Maine Coon who is this?

 Origin story

Maine Coon ancestors were large cats that lived in the northern states of the United States.  These animals were a natural population in these areas, and their domestication and breeding began over 250 years ago.  "Maine Coon" is translated from English as "Manx raccoon", so Maine Coons are also called the Manx raccoon.  Due to the similarity of these animals with raccoons, several legends have even developed about their origin.  Someone is sure that the ancestors of Maine Coons were an ordinary domestic cat and a female raccoon.  And it is from the beast that cats inherited a gorgeous lush striped tail.  Others argue that Maine Coons evolved from the crossing of domestic striped cats with the North American lynx.  Maine Coon tufts serve as proof of this theory.  True, geneticists easily refute both of these theories - Maine Coons are the natural population of the American feline metropolis.  Initially, these cats were used as rat catchers on farms, sometimes even in those days they were taken out for this purpose on ships, often suffering from the invasion of rodents.

 Description

 Maine Coon is the largest cat breed in the world.  The body is powerful, rectangular, with a broad chest and massive head.  These animals finish their growth only at 3-5 years old, although they cannot be called the slowest growing breed.  A distinctive feature of the exterior is the tassels on the ears, reminiscent of lynxes, and a huge fluffy "raccoon" tail.  Cats are significantly smaller than cats, not only in adulthood, but also at birth.  On average, the difference in weight between females and males is a quarter.  Maine Coon's coat is subject to seasonal changes, like many native breeds.  In summer it is less thick and short, while in winter it turns into a chic fur coat.

Character

A distinctive feature of cats of this breed is independence.  They can keep people away from them, do not allow themselves to be stroked and generally impose their will on the inhabitants of the apartment.

But they note that at the same time, these cats are very touching and reverent for small children and willingly cooperate for playing with older children.

Maine Coons are very intelligent and remember commands well, like dogs.  They also very clearly capture intonations and changes in the owner's mood, while showing tact and understanding unusual for animals.  Maine Coon will not pester with communication or demand attention if the owner is not in the mood.

In general, the definition of "a cat that walks by itself" is fully consistent with the nature of this breed.  Although they behave as friendly with their owners (as a wild cat can be), they treat strangers with undisguised suspicion and coldness.