My sweet girl Hootie - what a doll!

Hello all,
My first time here!
I rescued a very sickly little Maine Coon kitten in Sept 2012, she was about 8-9 weeks old then. A local non-cat lover had found her in her yard and didn't know what to do with her, didn't want her so being the huge cat lover (I already had 5 other cats at the time lol), I had to get this little one some help. She was thin, dehydrated, eye infection to both eyes, very ratty fur, diarrhea, starving, and had a bad tail injury in which the last half of her tail was missing and the stumpy end was very infected and hard. I got her into my own Vet that day. Even in all of her health issues she was soooooo sweet. I'd planned on getting her health stabilized and then finding a home for her (as I'd always had a strict 5 cat limit lol) but she stole my heart. That first night I had her, I kept her isolated in my bathroom with her own littebox, food and water and cozy cat bed...but I felt so bad for her being alone in the bathroom...so I spread out a big quilt on the top of my bed and she immediately snuggled across my chest and tucked herself under my chin and kneaded until she fell asleep. So sweet.

She ended up having surgery 2 weeks later to be spayed and have half of tail amputated.

She's the sweetest girl ever. She is absolutely TERRIFIED of anyone who comes to my house, she will immediately hide and not come out.....but with me, after all this time, her favorite thing to do is snuggle up on my chest when I'm lying on the sofa, give me head butts and press her cheek against mine and start kneading. She could seriously laying there for 2 hours and sleep with me. She is soooooooooooooooooo affectionate to me, I've never had a cat this cuddly and snuggly and affectionate.

She's a polydactyl, too.......and has huge paws with big tufts of fur underneath.......they are so cute.

Are Maine Coons normally this affectionate? I've had cats all my life and have never ever had one who insists on snuggling up on my chest and sleeping cheek to cheek.

It's unfortunate that none of my family or visitors can see what a sweet girl she is because she always hides when they come over. I've never seen a cat to skittish of others. ?

My other cats love her, too....even when she sprawls out on top of them (she clearly has no understanding of personal space LOL). Here are 2 pics of her (on the green blanket) when I first found her...so tiny.....now she's huge!.....at nearly 14 lbs (though not fat, just a large cat..and you can see her huge paws LOL). In the last picture, that's her in her favorite spot....snuggled up on my shoulder, with her cheek next to mine...it's like she can't get close enough.

Are your Maine Coon kitties this affectionate..........while the same time so afraid of other people?

Here are some pics :)Attachment 7562Attachment 7564Attachment 7563Attachment 7565Attachment 7566

I have 5 Maine Coons, and they all have very different personalities. I have one that is scared of his own shadow but then can be all over you like a rash, demanding attention and head rubs. I also have a poly-coon - Oscar who I've shown as a Pedigree Pet with GCCF. He has 'thumbs' on his front feet.

Hootie looks beautiful. You're lucky to have her and she's lucky to have found a wonderful home with you :GroupHug1:

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awww she's so pretty! what a peach! yes, it seems that "personality" is the maine-coon trait - sometimes they manage to make you forget that they're cats... mine is affectionate sometimes, has funny quirks, and most of the time she's a pirate. She stomps about with her legs apart looking terrible and says "arrrrr!", she steals and she pillages.... and even when she needs a cuddle, she kind of forces you to give it to her. No choice. Pirate.

She is beautiful! Bless your heart for taking her in. I have two rescue Coonies, Mandy and Merlin. Mandy came from a possible hoarder house that was abandoned and was found by a Good Samaritan. She came to the shelter with her siblings, one of whom was so terrified and feral that she remains at the shelter and will live out her life there. Mandy showed signs of abuse when we got her home, and it's taken three years for her to accept my husband and the kids, and now she even comes out when we have company. Your Hootie is so much like her, loves to cuddle and knead. Mandy is also a mackerel tabby pattern like Hootie-my personal favorite LOL! She no longer strikes at me or the kids and is the sweetest cat you'll ever meet. Merlin was also abused, left by the dumpster starved, flea infested and teeth so rotten all but six had to be extracted. It's a sickening sight to see what is now a 13lb male Coon with bushy fur weighing 6lbs and so filthy it was hard to tell he was even a cat. He has lingering health issues due to his neglect, mainly gastrointestinal and urinary problems. We also think he has limited eyesight and hearing capacity (doesn't always hear you, doesn't notice birds or other things when outside, squints in bright light and avoids it) The shelter workers that found him were shocked that Merlin greeted them with a chirp and a head butt, having zero reason to ever trust humans. Merlin has also become a Momma's boy, and in my long experience with Maine Coons they seem to be "one person" cats, clinging closely to one but being amicable with others. This seems especially true of rescued Coonies. Our two others are also shelter cats but they are a tabby and tabby/Bengal mix, who think they are the bees knees and humans exist to serve them LOL!

Mandy, that last part made me smile! Mia looks at me in such disgust sometimes - how dare I attempt to touch her! She's really very Diva-ish. Morris is a big softie and follows me around chirping all day but will not tolerate being picked up and will only be stroked when he wants it; if not, he just up's and leaves :D Mo plays with my moggy, Socks, they chase each other and wrestle around the floor, quite comical. Mia will have none of it, however, and hisses and growls at Socks if he dare come near her. She definitely wears the trousers.
Gorgeous cats with such personalities. :smile:

She's a beauty!