Look at those naif folk art paintings of cows and pigs and farmyard animals: we laugh at them because all the animals look square. Now look at a Maine Coon cat: you'll laugh again because from the side, a Maine Coon is square too. A muzzle like a lion and big green eyes take a huge interest in everything around. These are big cats, with long hair in a distinctive coat: a ruff around the neck, enormous whiskers and long eyelashes, very large and shaggy paws and the knickerbocker effect - the tufts of fur on the hindquarters stop just above the knee and turn into sleek fur, so as the cat walks away, plumy tail waving, it looks like it's wearing knickerbockers. The tail is almost as long as the cat: and the cat is likely to be a foot long at least. A medium sized tom could be 10" at the shoulder. Those big  paws have big claws - used for fishing. Maine Coons scoop rather than pouncing and patting. The long long fur hardly tangles: no need to groom every day but a comb once a week will stop tangles in the knickerbockers.  And it's almost waterproof: a thoroughly damp Coon will trot in out of the rain only when he feels like it. For such large cats they're athletic: especially when they bound across the room and jump on you, because they're affectionate. And talkative: deep mrow's, meeps and maows will accompany you throughout the day, as your Maine lets you know how he feels. Unlike some pure breeds, they're laid back cats. They're often laid out flat, snoozing between playful romps and the Maine has a strange trick. They can twist at the waist so that their head is pointing 180 degrees away from their back  feet: the cat looks as if he has snapped his spine in two but he's perfectly relaxed and you'll hear that huge deep throbbing purr if you stroke him.

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Mary