White Maine Coons
White Maine Coons, A Part Of History
Copyright 1997
The white Maine Coons are direct descendents of the first Maine Coons. They also played
a part in the other Maine Coon colors, in the area of confirmation and coat, most probably.
Because of the nature of the dominant white gene, white Maine Coons (but only those from
Maine-origin bloodlines,) show their direct relationship to the first Maine Coons.
[A few examples are Snowball, the first cat from Snowball cattery, Le Beau Mineau foundation
whites, and the Kriscaj whites.]
Those that love the white Maine Coons will breed them out of love for them, just as those
who love the polydactls breed them out of love for them. As long as the cats can be
legitimately registered, they will continue to be bred, somewhere. This is true in all
aspects of our breed. ( And if not bred in the registered fraction of our breed, they WILL
continue in the "natural" in Maine and in New England!)
Published 1903, THE BOOK OF THE CAT, chapter on Maine Cats, written by Mrs. Pierce, who
was owner of the Maine farm that Lida Choate was later raised on. Her father bought that
farm from the Pierces.
Mrs. Pierce writes " I think that the first really important development in the cat fancy
that took deep and lasting root in me occurred in 1869, when I saw for the first time a pair
of blue-eyed white [long-hair] kittens that landed, to say the least, free of duty, in a
sailmaker's pocket, from a foreign vessel, which put into a seaport town for repairs after
a severe storm.
This Mr. P__, being a great lover of cats, while on board the vessel making repairs, admired
a beautiful white [long-hair] cat with a family of kittens, belonging to the cook, who gave
them a pair of them. They grew and were nursed with the tenderest care, the female
developing the better quality in hair;but females were not highly prized at that time.
They were both kept two or three years to get a good male for a gelding. I was told that they
destroyed all the female kittens; but at last they were rewarded, and then the original pair
were sent to a relative in the country.
[ed note; "the country=Maine farm"]
From that time on long-haired blue-eyed white kittens sprang up in most unexpected places.
At intervals they have appeared and almost disappeared several times for want of care in
breeding, but with this drawback they will still frequently come forth in the same fine
type.
I owned a fine specimen called "Dot," who became a noted winner, and who came from this
strain about eleven years after the kittens landed."
Mrs. Pierce goes on to rave about her cat Dot, for a great part of that chapter! She writes
"For intelligence and affection, "Dot" was by far the superior cat. I have never seen his
equal. Although deaf, his other senses were so keen that we hardly realized he did not hear.
He would answer to the slightest beckon, and was always watching for a call. ”
This copyrighted article was printed by permission in: The Native Maine Coon Cat Association Newsletter; # 3, 1997, p2.
Dirigo Maine Coon Cats
Copyright Beth 1997
All rights reserved
Revised 3/24/2015
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Windham, ME 04062 USA
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