Smoky Maine Coon - characteristics and description of the breed

The ideal cat for home keeping is considered to be the Black Smoke Maine Coon, whose appearance is mesmerizing. The most valuable coat color among representatives of the breed is deep black. Animals are endowed with a good-natured character, a gentle and kind disposition. The Maine Coon cat is large in size, naturally well-mannered, graceful, and behaves proudly and independently.

Description and appearance

Approved breed standards

The presence of several extra toes on a Maine Coon cat's paws is not considered a “defect.”
The body weight of cats reaches 15 kilograms, and that of females up to 10-13. These animals are not artificially bred, the breed is of natural origin. Maine, where cats originate, has a cold climate. For this reason, nature has endowed them with a dense, thick coat with a warm undercoat that protects them from freezing. The main feature of the breed is considered to be the polydactyl nature of the cats. Cats can have up to 2-3 extra toes on their paws, however, this is not a breed defect.

How would this be scientific?

The types of colors of Maine Coon cats in the unified international EMS system are assigned codes consisting of letters and numbers, each of which indicates a particular color characteristic:

• main color

• presence and type of white spots

• the presence of a pattern on the fur and its appearance

• eye color (not always indicated)

In terms of primary color, the following Maine Coon colors are allowed: black, white, red, blue, cream, cream-blue and tortoiseshell. Shades of chocolate and cinnamon are strictly prohibited for Maine Coons.

Character and behavior

Representatives of the Black Smoke Maine Coon breed are endowed with a kind, playful, affectionate character. They become strongly attached to their owner and require attention and care on his part. The main feature of pets is the ability to “talk”. Cats make sounds that are not like meowing, but can be compared to human conversation. Animals come to the place where the owner is resting and lie down next to him. They get along well with children, but are in no hurry to play with them.

Cats are independent, proud individuals. They will never touch the bowl of other animals in the house, will not take the owner's food from the table and will not beg. They love to have fun with toys, they quickly flirt, and the ball is especially interesting for them. Maine Coons Black Smoke do not tolerate parting well with their owner, even if he leaves for a short time, they are seen off at the door and always greeted.

If there is a need to go on a business trip, it is recommended to think through options with whom to leave a representative of the breed, otherwise he may get bored.

Training and education

You should try to accustom representatives of this breed to communicate with other people and animals as early as possible. As already mentioned, Maine Coons are cats that have a high level of intelligence, so you will need to take their training seriously.

They can be taught to perform many different commands by choosing the right teaching methodology. So, if an animal shows good results, then it needs to be encouraged. Price

If you want to buy yourself a Maine Coon, then first you need to check such a pet for the presence of various genetic diseases.

Recently, quite a few nurseries have appeared where you can choose a cat of this particular breed. They are expensive pets. So, for a Maine Coon the price can be from 200 to 2000 dollars.

Varieties

The color of animals can be of various shades, which are inherited, for example, black solidus is considered rare.
The coat color of Maine Coons has a rich palette of shades: blue, cream (beige), tortoiseshell, red (red), snow-white, black. Cats with dark hair are available in 3 varieties:

• Black solid. Maine Coon kittens with black colors are considered rare. They have a shade of fur that is the same rich color all over the body. There are pigments in the animal's body that are responsible for color. Thus, eumelanin is responsible for black color, and pheomelanin is responsible for light colors. Scientists studying the characteristics of this breed have concluded that the set of chromosomes is interconnected with the gender of the newborn baby, which means the color is inherited from mother to son.
• Black marble. The Maine Coon cat is not completely dark; breed standards allow streaks in the colors of the coat. Irregular lines shimmer in a variety of shades and create an unusual pattern on the fur. For this reason, cats are called marbled cats.
• Smoky. The black smoke cat differs from its fellow cats by having white roots in its fur. All other fibers are dark in color, the bottom of the pile is white-gray, and the roots must be white. When stripes and marbled spots are present on the coat, the color is called black silver tabby or “marble on silver.” This pattern has no clearly defined boundaries. Cats are divided into several more subspecies depending on the length of the white part of the coat: shaded smoke (25% dark hairs, 75% light at the roots);
• smoky (fur color 50/50);
• chinchilla - the main part of the coat is white and gray.

How much do black Maine Coons cost?

It is believed that the most popular color of a fluffy fur coat is black, and black silver and smoky cats are especially held in high esteem. The price of such beauties in nurseries depends on many factors:

• Age of the animal
  – kittens from 2 to 5 months are the most expensive (they quickly get used to a new home and new owner’s hands). Adult cats taken out of breeding can be sold for a symbolic sum of several thousand rubles;
• Typically, a black Maine Coon cat costs more than a cat
  of the same color. It is boys who are in greater demand due to their luxurious and impressive appearance and playful character;
• Belonging to a certain class.
  Without claiming awards and titles, you can also purchase a pet cat that has minor flaws in appearance (small ears, light bones, etc.). If you want your pet to take part in exhibitions and possibly be allowed to breed, you will have to spend money on a breed cat (for example, with slight flaws in color). Well, the most expensive Maine Coon is a show-class animal, whose data is as close as possible to those indicated in the breed Standard.

So, the cost of a pet kitten in nurseries starts from 10 thousand rubles. For a breed-class baby you will have to say goodbye to an amount of 20-25 thousand rubles or more. A show-class animal will cost 50-70 thousand rubles or more.

By the way, you can buy a black Maine Coon both through the Internet and at the poultry market very cheaply - for 5 thousand rubles or less. However, there is no certainty that a purebred and healthy kitten will be sold there. Unfortunately, there are cases when, under the guise of a Maine Coon, a half-breed cat or even a mongrel furry baby was given to gullible buyers for a lot of money. So you will still have to go to a breeding nursery to get a black Maine Coon, especially if you want to purchase an animal for breeding work or to participate in competitions.

Contents: how to care for a cat?

After the owners have brought the pet home, it is not recommended to carry out bathing procedures for several weeks in order to protect the animal from stress. You can only comb the coat using a hard specialized brush once a week. It is necessary to purchase a scratching post for your pet, making sure to pay attention to the strength and height of the product. After adaptation, it is important to bathe the animal. The adoption of water procedures should be carried out with shampoos and conditioners, after which the pet must be wiped dry with a warm terry towel. If there are fleas in your cat's fur, or to prevent their appearance, you should use specialized medications. Experts do not recommend bathing Maine Coons with black smoke before and after vaccination and if the cat has had any illness. It is necessary to clean the eyes and ears as they become dirty with cotton pads or a soft cloth moistened with warm water.

What are the conditions for keeping the animal?

When deciding to adopt a large pet into the family, you should take care of creating a suitable corner in the house. It is best to consult with breeders which hygiene and interior items are ideal for the needs of a black Maine Coon. The cat will feel better if the owner takes care of the following things:

What colors are considered the most expensive and respectable?

The fashion for the color of cats changes over the years. Either red marble soars in price, or Harlequin. Colors can be truly rare and original. But the value of animals is not in them, but in their health and breed characteristics.

A cat is a friend, a family member. It doesn't matter what his fur is. They choose a friend with their hearts and for a long time, and the colors are all good in their own way.

Cheaply choose and acquire a friend in the Lakiss nursery, Novosibirsk. For example, a black marble male kitten costs 5,000 rubles.*

Kittens are delivered to any city in Russia and abroad by the AKBARS nursery in the city of Ufa. They are purebred with passports and pedigree. The average price is 15 thousand rubles.

What to feed?

First, select the necessary utensils for food and water. It must be very heavy so that it cannot be turned over. The main diet must include meat and dairy products, as well as vegetables and grains. The food can be combined with dry food only of the highest quality.

You cannot add spices to food, especially salt and sugar. For proper digestion, the Maine Coon needs greens. Avoid street grass. An alternative would be home-sown grass. Do not forget about anthelmintic drugs for preventive purposes.

Beautiful raccoons drink only purified water. Based on this, try to place the bowl of water away from the food to avoid pieces of food getting into the liquid and vice versa.

In general, Maine Coons are not picky eaters. The main thing is not to allow yourself to eat unhealthy, or too cold or hot food.