![]() We asked Liz Hansen, Chair of the Maine Coon Breed Committee at The International Cat Association (TICA), about the origins of the breed: "There are a few different theories of the origin of the Maine Coon. In domestic species, size is also (increasingly) down to strategic breeding, with particularly hefty specimens being favoured in order to normalize the trait of largeness across the breed. Of course, it’s not purely down to Mother Nature. It’s no coincidence that many of the largest cat breeds – such as Maine Coons from the most north-eastern US state and Norwegian forest cats from northern Europe – also sport long, thick fur for extra insulation. Animals essentially evolve to be bigger in order to decrease their surface area relative to volume, thereby reducing heat loss in cold-climate habitats. ![]() According to Bergmann’s rule, warm-blooded animals of the same species (in this case, Felis catus) generally increase in size at higher latitudes, as temperatures drop.Īlso known as the square-cube principle, it reflects the ratio between bodily surface area and volume. Many think that it’s down to the part of the world that they originate. So why do certain breeds grow so much bigger than others and become the largest domestic cats? Other large cat breeds are ragdolls, Birmans and Norwegian forest cats – the latter of which are very similar in appearance to Maine Coons, so it's likely that the two share a genetic heritage. As you’ve probably already guessed from their name, their origins lie in Maine, USA, where they have been the official state cat since 1985. In the cat world, Maine Coons are well-known for being "gentle giants", typically reaching 76–101 cm (30–40 in) long and standing up to 40 cm (16 in) high, compared to 23–25 cm (9–10 in) tall for most house cats. This particular breed – also known as the American longhair – has held the title of Longest domestic cat for almost a decade. In fact, he's a bit of a local celebrity as the couple sometimes take their pet out for a stroll in a buggy – a sight you’re not likely to quickly forget!īarivel has something of a biological advantage when it comes to this record: he’s a Maine Coon cat. ![]() To put that in context, that’s longer than a baseball bat or equivalent to seven iPads laid out in a row!īased in Vigevano, near Milan, this full-stretch feline lives with his owners Cinzia Tinnirello (below) and Edgar Scandurra (both Italy). When measured from head to tail tip on, Barivel came in at 120 cm (3 ft 11 in). This "grande gatto" is the latest inductee to the hallowed hall of Longest domestic cats. In case you were wondering, Himmy was noted to be 96 cm (3 ft 1 in) in length, so would have fallen some way short of the recently announced new holder (below). However, GWR no longer recognizes weight as a measurement for domesticated animals, focusing instead on length and height. For decades, the Largest domestic cat was a tabby called Himmy from Queensland, Australia, who weighed in at 21.3 kg (46 lb 15 oz) when he died in 1986. Historically, GWR focused more on the weight of a cat to determine which was the biggest. The debut holder of the title was a four-year-old cat called Snowbie from Scotland, UK, who was listed as 103 cm (3 ft 4 in). Over the years, Guinness World Records (GWR) has had the honour of meeting a wide variety of fantastic felines from the world's Oldest cat, to the Furriest to the cat with the Longest whiskers… (Here’s a small selection that we celebrated on 2017’s International Cat Day.)īut some of the most memorable moggies ever to have graced the pages of Guinness World Records have to be the Longest and Tallest domestic cats, one of which we’re excited to say has a new holder…Īs with several GWR pet records, categorizing size by length is a relatively "new" way of doing things, with the first documented Longest domestic cat dating to the late 1990s.
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