Maine Coon

These are the oldest breed of cat in America. They supposedly came from England on a ship the Marie Antoinette was supposed to flee England to America on. However the ship left without her. The Maine Coon in the largest of the domestic cat breed. It is known for it's friendly and playful attitude as well as its size. The Maine Coon has the longest whiskers recorded at 6 and a half inches. The way to tell if a cat is a Maine Coon, besides it's size, is to look at the cats head, right above the eyes on the Maine Coon is dark hair in the shape of an M.

The Maine Coon started on the East coast. Today they are the most popular in the U.S., second to Persians. Their paws are big, furry and flat so that they can get around in the snow easily. Their colors vary greatly and they have 3 coat layers. One of the most unique features of the Maine Coon is that many are polydactyl, meaning that they have a thumb. Most cats (and animals for that matter) have their 5th digit up on the posterior part of their arm while many Maine Coons have the 5th digit located where a human thumb is. This is not very useful for them except for the fact that it more easily allows them to open doors and grab things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqxF2c0VkFE