We rescued Kody from the animal shelter and tho't originally he was mostly Persian because of his blue eyes and nearly all white fluffy coat. But - he grew very rapidly and his coat is now champagne with tan striping. His tail is very long and fluffy and he has tufts of fur between the pads of each toe. His face is wide and expressive with large blue eyes. He is very vocal and tries to speak. He's a one person cat, very affectionate, tries to "help" at the keyboard, piano, etc. Although he's an inside cat, he "hunts" very aggressively and practices his stalking skills on our "torty" calico. He is just one year old and weighs in at 17 pounds. He isn't overweight - just long,tall, and wide bodied. He stretches from the floor to the countertop with ease. He eats everything that accidently falls his way (veggies, lettuce, etc.), loves to play in water and watches everything we do with avid curiousity. We have a picture but are novices at this e-mail thing and unsure how to attach the picture to this message. Since he keeps growing and growing, we're trying to identify what type of cat he could be and noticed that he seems to fit the profile of a Maine Coon Cat. Our older calico treats him like her kitten (even though the size difference is substantial) and tries to teach him good grooming, courtesy, etc.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 1999

Answers

I, too, recently adopted a cat from ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation). He is a Maine Coon. He has some of the same characteristics you mention. Maine Coons are large. Males from 15 - 20 lbs. Long tail and body. They love water - some even shower with their human companion. They have tufts of fur between their toes, wide, bright eyes and come in every color. They are wonderful, loving, sometimes biting (playing rough) goofy companions. I love "Nash".

-- Anonymous, September 03, 1999

My cat may be maine coon. She's tiny though, weighing in about 8 lbs. She has beautiful long fur that doesn't mat and is incredibly soft. She has tufts of hair in her ears and between her toes. She's a one-person girl and hates small children. She's incredibly feisty even at 15 and I hope will live many years. I adore her and would love to get her a sister that she might tolerate.

-- Anonymous, October 26, 1999