緬因貓 （Maine Coon）
Maine
Coon
The
Maine Coon's easygoing nature makes it a fine companion
for children and other pets. Maine Coons are gentle, affectionate,
and playful. They are also good mousers and liketo retrieve
objects. They communicate with quiet, chirplike trills.
Appearance
The Maine Coon is a large cat, broad-chested and muscular,
with a long, rectangular body and a long, plumed tail.
The feet are round and tufted--well suited to snowy climates.
Large, tufted ears; large, wide-set eyes; and a regal
neck ruff contribute to the impressive aspect of this
American beauty.
The
Main Coon is traditionally a longhaired brown tabby with
a silky coat. The coat is heavy and water-resistant, with
hair longest on the tail, ruff, stomach, and hindquarters.
Maine Coons come in all patterns and colors except chocolate,
lilac, and Siamese point patterns.
Special
Gromming Nees The Maine Coon's coat will mat
unless it is groomed two or three times a week. Special
attention should be devoted to keeping the tail, ruff,
stomach, and hindquarters free of snarls and debris.
Origins
The Maine Coon's exact origins are not known. Contrary
to popular myth and the implications of the breed name,
the distinctively bushy, often ringed tail does not come
from crossing a cat with a raccoon (which is genetically
impossible). It is likely that the breed resulted from
intermixing between indigenous American shorthaired tabbies
and imported longhaired cats. Several historical accounts
link the origin of the Maine Coon with Angora cats that
were dispateched to North America by Marie Antoinette.
Another theory proposes that the Maine Coon's progenitors
were Norwegian Forest Cats brought to the Americas by
the Vikings. The breed's shaggy, water-resistant coat
is well suited to the long, harsh winters of Maine, where
farmers have long valued this cat's mousing ability.
Weight
14-18
lbs
- from
ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats (San Francisco: Chronicle
Books, 1999), page 122-123
緬因貓
英文名 Maine Coon
原產地 美國
歷史
緬因貓的發源地北美的緬因州，其歷史可追溯至1850年代，屬於北美誕生的最古老品種之一。以往的緬因州商貿繁盛，各國貨船都會雲集於此港口內，因而引入了不少稀奇的貓種。據說混種所生的貓隻中，只有緬因貓能抵受當地的嚴寒而得以生存。
特徵和性格
長長的被毛和臉孔充滿野性，站立時則予人高傲之感。然而性情溫和親切，喜歡靠近人類。平常文靜溫馴，但雄貓卻很喜歡被人逗玩或撫摸，討人開心。聰明外向，經常對外界保持敏銳的反應。由於祖先負責緬因貓會經常梳理自己的被毛，所以一到夏天較長的被毛會全部脫掉，明顯地露出粗毛。
外型
緬因貓擁有相當魁悟的體型，雄貓可達8公斤，雌貓則為5公斤。身體呈長方形，骨格結實而胸部寬厚，肌肉看來非常發達。
毛質和毛色
身上長有濃密豐厚的被毛，是為了抵抗嚴寒的氣候。毛質頗硬，頸毛特別茂密，耳朵亦長滿絨毛。主要毛色繁多，被公認的顏色約有30種，其中以褐色古典虎班最受歡迎，最具代表性的毛色是煙白色相間色。
飼養要點 必須抱著貓與人類平等的心態來飼養牠。
- from
寵物互動網
