Maine Coon Cat

Penobscot Marine Museum

One of the most popular cat breeds in the United States is the Maine coon cat, which also happens to be the official cat of the State of Maine. While the breed almost certainly developed in Maine, its precise origins are debated, and some of the myths are wild: from the impossible interbreeding with raccoons to being descendants of Queen Marie Antoinette’s cats or the cats on Viking ships.

Other myths link Maine coons to North American bobcats or lynx because they share tufted ears and large size, though modern genetics points instead to domestic cats brought to New England by settlers from the United Kingdom.

What is known for sure is that by the 1800s, Maine coon cats were working cats prized for being excellent mousers with gentle personalities and, with their big paws and thick fur, the constitution to handle snow and cold.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust

Maine with pipe in mouth in front of a field holding a Maine Coon cat — Howard Reed Stevens (1877-1958) worked as a stationary clerk in 1900, and later as a composer, singer, and music teacher. He was the only child of Sarah & William Stevens of Portland. He posed with Sandy, his family’s Maine Coon. Maine Historical Society.

Oval portrait of a maine coon cat in a gilded gold frame — Sandy the cat, Portland, 1903. Sarah Stevens painted this portrait of Sandy after the cat died. She wrote, "My heart is broken, dear little friend, good-bye, Sandy Stevens, 1903" on the back of this artwork. Maine Historical Society.

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