The Maine Coon cat is usually 15-25 pounds and has a long, shaggy coat. They are a cross between the domesticated cats brought to North America by European settlers and the wild cats that lived near the farms of New England. The Maine Coon is recognized for its intelligence, athletic ability, gentle disposition, curiosity, and love of water.
Maine Coons are large, longhaired cats with a gentle disposition. They are one of the most popular breeds in the world and are known for their intelligence and friendly personality. The Maine Coon is such an intelligent animal that it can be trained to perform various tasks, including fetching, hunting, and herding. Their gentle disposition makes them an excellent choice f
Tabby Pat Maine Coon cats are one of the most popular breeds in the United States. They come with three tabby pattern: classic, mackerel, and spotted. Maine Coons are especially popular for their captivating green eyes, their fluffy fur, and the exceptional size of their paws. The patterns are as follows:
Jump to:
- Classic Tabby Pattern
- Mackerel Tabby Pattern
- Spotted Tabby Pattern
- Some Stories of Tabby Cats Having M
- Mark M from Mary
- Mark M from the Moon
- Tabby Cat that is Named Mother
- The Story of Prophet Muhammad and His cat
- Ancient Egyptian Cat
- Master of the House
- Mouse Catcher
- Mysterious
- Other Cat Breeds With an M On Their Forehead
- How Do You Distinguish Them?
- Some Interesting Facts about Tabby Maine Coon Cats
- Is Maine Coon Cats Protective For Their Owners?
- Conclusion
Classic Tabby Pattern
The classic pattern is characterized by a long, dense coat that is thick and plush on the back and sides of the cat. The markings are well-defined and shaped like a cap or bonnet on the head. The stripes down
Mackerel Tabby Pattern
The mackerel pattern is characterized by thin lines that form an M shape over the forehead. This pattern also has stripes down its back, but they are not as defined as those of a classic tabby cat.
Spotted Tabby Pattern
The spotted pattern is characterized by small spots all over its body, with no other markings or striping on its coat, but they have tabby facial imprints.
Some Stories of Tabby Cats Having M
The M gene mutation causes a dark stripe to appear on the forehead of an otherwise tabby cat.
The M gene mutation is so rare that it has never been observed in the wild. It is so rare, in fact, that it has been found in only one individual with a dark stripe on its forehead. The M gene mutation is also always passed down from the mother, meaning that this trait will only be found in females. There are many myths that are generated by people and seem to be most popular:
Mark M from Mary
There is a Christian belief that the M on the Maine coon cats come from Mary. So, according to this belief, it has been thought that Mary would swaddle Jesus in different blankets to keep him warm, but he would remain in his crib and cry of cold, shivering. So Mary thought of another idea, she called animals to gather together so that they could create heat and keep Jesus warm, but this idea also failed.
Watching all this, a Tabby cat was noticing all these efforts, so she came to his crib and lay beside him, and started purring. Her purring created a warm atmosphere, and this made Jesus warm, and he was relaxed and slept peacefully throughout the night. Mary was full of pride for that cat, as that Tabby cat has kept her baby warm and helped him fall asleep.
So to thank that Tabby cat, Mary gently stroked the cat, she stroked her in that way in the forehead that the cat's brow made a letter M. This letter M showed her own way of thanking and is thought in that way, that people will remember this act as a Tabby cat saved Jesus from cold and provided him warmth.
Mark M from the Moon
Have you ever wondered that a cat's eye looks reflecting during daytime and it looks luminous during the night? Well, Egyptians took this fact and said that there is some connection between the cat's eyes and that of the moon.
The M on every Tabby cat is, therefore, a way of saying that the cat has somewhat a link with the moon.
Tabby Cat that is Named Mother
According to some people, there was a writer Jim Willis, who wrote a book, the story of that book was, there was a Tabby cat, and her name was Mother, she visited another tabby cat whose name was Bast. This Tabby cat Bast was the cat of sun goddess Ra, who said that all tabby cats must have an M letter on their forehead. So it is thought that this M is marked as the kindness from the Mother Tabby cat.
The Story of Prophet Muhammad and His cat
This story is originated from the Islamic religion that Prophet Muhammad had a cat named Muezza; according to this, there are two stories that support this:
This story tells how Muhammad used to love cats so much that once he was being called for prayer, and his cat Muezza was sleeping on his robe, he didn't want to wake his cat, so he cut his sleeve of the robe so that the cat doesn't wake up and he could go for the prayer.
This other story tells that his cat Muezza saved his life from a poisonous snake, which entered his sleeve, and Muhammad didn't notice it. Muezza killed that poisonous snake and saved how his life. So to show his love for his cat, he drew an M on his forehead to show love and show the world how much he loved his cat.
Ancient Egyptian Cat
According to this myth, the people of Ancient Egypt call their cats Mau. The reason is still not known about this, but people have thought that there might be a link between a cat's meow and this word Mau. So, according to this, Tabby cats have M, which stands for the word Mau.
Master of the House
M, in some theories, may mean as master of the house. Red Tabby acts as a master of the house, and don't forget that he is the master of the house, and he owns us!
Mouse Catcher
Maine coons are very good at hunting; they hear the sound of a mouse and catch them instantly at first sight. The owner knows their voice when they have caught a mouse between their jaws.
Mysterious
M can also mean Mysterious as they possess mysterious behavior, like spying the house and roaming around after every few hours or urgently going to the bathroom when you are doing some work.
Other Cat Breeds With an M On Their Forehead
All the Tabby cats, no matter whatever their breed is, have a unique kind of M on their foreheads, but M is not specific on just Tabby cats; other cat breeds can also have this feature.
How Do You Distinguish Them?
There are certain parameters that aid in analyzing them; these include cat's size, fur, paws, eyes, ears, or even tail, but Genetic testing is the only method that distinguishes whether you have a mixed Maine coon cat or some other breed.
Some Interesting Facts about Tabby Maine Coon Cats
They possess a high intelligence level and are very affectionate. They can be trained for simple tricks, play and fetch. They are very friendly and social and easily get along with people. They are excellent hunters.
The Maine coon cats look giant and have rectangular body shapes; they are very hairy and have a thick silky undercoat, with thick, long, and furry tails. Their lifespan is 13 to 14 years. They weigh around 15 to 25 pounds, but some may grow more than this weight range.
Is Maine Coon Cats Protective For Their Owners?
Maine Coons are very protective towards their owners; they love their owners and love to be with owners. If they know that anything is suspicious, they become extra protective of them, just like dogs. That's why they are often called dogs of cat breeds.
Maine Coon Cats are more intelligent than other animals, they don't show very complex emotions, but they understand who is more caring towards them. They become best friends with the person who brings them food and water and play with them.
Conclusion
Now, the question is, do all Maine Coon cat breeds have this M on their foreheads? The answer to this question is, No, they do not! This M marking is only visible on Tabby Maine Coon cats. Tabby is not actually the color; it is the pattern. If you want to keep a Tabby Maine Coon cat but can't afford it, as it is very expensive, then you can buy a less expensive cat breed that possesses an M on its forehead.
There are many unique stories behind these cats; some are true, some might be myths, it's just the way people look at their cats, though no one knows the actual cause of this thing.