in terms of health, they are considered more balanced. The color of the skin does not have any differences from the usual one.

Currently, polydactyly is considered one of the breed manifestations. Mutation is divided into two main types:

• preaxial - extra thumb;
• postaxial—extra little finger.

The first type is considered more common. Very often, the mutation appears only on the animal’s forelimbs. Experts also divide polydactyly into regular and irregular. The latter include representatives of the breed who have physical underdevelopment or problems with movement.

Note! According to historical data, a similar mutation appeared as a result of crossing cats with raccoon dogs. The gene penetrated and became established, later appearing in different species.

Character, temperament and content features

Both giant and medium cats are friendly. Many note similarities in character and temperament. Cats from overseas have innate devotion to their owner, just like their distant relatives from the forest group. General characteristics include balance, playfulness and developed intelligence.

Siberian breeders claim that their pets may be suitable for people suffering from animal allergies. In this case, the modern Maine Coon is equal to other brothers from the cat family. By the way, mature cats are more likely to cause allergic reactions than females. Cats from Siberia and American forests mature slowly, and they receive approval late due to their large size. But the first ones reach the age of puberty earlier and are able to bear offspring as early as six months.

History of the origin of the Maine Coon cat breed

global $ads_google;
//data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?> The origin of the Maine is the most natural: it is an aboriginal cat, which, over the course of many, many years of the population’s existence, in the process of natural selection and adaptation to the surrounding world, acquired certain features. The handsome Maine Coons are Americans, and more specifically, they originally lived in North America, within the state of Maine. Since the climate of those lands was always humid in the summer months, and winter brought with it frosts and constant snowfalls, the fur coat of cats of this breed was very thick and dense, and the body became hardy.

The history of these catfish getting to Maine remains little studied; only legends are known, one of which is associated with the attempt to escape on the ship of Queen Marie Antoinette at the end of the 17th century to America. The Queen lost her life during execution, but her cats safely reached the shores of America. According to another legend, coons came to the land together with Captain Coon; according to a third, they were brought by the Vikings long before Columbus, which is most likely due to the similarity of Maine Coons with the Norwegian forest cat.

Starting in 1861, the Maine raccoon cat was a clear success from the very first exhibition, but then the giant cats were forgotten until the middle of the 20th century. Today it is a very popular breed, recognized throughout the world.

Character

Maine Coons are very peaceful. These cats are able to distinguish between their belongings and those of others, and they do not tend to spoil the owner’s property. They prefer open spaces and large rooms. They do not tend to climb into closets, boxes and mezzanines, as ordinary cats like to do.

Maine Coons themselves try to establish contact with their owner and adapt to his habits and character. You will get the impression that the cat shares your interests, because the Maine Coon will try to repeat your actions. If you spend most of your time in front of a monitor. then he will follow the cursor with curiosity. If you run on a treadmill in the morning, your Maine Coon will join you in doing morning exercises.

Description and characteristics of breeds

Maine Coon cat

A purebred representative of the breed is endowed with the following appearance:

• the head is elongated with high cheekbones and a disproportionate profile;
• there are sharp tassels at the tips of the ears;
• oval-shaped, wide eyes;
• the body is large with well-developed muscles;
• massive limbs;
• the coat is dense, thick and pleasant to the touch;
• body weight from 6 to 9 kilograms.

Breeders note that Maine Coons have a calm, easy-going character, they are friendly, sociable and kind. They love active recreation and play with people, especially children. Cats are easy to train and educate, endowed with intelligence and developed intuition. They are curious, pay attention to all objects that make sounds.

Maine Coons can develop hip dysplasia due to the large size of the cat and cardiomyopathy, a disease of the cardiovascular system.

Caring for the animal includes weekly bathing and brushing.
Caring for pets does not require much effort and time. It is recommended to bathe them weekly or when they get dirty. Brushing should occur 1-2 times a week, even with long hair; cats’ hair does not get tangled into clumps and is easy to comb. It is necessary to get vaccinated in a timely manner and give vitamins. Both specialized feed and natural food are used for the diet.

Bengal cat

Representatives of the breed are smart and active, they are cheerful and sociable. But sometimes their excessive activity becomes a big disadvantage. They are easy to train, learn tricks, but can be mischievous in the house. Thus, problems arise with peeled wallpaper, scratched furniture, and broken interior items. To avoid this, it is recommended to purchase the maximum number of toys for your cat so that he does not get bored. Like Maine Coons, they love water and bathes, but unlike them, they prefer to sit in the arms of their owner around the clock, basking in love and affection.

Bengal cats are relatively small in size, with a well-developed body. The paws are squat but powerful, the tail is elongated. The coat is smooth, silky with a beautiful spotted color. Males are usually heavier than females and weigh 5-7 kilograms, and they live up to 12 years. Genetic diseases are the same as for Maine Coons, but the list is also complemented by retinal atrophy and luxation of the patella, which are inherited. Cats have short fur and require minimal grooming. It is enough to bathe your pets with specialized shampoos several times a month and periodically comb their hair. It is advisable not to let the cat out onto the street or balcony, because Bengals have a highly developed hunting instinct, and they can hunt birds and small animals.

Kitten from ordinary

Maine - Coon kittens.

Ordinary kittens.

If you need to understand the kittens, then you should wait a few months after their birth to say for sure whether the cat is a purebred or not. At first glance, newborn Maine Coons are very close in appearance to their domestic counterparts. Only by three months can characteristic tassels on the ears appear. If they are not there by this age, we can say that the animal is not purebred. How else to understand the purity of blood:

1. Maine Coons grow very quickly. The offspring are born weighing up to 170 grams; after five weeks they outgrow ordinary kittens, and by this time they are comparable in size to domestic teenage kittens.
2. In purebred kittens, an unusual tail is immediately visible - it is long, fluffy, very strong, and their paws look impressive, they are large and powerful.
3. Regular cats are born with short hair, Maine Coons are born with semi-long hair.
4. Tufts of hair can already be found between the toes of purebred pets.
5. A Maine Coon kitten's head is longer than it is wide. He has wide cheekbones.