Q 01/05

Which feature of the Maine Coon inspired the folk tale that the breed is part raccoon?

A) Tufted, pointed ears

B) A black face mask

C) A bushy, ringed tail

D) Extra-long whiskers

Answer · why

C) A bushy, ringed tail

A bushy, ringed tail prompted the tale that house cats had mated with raccoons, which gave the breed the second half of its name. The two species cann...

Q 02/05

One legend traces the Maine Coon to six pet cats shipped to America by which European royal planning an escape?

A) Marie Antoinette

B) Catherine the Great

C) Queen Victoria

D) Empress Joséphine

Answer · why

A) Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette is said to have sent her cats ahead to the Maine coast before a planned flight from revolutionary France. She never followed, but in ...

Q 03/05

In the 1950s, after decades out of the show ring, the Maine Coon was prematurely declared to be what?

A) Feral

B) A hybrid

C) Dangerous

D) Extinct

Answer · why

D) Extinct

Extinct was the verdict, but the report was premature: the Central Maine Cat Club, founded in the early 1950s, was already staging shows to revive the...

Q 04/05

Unlike most cats, the Maine Coon is noted by breed registries for a fascination with which everyday thing?

A) Mirrors

B) Music

C) Water

D) Shoes

Answer · why

C) Water

Water draws many Maine Coons, which will watch a dripping tap, dunk their toys or even try to join an owner in the shower.

Q 05/05

Instead of meowing much, the big Maine Coon is known for talking to its owners with which sounds?

A) Chirps and trills

B) Growls and hisses

C) Howls and yowls

D) Clicks and whistles

Answer · why

A) Chirps and trills

Chirps and trills are the Maine Coon's trademark, a tiny voice that seems at odds with so big a cat. A trill is roughly a meow blended with a purr.