All about red Maine Coons: genetics, varieties and character of big cats with red color

Once you see a red Maine Coon, you will never be able to forget it. The bright red coat, tufts on the ears, strong paws and the unique expression of the regal face give this breed an extraordinary resemblance to cats from the wild. That is why the red Maine Coon is so popular among its brothers and among other pets.

Colors

In the Maykun family, cats of various colors are usually called “red”:

1. Red solid. The wool is almost uniformly dyed in a dark orange tone or brick color. The red color is the most beautiful and the streaks and stripes on the muzzle, tail, and paws are very clearly visible. This is a manifestation of the tabby gene.
2. Red brindle. Dark stripes are clearly visible on the fur, which gives the Maine Coon a resemblance to a tiger. Dark spots may also appear. The patterns combine stripes and spots, together leaving something like picturesque stains on the wool, reminiscent of the texture of marble.
3. Red smoky. These cats have white hairs at the roots and bright orange hairs at the ends. There are also variations - when only half of the hair is dyed; shaded - with a quarter of colored hair; chinchillas - only an eighth of the hair is colored, the rest is white.
4. Red with white. The location, shape and size of spots on red-white wool give various color combinations: bicolor - white and red equally; van – ears, head and tail are orange, everything else is white; harlequin - there are a number of red spots on the body; red with white medallion - there is a white spot on the chest; red with white buttons – there are a few white spots; red with white gloves – the cat’s paws have neat white “socks”; red with white tuxedo - white collar on the neck and white “socks” on the paws.
5. Cream. Animals of this color have soft pastel peach colored fur. Like other red cats, these individuals have clearly distinguishable patterns on their fur - stripes and spots. Pure cream color is very rare. If the pattern is very obvious, then the Maine Coon is called brindle, classic tabby, marbled or spotted. If the hairs at the root are white, then it is a silver color. As an option - cream marble silver. Cream cats are also smoky - the pattern is barely visible, but the fur is painted white at the base. You can also find cream-white Maine Coons, they have white spots on their fur.

Below in the photo you can see the variety of shades.

Red solid.

Red brindle.

Red smoky.

Red with white.

Cream.

The red Maine Coon is no different in size from its black or silver counterparts.

An animal of this breed can reach 10 kilograms or more, on average males weigh 8 kilograms, cats - about 5 kilograms, and stop growing by the age of 4 years.

Meet Pavel Volya's cat - Boomer and other star PURS (Part 2)

Pavel Volya from the Comedy Club has a large mega cat of the Maine Coon breed living at home. A huge black cat named Boomer, according to the comedian, weighs at least 20 kilograms and eats more food than Pavel himself did in his student years.

Of course, the artist is exaggerating - cats of this breed weigh on average 10-12 kilograms, and Boomer looks gigantic against the backdrop of the puny comedian. The cat's size also has its advantages, Pavel jokes - Boomer will never shit in his shoes, because he simply won't fit in them.

Katy Perry and her cats Krusty and Kitty Purry

The singer dreams of becoming a cat in her next life, wears cat outfits to concerts and enjoys communicating with her two pets - Kitty Purry (literal translation - something like “Purring Cat”) and Krusty.

Striped Kitty appears in the singer's videos and goes on tour with her. The cat even inspired Katie to create her own perfume, Purr, with a bottle cap in the shape of a cat's head. And the gray-and-white cat Krusty took part in the creation of the singer’s next fragrance, “Meow.”

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus is known for her love of animals - either a dog or a pig. But recently the scandalous singer got her own fluffy cloud - a snow-white kitten named Shanti Om.

The first word in the name of the Persian cat translates as “peace,” and Miley tried to make her pet famous throughout the world. He has every chance of becoming an Instagram star - his personal page @shantiombb already has almost 130 thousand subscribers. Charming Shanti lives like a king: her own room, three cribs to choose from, hundreds of toys and a private bathroom.

Victoria Bonya and the cat Sultan

Star and TV presenter Victoria Boni had a cat for 10 thousand euros. The exotic Savannah cat was not her first pet. She and her common-law husband Alex already had a cat, Luna, and only next to her could Victoria’s beloved one calmly fall asleep. But the cat died, and the couple immediately began looking for a replacement. The three-month-old exotic beauty immediately won the hearts of Victoria and her fans.

Even the nickname was chosen by the whole world. The options of naming the cat Cash (they gave so much money) or Schumacher (and it can be shortened to Shukher due to his playful nature) did not catch on. The exotic cat was named Sultan, but he soon had to be given away due to Victoria’s boyfriend’s allergies.

We invite you to check out the first part of our selection of celebrity cats, where you will see the furry pets of Karl Lagerfeld, Taylor Swift, Dita Von Teese and handsome Ian Somerhalder! PreviousPreviousRead another storyNext

Meet Pavel Volya's cat - Boomer and other star PURS (Part 2)

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What can you call it?

A difficult choice for owners is what name to choose for a bright red cat or a girl cat. Owners of Maine Coons recommend taking a closer look at the new family member, studying his character and then naming him. The name of a red Maine Coon may differ from the one given to him in the kennel at birth.

Purebred cats have a passport with their name already indicated. The nickname consists of the name of the nursery, the name of the letter indicating the number of litters by mother and the name of the breed.

You can give a nickname that will match the color. For example, Leo or Twinkle (Spark - from English). The color of the pet can suggest other names:

1. Red - red.
2. Orange - orange.
3. Goldie is gold.
4. Fox.
5. Fire - fire.
6. Peach.
7. Pink - pink.
8. Fox.
9. Ruby.
10. Scarlett is scarlet.
11. Ruddy is ruddy.
12. Tabby.

Scottish names are very suitable for ginger cats, for example:

1. Gregor.
2. Maxwell.
3. Hectorina.
4. Kirsty.
5. Lenox.
6. Alice.
7. Douglas.

The combination of playfulness of color (or tenderness - in the case of cream) and character traits - independence, masculinity - can be reflected precisely in the animal’s name. The main thing is that the name is sonorous, easy to pronounce and succinct. Maine Coons are close to dogs in their character and love of humanity; they need communication with people, and the easiest way to establish a connection with a pet is to call it by name more often.

Maine Coons are excellent at distinguishing intonations and human speech. It is better from a young age to teach the animal to respond to its own name, and not to sounds (for example, “ks - ks”).

Appearance

In different standards, the description of the exterior and character of the Maine Coon breed is not too different. Let's take the European WCF system as a basis, as the most common.

Description of the breed according to the WCF standard

• Body. Muscular, elongated and wide. Rectangular.
• Rib cage. Wide.
• Head. Medium size. Almost square in shape with high cheekbones.
• Scull. Massive.
• Muzzle. With curved profile.
• Nose. Middle length.
• Chin. Massive. Located in line with the upper jaw and nose.
• Ears. Large triangular ones. Planted high and upright. With or without tassels on the tips. The presence of tassels is desirable.
• Eyes. Slanting, oval, widely spaced. The eye color should be in harmony with the color of the cat.
• Neck. Middle length.
• Limbs. Out of proportion to the body, large and muscular.
• Paws. Large, round. There are tufts of fur between the toes.
• Tail. Fluffy and big. Wide at the base, tapering towards the tip. The length of the tail can reach at least the cat's shoulders.
• Wool. Fluffy and very thick. Waterproof. The hair in the head and neck area is of medium length. It is desirable to have a “mane” in the neck area. The “pants” and belly are decorated with long, thick undercoat.
• Color. Solid colors (black, white, red), merle, tortoiseshell, tabby (brindle), tricolor are allowed. Unacceptable: chocolate, lilac, fawn, cinnamon (cinnamon), color point.
• Weight. adult cats can reach up to 9-12 kilograms.
• Height at the withers. From 25 to 45 cm.
• Average life expectancy. Cats – 14 – 16 years old. Males – 12 – 15 years old.

Cost and where can I buy?

The price of a ginger kitten will depend on the color scheme. If the color is interesting and rare, the animal will cost more. Red Maine Coons are highly valued among breeders of this breed. The most expensive ones are red solid color, without a pattern. A silver and smoky Maine Coon will cost its owner 20 - 25 thousand rubles.

Even if the animal is not for exhibitions (the so-called pet class) but is of a rare color, its price will not fall less than 20 thousand rubles.

A red or cream tabby pet will cost less. A marbled cream or brindle red Maine Coon is estimated at 10-15 thousand rubles and more. White and red cats cost the same (if their color variations are not rare). The price of a kitten will decrease as it gets older. The most expensive animal is from 3 months. The older the Maine Coon, the lower its cost. Purebred Maine Coons from high-quality parents reach prices of up to 100 thousand rubles.

You can buy a kitten:

1. Hand-picked at an exhibition, from breeders.
2. In a local nursery (after finding it through an exhibition, on the Internet). You can choose from already born kittens or reserve a litter that is just expected.
3. In a nursery abroad. The practice of ordering kittens from other cities and even countries is extremely common. If a future owner is looking for a purebred animal, he can order it from a specific breeder and from specific parents.

It is not recommended to take a kitten by hand, on the market, or via the Internet from unverified breeders. There is a high probability of mixed breeds and fake documents. Nurseries that raise Maine Coons very carefully monitor the fate and reproduction of all their pets. A purebred Maine Coon is a guarantee of breed standards, outstanding appearance and a flexible but independent disposition.

What color Maine Coon is better to choose?

Color, as one of the main details of the exterior, determines the price of a Maine Coon, which is why kittens of the same litter cost differently. Buyer interest is due to two circumstances: the fashion for Maine Coons themselves and a certain color trend.

Now, thanks to the blue Maine Coon Non-plus-Ultra, which appears in commercials, blue solid cats have no competition. This is not surprising - blue solids look amazing, but they are also very expensive in nurseries.

Fans of mysticism and Bulgakov adore cats that are completely black, shell out fantastic money for them and give them infernal names. Slightly lower in the popularity ranking are white solid, snow-white Maine Coons, which might have been ahead of black ones if not for the persistent thesis about a potential hearing disorder.

Cream and red giants are also damn attractive, whose monochrome color slightly disturbs the residual tabby, which is why they still lose to black and blue solids.

If you need a cat with an aura of mystery, take a smoky kitten, whose fur seems to glow from within. Once you learn how to care for such fur, your pet will look no worse than the hyped blue Maine Coons.

Bicolors and harlequins are chosen much less often, which is due to the very unsuccessful play of spots, which do not always form an attractive pattern. And if you accidentally overdo it with white, you can fall out of favor with experts at exhibitions.

People who believe in omens will definitely choose a tortoiseshell-colored cat, which can bring harmony and happiness to the house.

Character traits

Red Maine Coons are distinguished by their intelligence.
It is believed that redhead means cunning, savvy.

Cats of this color confirm this fact.

They are loyal to people, patient, and feel good in the company of children.

Red Maine Coons need their own space, they are proud animals, at the same time, they easily tolerate changes in environment and react well to strangers. Maine Coons respond well to training and education. They don't like loneliness. It is not recommended to let cats of this breed out on their own - only on a harness and with the owner.

Origin story

The history of the origin of all native cat breeds, including the giant Maine Coons, is shrouded in legends and myths.

The first hypothesis about how this breed appeared dates back to the times of the Vikings, when they conquered new lands. In the year 1000, warriors traveled on their boats to the New World, and with them the ancestors of Norwegian forest cats got there. However, the Vikings were soon forced to return to the old continent. But the cats stayed for a long time, and as a result of crossing with local cats, the Maine Coon appeared.

The second version dates back to the time of the French Revolution, when Queen Marie Antoinette planned her escape from Paris (1793). She sent her cats to Captain Samuel Clough's sailing ship in advance. The couple of monarchs did not manage to leave France, but the animals safely reached the shores of the United States in Maine. There the cats received new blood from local animals, which became the basis for the formation of a new breed.

Another legend says that Maine Coons are the offspring of a domesticated cat and a wild Manx raccoon.

Objective data about Maine Coons appeared only at the beginning of the twentieth century, when “The Book of the Cat” by the American Frances Simpson was published in 1903. In it, the author described in detail both her own pets and the animals that belonged to her friends. The beginning of the story dates back to 1861, which became the main starting point in the biography of this extraordinary breed. Then there are almost no blank spots left in the Maine Coon chronicle:

1. Beginning in 1860, Maine farmers exhibited local cats during the annual fair.
2. Most of all, Maine Coons were valued not for their external qualities, but for their incomparable ability to hunt rodents - the large cat easily coped with the invasion of mice in grain barns.
3. In 1895, 12 Maine Coons took part in the first national North American show - the cat Cozy from Maine was named the winner of this show.

Then history made an unpleasant zigzag - in the twentieth century, the large Maine Coon breed was almost destroyed by the expansion of the Persians and Turkish Angora cats. In 1911, the aborigines took a prize for the last time at an exhibition in Portland and disappeared from the field of view of felinologists for 40 years.

The big cats were rescued in the same place where their lineage began - in the agricultural regions of America. Farmers were indifferent to fashion trends, but they were concerned about the safety of the crop. So the Maine Coons did what they knew how to do best - catch rodents.

In 1976, the breed was completely restored, it returned to international exhibitions and from that time on never disappeared. Another 9 years later (1985), Maine Coons were recognized as the official state cat of Maine.

This is interesting! Red Maine Coons belong to the group of “talkative” cats. They masterfully control their voice and love to purr loudly, meow in every way, and sometimes even imitate the sounds of the surrounding nature.

Care

Red or cream Maine Coon require special care, if only because the condition of its coat (and therefore its beauty) directly depends on its health and living conditions. What you should pay attention to:

1. He needs specialized food (for purebred cats, with a composition of 50% meat), feeding with natural products - fermented milk, vegetables, fruits, cereals, eggs.
2. The red Maine Coon should be brushed 2-3 times a week, and daily during the molting period.
3. Bathe no more often than once every two months with a special shampoo.
4. Monitor the absence of lice, fleas, and other parasites.
5. A kitten and even an adult animal require constant movement, they are active, love to play and run. This develops their musculoskeletal system, body, and nervous system.
6. Love and affection contribute to the good appearance of the Maine Coon. Stress makes the fur dull.

Genetics of color

Maine Coons have only two genetic colors: black and red. The remaining colors are artificially bred by breeders, and they are based on these two natural colors.

Important : most breeders use a special color chart to determine the future color of kittens.

There are certain rules when breeding red Maine Coon kittens:

• When mating a ginger cat with a cat of a different color, the kittens will not inherit a uniform red color. Most likely, their color will be tortoiseshell;
• When mating a red cat with a cat of a different color, the kittens will be born completely red.

Character and habits characteristic of the breed

Black Maine Coons have not only a memorable appearance, but also a special character.

In the cat's soul of these charming giants, even mature and respectable ones, live small playful kittens. The good-natured disposition and curiosity of Maine Coons make them everyone's favorites. Playful and playful, these animals, due to their gigantic size, often find themselves in humorous situations.

Many people are afraid to come into contact with Maine Coons, believing that animals of this size are capable of causing, if not fatal, injuries in the form of scratches or noticeable bites. However, these cats are very affectionate and friendly and will never resort to using their claws without special reasons.

Maines adore their family, but can be wary of strangers. The furry beauties' favorite pastime is to take a nap in the sun, including in the fresh air. But if the owner is in the mood to play with the pet, the giants will never miss such a wonderful opportunity to frolic.

Maine Coons do not tolerate loneliness well. Therefore, people who are always busy and are rarely at home should not have animals.

Random color combination

For some reason, the color orange is traditionally considered in its pure form, but in reality it is rare. Most often, this shade appears in Maine Coons in white and red combinations, and forms combinations of various shapes and proportions:

• Tortoiseshell color - alternating red and black spots over the entire surface of the Maine Coon's coat. It consistently appears in female cats, while male cats get it in the only case - if they have an extra X chromosome and the entire sex formula looks not XY, but XXY. In this variant, Oo genes are added to these two XX and the coloring becomes tortoiseshell. Maine Coon males with this color are born sterile.
• Bicolor - a combination of white and red with a tabby pattern. The ideal color is a white chest, belly and paws on the inside. There may be a light, closed collar on the neck and a flame on the muzzle. The entire upper part of the Maine Coon (head, back, tail) should be covered with a basic red color. The genetic formula of red bicolors is written as aaOO/YD-Ss. The final gene designations Ss are responsible for white spotting.
• Tortoiseshell bicolors combine the first two points, but in fact already show three colors - white, black and red.
• A large group of cats with insignificant inclusions of white on the main red color is considered separately. The spots are classified as medallions, buttons, gloves, cap/saddle.

White-red (red) Maine Coons in any combination of colors look very elegant and even defiant. And if you add a powerful body, stern eyes and tufted ears to the portrait, you get an unusually beautiful large cat.

Tabby

This type of coloring is present in all representatives of the Maine Coon breed, but may not be expressed in a bright form. This color is a genetic predisposition. A cat's hair has its own zoning or striping. The wild ancestors were tabbies, which was inherited by modern representatives. There are various options for this design.

Classic, spotted and brindle tabby

Characterized by wide stripes of a spiral shape. They are usually located on the sides of the animal, and can resemble marble stains. Spotted tabbies have intermittent stripes or spots of color throughout the animal's body. The brindle tabby is similar to the brindle coloring - vertical stripes along the entire length of the body.

Ticked Tabby

These cats have no stripes or spots at all. The fur has a peculiar pattern on the face, paws, and chest. Ticking is the distribution of pigment along the hair. The tip has a rich shade, gradually losing brightness towards its root.

Health and feeding

The Maine Coon breed is characterized by excellent health. With proper care, timely vaccinations and a balanced diet, they almost never get sick.

Important : kittens are given the first vaccination at two months of age, the second at 3 months, and the third at 1 year.

Despite the good health of cats, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian at the slightest discomfort. Especially if your pet has:

• vomiting and diarrhea;
• cough and sneezing;
• discharge from the eyes;
• lack of appetite;
• dulling or hair loss.

Special attention is paid to the nutrition of Maine Coons. Their diet should be balanced, and with the required amount of vitamins and minerals. Adult cats are recommended to buy premium food. They contain a high percentage of meat and all the beneficial substances are present.

If it has been decided to feed the kitten natural food, the diet should contain:

• meat products (beef or chicken);
• quail or chicken eggs. No more than 1-2 times a week;
• fermented milk products: kefir, cheese, yogurt;
• cereals: buckwheat, oatmeal;
• vegetables and fruits: carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers.

Attention : cats should not be given sour cream, yoghurt, fermented baked milk and cream, as they often contain harmful additives.

This breed is very sensitive to water quality. The drinking bowl should always be filled with fresh and clean water. It is advisable that the water be filtered or settled.

Important : It is not recommended to give boiled water to Maine Coons. It ruins their teeth.

Varieties of coloring

The classic color of red Maine Coons is solid red. This is the name for uniform coat color - bright brick or rich orange. Interspersed with white, stripes and stains on the body, tail, paws and head are allowed.

Experts distinguish the following color varieties of the breed:

• brindle - the presence of dark, clear stripes characteristic of tigers;
• spotted - torn stripes and spots;
• marbled - the presence of stains appearing in the red fur;
• smoky - the roots of the hairs have a white tint, and the tips are red.

Smoky, in turn, are divided into:

• standard - the approximate ratio of white and red is 50/50;
• chinchilla - 1/8 of the hair is dyed red, the rest is white;
• shaded - 1/4 of the hairs are colored red.

There are often cases of two-tone white and red coloring of Maine Coons. Depending on the proportions of the combination of white and red, two-color Maine Coons are divided into:

• bicolor - distribution of white and red colors in a ratio of 50/50;

• van - only the ears and head are colored red, sometimes also the tail;

• harlequin - only a few red spots are noticeable on the body;

• white medallion - a red cat, with a beautiful white spot on its chest and white socks on its paws;

• white tuxedo - red color throughout the cat's body, with the exception of the white collar and white socks on the paws.