Morwenna Maine Coons

02/02/2024

“Maine C**n Cost per Pound - Is my Maine C**n bred according to standard?”

Lately there has been such an obsession, a huge hype really, around “how big will my Maine C**n get?” and “will my Maine C**n weigh 30-35 pounds when fully mature?”. It has almost become a competition of whose Maine C**n’s weight is more at a certain age.
Here’s some helpful and educational information around this topic.
There are several different cat registries and organizations, one of them being TICA (The International Cat Association”) who have written standards for each cat breed.
TICA’s breed standard states that “Maine C**n male cats at full maturity can average 13-18 pounds. Maine C**n female cats average 9-13 pounds. Overall, the Maine C**n should appear as a large, natural, yet uncommonly attractive cat”. https://tica.org
Of course, these are guidelines, and many neutered males can weigh around 20-25 pounds, spayed females 12-18 pounds at full maturity, which is between 3-5 years of age, as Maine C***s are a slow maturing breed. This means that they should grow slowly and put on weigh slowly!
Often, photos of Maine C***s on the internet are manipulated and/or photoshopped or held at an angle that makes them look much bigger than they really are.
It is important to keep in mind that the standards written by cat organizations are set to avoid extreme breeding practices, meaning extreme weights, extreme features and extreme temperaments.
The “weight hype” as of late can lead to Maine C***s being overweight which could cause joint issues later in their lives. There has been a lot of posts about broken hips and femurs in Maine C***s lately as well. You may want to ask yourself why?
We all love big Maine C***s! It is important to recognize that size and body shape depends on their genetic bloodlines. A cat who is part of a breeding program (a cat that is whole/not spayed or neutered) likely will not reach its full weight until desexed, due to hormones and restlessness during mating season. Often the lack of coat, due to hormonal changes, will make a Maine C**n look smaller. A spayed/neutered pet Maine C**n will almost always look much bigger and can be several pounds heavier.
What people need to put more focus on should be:
- Is my Maine C**n healthy? Emphasis should always be put on health, not size!
- Is my Maine C**n bred according to breed standard?
- Does my Maine C**n have a healthy diet, low in additives and preservatives? Remember cats are carnivorous and their diet should not include unnecessary carbohydrates.
- Does my Maine C**n have a wonderful, friendly, easy going and gentle personality?
- Does the breeder where I adopted my Maine C**n from do all the necessary gold standard testing for heart (heart echocardiogram performed by a veterinarian cardiologist and/or specialist), kidneys (ultrasound) and hips (hip x-rays) of their cats who are part of their breeding program? While DNA testing is a useful tool in a breeding program, it is definitely not enough!

Photo of Morwenna Maine C***s FINNIAN for attention!

01/30/2024

Finnian’s “I am a hunter!” look!😂❤️😻

12/24/2023

10/12/2023

CONFUSION ABOUT MASTERWEAVER?

Did PRAIRIEBABY become MASTERWEAVER?

Technically NO! Only MASTERWEAVER belongs to me, Judith Schulz. My Cattery was registered under two names for many, many years. (MasterWeaver with ACA for the F1 and F2 Canadian Polydactyl cats and Prairiebaby with MCBFA, ACA, CFF, ACFA, TICA, CFF and CFA). In 2012 (before my breeding break) Prairiebaby was taken over by Lori Majerrison, the wife of my veterinarian at that time. I kept the MasterWeaver name. So no, Prairiebaby did not “become” Masterweaver. ONE entity Prairiebaby/Masterweaver has now SPLIT into TWO entities. The two Catteries are in absolutely NO affiliation and will never be affiliated in the future. Still confusing? Please feel free to send a private message to ask.


Are Snowshoes Only Found in Canada?

Even though MASTERWEAVER Polydactyl cats were found in Canada, it’s super possible and would be desirable if these nicely rounded snowshoe feet were also naturally occurring in other areas of the world. I just gave mine the name ”Masterweaver” and that name has obvisouly been used to describe and label this specific foot formation in scientific research. Sort of like not every facial tissue has to be the Kleenex brand, or does it? Yet, most people call a facial tissue a Kleenex. So most breeders call the Snowshoe foot Masterweaver foot.

MW (MASTERWEAVER) Toe Arrangement:

Previous and present Canadian Masterweaver Polydactyl foundation cats were/are ALWAYS PP 4WD. They were/are ALWAYS and ONLY snow shoe (also called patty) type. This means ALL of them were/are Polydactyl on all four feet and originally NEVER produced a mitten paw. PRAIRIEPOLY of MASTERWEAVER was actually a PP. PRAIRIEBABY MASTERWEAVER P was actually a PP. Both of them were snow shoes. I only used one P suffix in my pedigrees in the beginning and then later came up with the PP suffix. The PP symbol has been taken over by many other breeders now and simply means the cat is Polydacytl on all four feet. Since there were other Polydactyl lines mixed into the pedigrees later on, some of the Maine C***s with Masterweaver or Prairiebaby prefix produced mitten paws or in some cases even 2WD (poly on front only). Not that it really matters but for the sake of clarity, again: The ORIGINAL Masterweaver Poly Maine C**n always produces true to its phenotype. One has to know and appreciate pedigrees to understand this.

Registration Confusion?

The two Polydactyl Maine C***s, PRAIRIEPOLY OF MASTERWEAVER and PRAIRIEBABY MASTERWEAVER P, as listed on the Pawpeds Pedigree Database, were both found and registered by myself, with ACA, under my MASTERWEAVER Cattery name, back in 2000.

Even though I have found that most judges really do prefer a poly foot that evenly touches the ground and has no irregularities, I very much value a variety of poly lines from different, North American origin, including also the Hemingway foot type. All are a great blessing for the gene diversity and health of our breed.

Please visit the PAWPEDS website and click on FOUNDATION CAT DOCUMENTATION if interested in more information: https://www.pawpeds.com/cms/index.php/en/breed-specific/mco

Please visit the MAINE C**N EDUCATION website for documentation on my previous and present Maine C**n foundation cats and also articles on outcrossing and foundation breeding. http://www.mainecooneducation.com/index.php/en/themainecoonbreed-eng/mainecoonspecific-eng

Thank you,
Judith Schulz
Maine C**n Cats Exclusively Since 1987 (1986)
Canada’s Polydactyl Maine C**n
www.masterweaver.ca

10/05/2023