Could Echo be a Maine Coon mix?

**Firedrake13** · 22nd September 2012, 08:53 PM

Hi everyone, I'm really hoping I can get some insight from everyone on my new addition Echo (5 months). I just adopted her on Tuesday from my local shelter, and while they didn't tell me she may be a MC mix, after having her for about a day, it occurred to me that she reminded me very much of the MC mix kitten (about the same age as Echo) that my best friend in college has. After having that revelation I began to research about the breed and mixes and the more I read the more I saw things that were coming out in my little Echo's personality, and saw similarities in Echo's looks.

I talked a bit about this in my intro but I'll rehash here as well, Echo looks wise has medium length fur, very fluffy tail, amber eyes, tufts of fur between her toes, has a big personality, and has from day one. In fact, I was amazed when I brought her home, she just hung out in the kitty carrier in the car, and chirped at me a few times, but wasn't scared or upset she just watched the world go by. Once home, she met my other cat Callahan (3 1/2) without issue, and they quicky became friends and playing within a few hours, and made herself right at home. She follows me around the house, and has to know what I'm doing at all times, and attempts to "help" me with things. The sink is a favorite place to investigate. She's incredibly friendly, and has the loudest purr I've ever heard, and it starts the second you touch her it seems. Its been hard to get good pictures of how fluffy her tail really is but I've got a few that are ok. Now I know she doesn't have the ear tufts that is common of MCs but I'm still wondering if maybe she's a mix? I'd love to get your thoughts.

Good look at Echo's paws and fur between the toes.

Amber eyes

Echo and Callahan from above, Callahan is a pretty big boy (I'd guess about 15 pounds) but I figured its a good comparison, and gives you a good idea of how long her tail is (I'd say almost as long as she is!), and it does kinda show its fluff.

I'm not sure if the pictures are really helpful or not. It's been a challenge getting them since she's so active, and when she is awake and I try to take a picture of her, she sees me and comes up to see what I'm doing and I end up with a picture of her eye or nose and not her.

**Antonia** · 22nd September 2012, 09:45 PM

What lovely pics of Echo. She looks a cutie pie with her shiny fur and kiss-able furry paws!

On cat forums your question gets asked very often … what breed is my cat … could she have this or that breed mixed in?

The reality is, cats that belong to a breed are quite rare. They are only about 4% of the owned cat population – and that is not even counting strays and ferals. The breeding of pedigreed cats is still pretty much in its infancy, and most cat breeds are less than 50 years old. Consequently there aren’t many cats that belong to a breed, and equally few cross-breds (or “mixes”).

Unlike dogs and horses, who are either purebred or a mix of various breeds, the vast majority of cats – perhaps well over 90% – are breed-less and don’t have any breed in their ancestry. They are “generic” cats. In the UK they are called moggies, in the USA domestic shorthairs (DSH) or domestic longhairs (DLH). And in my country we call them either “house, garden & kitchen cats” or “farm cats”.

It is highly likely that your lovely Echo is one of those “generic” domestic longhairs – an age-old breed not created by humans but by Mother Nature herself. Give her a cuddle from me, I think she’s a peach.

**Firedrake13** · 22nd September 2012, 10:35 PM

Antonia, thanks for the reply, I kinda figured that this would be the response I would get, but I did want to ask. I know its a long shot asking for one with a cat or any animal from unknown parents. I hope that you all wont mind if I share some more pictures as some time passes as I'm not sure the ones I've shared truly show Echo as well as I'd like. But I'm also excited to learn more about the breed. I've always known about them but never really known much about them.

**Antonia** · 23rd September 2012, 01:29 PM

By all means keep the photos coming. Once you’re a member of this forum, posting pics is compulsory.

The Maine Coon has a rather fascinating history. It is one of the few “older” breeds, originating in the 19th century from farm cats from the northeast of the USA. The breed was very popular for a while but vanished into obscurity after the First World War. In the 1950s some breeders decided to revive the breed, using longhaired moggies as foundation stock. So essentially the cats we have now are “Maine Coon 2.0”.

You can read more on here: PawPeds - Maine Coon Heritage Site
(Use the highlighted part of the menu on the left to read the articles. They are quite interesting, particularly “The Origin of the Maine Coon”.)

**H&SWells** · 23rd September 2012, 04:33 PM

pics of all furries are much a appreciated and she is a very pretty young lady

**Firedrake13** · 24th September 2012, 09:03 PM

Thanks for the link what an interesting read! I'm still poking around the site as Echo makes it hard to get to much done since she walks across my iPad or laptop and makes a mess of things. Or like yesterday she discovered the toilet paper roll and I found her with the thing half unrolled playing with it in the bathroom! In all my years of having cats I've never had one who has done this!

**Antonia** · 25th September 2012, 01:40 PM

LOL - She sounds like quite a character... the naughtier the better.

This is what Minnie once did with a kitchen roll..

Could Echo be a Maine Coon mix?-minkeukenrol2.jpg

**Firedrake13** · 26th September 2012, 12:22 AM

Oh she sure finds ways to be naughty thats for sure. I've actually had to take the toilet paper off the holder to keep her from unrolling and shredding roll after roll.

As you can see she has no shame. And Cal has fun watching her get in trouble.

**brightlight23** · 26th September 2012, 08:58 AM

hi Firedrake, I'm no expert, and first time owner of a MC who will be two in December - but the tufts between Echo's paws and the 'chirrup' sound are Maine Coon traits, so it is possible he does have some MC in his ancestory. Do keep posting though - just loved Echo's trick with the loo paper, though glad my felines haven't mastered that trick yet! x

**Firedrake13** · 26th September 2012, 10:56 PM

She sure is nothing like any other cat I've ever had. MC in the mix or not I'm lucky to have found such a sweet kitten...who I think is going to grow into a monster cat the more I study her...her paws are huge...they are the same size as my 3 1/2 year old who's a big boy (15+ lbs) non MC.

Echo is also my first long haired cat, which is also an adventure since we are making the food change from the stuff they were feeding at the shelter (science diet) to the food I feed (taste of the wild...I'm a bit of a pet food snob lol) but I guess I may have rushed it a bit and her poo was a little soft and shes gotten a little in her fur so now we've had to play the game of washing it out of her fur!

Aside from her toilet paper trick, she also has learned to pull tissues from the box to shred. lol what an adventure shes turned out to be!

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