# Could Boo be part maine ****??



## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

I saw a picture of one the other day and really looked at it, and noticed they have fluff in all the same areas.

But shes so small and slender, so i wonder. hmm? hard to tell here but she does have the 'pants' as well, which i notced on the picture i saw as well.

per haps its a very small portion, but could she be?










ETA: Actually her maine is even longer and more dominant now than this picture, but this is the best one i could find quickly of her fluff


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## candes (Sep 10, 2010)

Hi there  You need better pictures of her facial features. Her facial features seem too narrow. But it is difficult to tell with her coloring, face wise. 

What I noticed that could be MC'ish but not necessarily MC, were the tail length. And perhaps the slightly different body posture. MC's have different body postures. Did she or does she lay with her legs behind her? Does she cross her front paws more than most cats? Does she hang body parts off of ledges when sitting high?

Oh and there is also my first glimpse impression. Overall picture I think there could be some MC in her. But many domestics will have MC features, but not be MC in the slightest. Papers are the only way to be certain.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

#1 thing that a person thinks when they look at a MCC in person is that this is a 
"Sturdy" cat, petite, small and slender are not traits of the Maine ****.
MCC have a rectangular body shape when viewed from the side, their tail should be as long as their body to their neck.
The also have a shag coat, shorter on the top and longer on the bottom.
You can Google Maine **** Cat traits and get more information.
Regardless of her back ground you have a lovely Tortie, I'm very partial to the
Parti-colored girls, my Samantha was a Blue Torbie (Patched Tabby) and just the most wonderful cat imaginable.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

She's a beautiful longhair Tortie DLH (Domestic Longhair). _Cooncatbob _has given some significant differneces. Unless she's a purebred registered Maine **** with at least a 5-generation pedigree of Maine ****'s she's not a Maine ****. I love torties and her coloring is gorgeous!


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## The Divine Miss M (Oct 4, 2011)

With all the people that allow cats outside (no judgement here I do too) unaltered (What are you thinking? - outside = SNIP, heck inside = SNIP), it is entirely possible that she is part Maine ****. She's not a Maine ****, but she could be part. I think that's what you're asking, is it possible for their to be Maine **** somewhere in her ancestry? Please correct me if I'm wrong.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

The Divine Miss M said:


> With all the people that allow cats outside (no judgement here I do too) unaltered (What are you thinking? - outside = SNIP, heck inside = SNIP), it is entirely possible that she is part Maine ****. She's not a Maine ****, but she could be part. I think that's what you're asking, is it possible for their to be Maine **** somewhere in her ancestry? Please correct me if I'm wrong.


MCC are so popular and many many people are neglectful about getting their cat's spay and neutered.
But many reputable breeders of pure breed cats require as part of the contract that pet grade kittens be fixed before they will issue the papers.
This was my agreement with Samantha's breeder, I got her at 6 months and had her spayed at 8 months when she started yowling and acting the **** cat. I sent the breeder copies of the vet's invoice showing she'd been spay and I was sent Samatha's paper from the CFA ant the TICA.
But the answer to the original question is yes your cat could be part MCC but there's no way to be certain.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

The Divine Miss M said:


> With all the people that allow cats outside (no judgement here I do too) unaltered (What are you thinking? - outside = SNIP, heck inside = SNIP), it is entirely possible that she is part Maine ****. She's not a Maine ****, but she could be part. I think that's what you're asking, is it possible for their to be Maine **** somewhere in her ancestry? Please correct me if I'm wrong.


Yep, thats what i was wondering.

the issue of papers is interesting too. because we found her and brought her in, we have no background at all actually. so its really hard to say there. I dont think papers exist for cats that are only part specific breed, but you still never know, right?

she does have a fair amount of longer hairs sticking out in amongst the shorter (but still long) ones, not sure if thats what the other description, which i cant remember what it was at the moment, was describing. will have to check that out.


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## GrimalkinTheCheetoh (Sep 28, 2010)

I don't think she's got any Maine **** in her for one particular reason. There's one trait that's always present in Maine Coons and that's a distinctive "M" or "W" shaped mark on their forehead between their eyes. I'm sure there are exceptions, but for the most part, it's a good way to tell if it has Maine **** blood. Here's a couple pics of what I'm talking about.

http://mainecooncompanion.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/mature-tabby-maine-****.jpg











She looks like a beautiful Domestic Medium Hair Tortoise Shell.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

The M is part of a tabby pattern, has nothing to do with Maine ****. 



> A *tabby* is any cat that has a distinctive coat that features stripes, dots, lines or swirling patterns, usually together with an "M" mark on its forehead. Tabbies are sometimes erroneously assumed to be a cat breed. In fact, the tabby pattern is found in many breeds of cat, as well as among the general mixed-breed population.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

The vast majority of cats have no purebred lineage whatsoever. The world didn't start with 100 pure breeds and over time they interbred creating what are now known as domestics or moggies....it's the other way around...the general cat population existed and people created purebreds by taking a group of cats with similar characteristics and breeding them in a way that ensured certain traits were consistent. I recently read that something like only 2% of cats are purebred (or have a significant purebred lineage). In addition, purebred cats are much more likely to be spayed/neutered and (in the US) more likely not to be allowed outside unsupervised.

Take all of those factors into consideration and while it's possible, the likelihood of your cat having Maine **** in her is extremely low. Her size is the real indicator...you don't get full expression of some genes, like the coat, and complete non-expression of others, like size. She is part of the general population that has some similarities to Maine Coons (and Norwegian Forest Cats and every other long haired breed).




candes said:


> Did she or does she lay with her legs behind her? Does she cross her front paws more than most cats? Does she hang body parts off of ledges when sitting high?


I have never read that laying with legs behind is an MC trait...and Holly has never done that. And I've had several cats that hang body parts over ledges...what Holly does that seems to be unique MC is hang her head over the ledge...I call it her Kilroy pose.


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## nicole78 (Aug 13, 2011)

This' good to know. I too wondered if my cat had any MC in her. It's possible, but most likely she's just a Domestic Longhair.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

I saw a show last night on dogs. It is agreed by all they came from wolves. Then showed how they bred dogs for different abilities and appearances.

You can get the DNA on different breeds and their genetic strand will have common squences present for a particular breed. There is a study being done on "mutts" reading the DNA to see sequences to tell which combination of breeds made the particular look in the dog. Like curled tails, deep chests, shape of muzzles etc. 

Im sure the same applies to cats. So if you see a trait in your cat which is present in a particular breed, then yes it could be part Maine ****. I have an all black foster cat which I'm sure is part Maine ****. I saw a picture of a black Maine **** and Ace is exactly like this cat shown in a cat breed book. 

So papers aside, there is nothing wrong with wondering what breeeds influenced the look of your cat. Its kinda interesting.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Mitts & Tess said:


> wondering what breeeds influenced the look of your cat.


I look at it from the opposite direction...that the general population influenced the breeds.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

doodlebug said:


> I look at it from the opposite direction...that the general population influenced the breeds.


I was just repeating what I saw in the tv show last night following how they presented their conclusions. Im sure there is lots of ways to approach this. 

The beauty of our lack of pure bred kitties (compared to the more common availability many types of pure bred dogs) is that the gene pool is so big, so our "mutt" kitties aren't prone to the genetic diseases present in pure breds with limited gene pools. That is the downfall of manipulating breeds when ignorant people do it without a wide gene pool.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

Maine Coons are the 2nd most popular Purebred cat in the US, they're magnificent cat and wonderful pets so I don't find it's surprising that people with a large long haired cats wonder if it might be part Maine ****, there's a lot of mystic to the breed.
I was fortunate to have been owned by one of these cats for 15 1/2 years, not a day goes by when I don't miss my beloved Samantha, to me she was the epitome of feline grace and beauty.


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## GrimalkinTheCheetoh (Sep 28, 2010)

marie73 said:


> The M is part of a tabby pattern, has nothing to do with Maine ****.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

Sorry but "Cat's 101" isn't the ultimate authority.
My Chiquita absolutely has no Maine **** in her and has the "M" on her forehead.








Also non tabby Maine Coons do not have a "M" on their forehead.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Yup, *lots* of complaints about Cats 101 getting that wrong.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

The video is wrong.

All tabbies have an M on their forehead. 
All Maine Coons are tabbies (even the solid color ones...you can see a variation in the fur length and texture in an M shape).
But not all tabbies are Maine Coons so an M is not an indicator of being a Maine ****.

Bengals have M's on their foreheads and they are not Maine Coons.


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## GrimalkinTheCheetoh (Sep 28, 2010)

Ok, you convinced me. I was going off of what I had read. Sorry for the bad info.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

My simba has the M. and actually to look closely at Boo, in the little part of her forehead that is orange, you can see the M wanting to be there, but the black part is pure black.

The Tabby aspect is interesting too. I was actually always told Simba is an orange Tabby. So, with that not being the breed itself, what would he be called? (Hes a garfield type orange striped kitty)


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## LilyC (Aug 23, 2011)

Any breed of cat can be a tabby. It refers to the color pattern on the cat. So, Simba probably is a orange tabby. 

The "M" is not limited to Maine Coons. My Manx has a "M" on her forehead too.


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## binkyhoo (Feb 16, 2003)

I find that cats are a bit different than dogs in the way that there is not as much variety. I find it plausible to say my cat resembles a Maine ****, Not that she/he has any pure breeding. As far as the MCC I would look at the face, tail and the BIG FOOTIES.  You big snowshoe tufted toe kitty. I love that. Winter kitty.


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## christinaja (Aug 28, 2011)

Agreed about the "M". My Arwen is a full-blooded, registered Norwegian Forest Cat, and she has the M on her forehead. Frodo is a Maine **** mix, and he has the M. Draco is a moggie, and he has the M. Even Sasha has the M on her forehead, and if you look closely, she has very very faint stripes in her coat. Draco and Sasha likely have no MCC in them at all. It's all about the coat pattern. 

As for wondering about what breed your kitty is, there is nothing wrong with that at all. It's kind of fun, really. Boo is probably a DLH, but it does no harm to see if there are any characteristics that match up with known kitty breeds. There is no DNA test that can determine breed with cats yet, but since they have done it with dogs, I'm sure kitties aren't far behind! 

By the way, your Boo is a beautiful kitty.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

christinaja said:


> By the way, your Boo is a beautiful kitty.


thanks!!


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## Cats&Plants (Aug 20, 2011)

candes said:


> Does she cross her front paws more than most cats? Does she hang body parts off of ledges when sitting high?


Is this a MC trait? My Jordan does this ALL the time, the only cat I have met that crosses her paws, like she is a proper little lady lol. She is a solid and lean 15 pounds and has the ruff and long tail etc. I know she's not a purebred by any stretch of the imagination, I met her mother - who was just a regular DSH but we always wondered what her father was. It would make sense if she were part MC.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Crossed paws aren't a Maine **** thing. It's just adorable.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

If you have a Maine ****, it will more than likely exhibit the trait of crossing it's paws. But a cat that crosses it's paws doesn't necessarily have MC in it, even if it's a long haired cat. Maggie crosses her paws pretty regularly...she's definitely not a Maine ****.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

doodlebug said:


> If you have a Maine ****, it will more than likely exhibit the trait of crossing it's paws.


Oops. Learn something new every day! :grin:


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I think it's a trait shared by a lot of the long haired breeds.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

Boo does cross her front legs alot when sleeping/laying down. when she sits up her front feet are very together and proper. its quite cute


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