Please Don't Confuse a Domestic Longhair for a Maine Coon
🌻🌻 Breeders and vet offices hear this nonstop from people, that their domestic long hair cat (DLH) is a Maine Coon. Please Don't Confuse a Domestic Longhair for a Maine Coon...and here is why.
In the United States, only 3% of the total cat population are purebred cats. Therefore, of the 3% that are purebred, an even smaller percent are Maine Coons. The LONG HAIRED cats that you see outdoors, in homes, and in shelters—are DOMESTIC LONG HAIRED cats. These cats are not mixes or a purebred. Domestic cats make up 97% of the total cat population in the US. Most are short haired (DSH) though.
A lot of people tend to think their Domestic Longhaired cat is some kind of purebred mix or purebred cat, and that's an incorrect assumption. It’s actually a shame because these DLH cats are pretty cool and don’t need the claim of being a purebred cat or a mix to make them anything other than what they are, DLH. All vets will tell you that they constantly get clients who want to label their DLH as a Maine Coon, but the client is incorrect. Unfortunately shelters/rescues label these DLH cats incorrectly too because it makes them more appealing and/or they are uneducated regarding domestics.
DLH cats come in all sizes from small to quite large. They come in all colors and patterns. AND their coat can be medium to super long hair. The gene for long hair is recessive (meaning it takes both parents carrying or being a longhaired to produce a longhaired kitten), so a Domestic Shorthair will be more common than a DLH.
With the coat length of the DLH and DSH cats, only ONE kitten out of every 10 kittens has long hair vs the more common short haired. When people see a Domestic Longhair, they tend/want to think it’s a mix or purebred cat, but it’s not. DLH cats are not as common and they are very beautiful and it's easy to think they are something other than the long hair version of a DSH cat. These long haired domestics can have mane’s, will have ear and paw tufts, this is a common trait.
I love my Maine Coons and I love my domestic cats. There is no reason to incorrectly label a domestic as a MC. Domestics are actually the original cats and they existed long BEFORE purebred cats.
Pictured is Sophie, my DLH that I had for 15 years. The number of people who said, “Ohhh it’s a Maine Coon”, was astounding but they were wrong. 🌻🌻 Another very incorrect rumor about a Maine Coons, the tabby ‘M’ on the forehead. All properly marked tabby patterns will have the ‘M’, it’s literally a tabby pattern trait and has nothing to do with being a Maine Coon.
In the United States, only 3% of the total cat population are purebred cats. Therefore, of the 3% that are purebred, an even smaller percent are Maine Coons. The LONG HAIRED cats that you see outdoors, in homes, and in shelters—are DOMESTIC LONG HAIRED cats. These cats are not mixes or a purebred. Domestic cats make up 97% of the total cat population in the US. Most are short haired (DSH) though.
A lot of people tend to think their Domestic Longhaired cat is some kind of purebred mix or purebred cat, and that's an incorrect assumption. It’s actually a shame because these DLH cats are pretty cool and don’t need the claim of being a purebred cat or a mix to make them anything other than what they are, DLH. All vets will tell you that they constantly get clients who want to label their DLH as a Maine Coon, but the client is incorrect. Unfortunately shelters/rescues label these DLH cats incorrectly too because it makes them more appealing and/or they are uneducated regarding domestics.
DLH cats come in all sizes from small to quite large. They come in all colors and patterns. AND their coat can be medium to super long hair. The gene for long hair is recessive (meaning it takes both parents carrying or being a longhaired to produce a longhaired kitten), so a Domestic Shorthair will be more common than a DLH.
With the coat length of the DLH and DSH cats, only ONE kitten out of every 10 kittens has long hair vs the more common short haired. When people see a Domestic Longhair, they tend/want to think it’s a mix or purebred cat, but it’s not. DLH cats are not as common and they are very beautiful and it's easy to think they are something other than the long hair version of a DSH cat. These long haired domestics can have mane’s, will have ear and paw tufts, this is a common trait.
I love my Maine Coons and I love my domestic cats. There is no reason to incorrectly label a domestic as a MC. Domestics are actually the original cats and they existed long BEFORE purebred cats.
Pictured is Sophie, my DLH that I had for 15 years. The number of people who said, “Ohhh it’s a Maine Coon”, was astounding but they were wrong. 🌻🌻 Another very incorrect rumor about a Maine Coons, the tabby ‘M’ on the forehead. All properly marked tabby patterns will have the ‘M’, it’s literally a tabby pattern trait and has nothing to do with being a Maine Coon.
