The most frequent confusion faced by the most of the owners of the Maine Coons is that whether their breed pure and reasonable or not. So to get this confusion evident first of all, we have to understand its past as well as look forward towards the future.

All ancestry of purebred animal breeds has a description of the precise look of a cat of that breed which we call as a standard. There are some international cat associations which provide their standards for the Maine Coons. These rules vary a little bit with one another. Those standards are:

The first Maine Coon standard
FIFe
TICA
CFA
WCF

(WesterosCat Maine Coon, 2017)

The First Maine Coon standard:

It is the first MCBFA standard assigned for the Maine Coons

General:

These are identified as the stable, sturdy and healthy cats. And It’s the most natural and oldest breed of U.S till now. It’s being observed as kind of large type kind cat. As compared to males, females are quite smaller in size.

Face 20 points

Head: Their head is medium in length except inside the older extra advanced studs where it must be pretty extensive. Cheek bones excessive. The nose and face should be medium length with a look of the square shape of the forward projection part of the head including jaws and nose. A small break in nostril is seen, and these are long and pointed.
Ears: Ears are quite massive in size. In shape these are observed to be tufted, pointed and the base portion is full.
Eyes: eyes are usually large and prominent, well round in shape, slanting and wide set.
Chin: Chin is not soft means it’s firm, and queuing with upper lid and the nose.

(Pil Refstrup, 2017)

30 points: Body

Neck: it is long and medium. It is thick, robust and muscular which shows energetic and sturdy appearance.
The body is strong and muscular, capable and long. The chest needs to be full and from medium to huge in size. The frame must be level, but an instance, the hind legs hold the body slightly lower than the front. All of the physical factors of the cat ought to be in proportion to each other.
Tail: From the base, it is huge, and frequently it’s full and long in structure and needs to taper to the end without kinks.
Legs & paws: huge, muscular, extensive set and of the medium peak. the cat must stand properly upon its forelegs giving the effect of an unbroken line from shoulder to forepaw. Paws must be massive, spherical, and appropriately tufted, with five toes in the front and 4 in again.
Coat: Coat needs to be exceptional, substantial, reflecting a sheen or glow, and must fall quickly. A little undercoat can be carried. This is the top-rated coat and will range with the weather.

Color:

Coat: no color is specified it can be of any color or can also be present in the mixture of different colors.
Eyes: Suitable clarity of the color is identified in eyes. It can be the same as that needed for the longhairs.
Condition: it must be given in a properly trained and groomed manner.

(Pil Refstrup, 2017)

FIFe :

According to FIFe, the Maine coon is not an artificial breed it is purely natural having a friendliness character that indicates its foundation to the working cat discovered on the farms of northeast America.

General:

This breed of the cats have full structure, and the head region is outlined. They have full ears, and their appearance is quite powerful and broad.

Head:

Head should be in the medium size and square shaped having inward curving slope. Visible and prominent cheekbones are present. Forward projecting part including chin is in the square shaped and outlined. There is a sharp and significant transition observed between the muzzle and cheekbones. Chin is firm in structure.

Ears: should be pointed, wide from the base and outer edges of ears are covered by the clusters of hair. The ears are separated by one ear width an apart.
Eyes: Oval in shape but when these are open they seem to have the circular shape. There is no particular relation between the color of coat and eye. Males have a strong, muscular neck.
Body: Should have relatively large structure and long in length. The sturdy, full and muscular chest should be present.
Legs: Legs should be in rectangular with the body and paws are firmly crested between the toes.
Coat: shaggy and dense coat should be present which almost covers all the portions of the legs and the belly.
Color: All color varieties are allowed. These can also be present in the mixture of the colors. Most common combinations are white, chocolate and lilac no pointed patterns are included.
Condition: Should be given in the stable, well balanced and proportio

(Anon, 2017)

WCF:

Body(35 points):

The huge to the very large cat has a muscular, elongated and large body. It offers a general rectangular vague idea. The physically active and powerful neck is of medium duration, the rib cage is large. The medium length legs are stable and healthy. The paws are large, spherical and tufted. The tail is long and shall reach at the least to the shoulders. It’s miles fast at the bottom, becoming gradually narrower and with flowing trappings.

Head(30 points):

The massive, huge head with directly isometric is square in shape. Cheek bones are high. The muzzle is large and rectangular and clearly described. The huge and robust chin is present and is in step with the top lips and the nostril.

Ears:

Narrow and huge ears are present. They are in the vertical position and high set. The ear trappings extend beyond the outer fringe of the ears, a bunch of hair of ear (lynx hairs) is suitable.

Eyes(5 points):

The eyes are large, oval in shape and are extensive apart and slightly inclined. The color of eyes corresponds with the coat color.

Legs: Legs should be in rectangular with the body and paws are firmly crested between the toes.
Coat(25 points):

In any case the frill, the layer of the silky hair on the top and the shoulders is short and will become rather longer alongside the again and the flanks, as well as in the stomach. The dense undercoat is gentle and high-quality underneath the uncouth, firm Pinnacle coat. The thick, loosely falling a lofty peak of a coat is water repellent and spread over the lower back, covers the sides and the upper portion of the of the tail completely.

Color (25 points):

The colors chocolate and cinnamon, in addition to their dilution (lilac and fawn) aren’t diagnosed in any combos (bicolor, tricolor, tabby). The fine pattern is also now not diagnosed. All other shades and patterns are diagnosed. Any amount of white is authorized.

(WCF-online.de, 2017)

CFA:

Overall stability and proportion are vital to the Maine Coon, and no feature should dominate the eye’s attention over every other.

General:

This breed of the cats have wide structure, and the head region is outlined. They have wide ears, and their appearance is quite powerful and broad.

Head :

Huge, modified wedge in shape. The size of the head in proportional to the body. Slightly longer than huge. Wonderful muzzle smash may be visible underneath high and quite visible cheekbones. Chin is somehow broad and deep forming a muzzle in a square shape.

Ears: massive, extensive at the base with the outer base set just slightly farther lower back than the inner portion of the base. Outline of the base simply above the extent of the top of the attention. Out of doors edges have a very mild outward tilt that is not beyond 11 and one o’clock. Set pretty excessive on the head with the inside edge of ear bases no more than one ear’s width aside. Taller than the width at base however still instability with head duration. Reasonably pointed ears seem taller because of lynx tips. Covering of hairs extends beyond outer fringe of an ear.
Eyes: massive, barely oval, appear round when wide open. Exterior nook of eye factors in the direction of the outer base of the ear.
The coloration of the eye: Any shade of inexperienced and gold. No dating to coat coloration. Blue and abnormal eyes mostly in whites and having patches.

Body:

The middle portion of the body: Large, long, considerable, rectangular, measure up to in broadness from shoulders to hips. Expansive trunk. Level back. Females might be observed littler than male coons.
Legs: Medium length to frame a rectangular shape with the body.
Feet: big in size, round and all around tufted.
Tail: At slightest according to the length the length of the body. Wide at the base and decreasing to tip with full, streaming hide.
Boning: Substantial.
Musculature: quite massive in size, intense and energetic.
Coat: shaggy and dense coat should be present which almost covers all the portions of the legs and the belly.

COAT:

Length: Uneven; do not cover the shoulders entirely, continuously protracting down the back and sides. Long, full, shaggy paunch hide and britches. The tail is long, full, streaming. Frontal Ruff turns out to be more created with age.
Surface: All climate coat. A slight undercoat gives the coat body yet coat still falls quickly. Not cottony.
Shading: Patches in white color on each of the four feet.

(Coonplay, 2017)

work cited

Pil Refstrup, p. (2017). Breed Information. [online] Mcbfa.org. Available at: http://www.mcbfa.org/breedinfo.html#standardtop [Accessed 21 Jan. 2017].

WesterosCat Maine Coon. (2017). Standard – WesterosCat Maine Coon. [online] Available at http://www.westeros.no/maine-coon/standards/ [Accessed 21 Jan. 2017].

Anon, (2017). [online] Available at: http://www1.fifeweb.org/dnld/std/MCO.pdf [Accessed 21 Jan. 2017].

Wcf-online.de. (2017). WCF – World Cat Federation. [online] Available at: http://www.wcf-online.de/WCF-EN/standard/semi-longhair/mainecoon.html [Accessed 21 Jan. 2017].

Coonplay. (2017). The Maine Coon Standard – Colon play. [online] Available at http://coonplaymainecoons.com/the-maine-coon-standard/ [Accessed 21 Jan. 2017].