This native American longhaired cat, the Maine Coon cat, may well have been introduced to America by the Vikings.
Interestingly enough, the closest breed to the Maine Coon is the Norwegian Forest cat.
Both live in much the same climate, and this lends considerable credence to the theory.
One of the most outlandish beliefs is that it's the product of a breeding between semi-wild, domestic cats and raccoons! This idea sprung from the fact that the most common colouring is a raccoon-like brown tabby.
Only brown tabbies were originally called Maine Coon Cats.
Others were referred to as Maine Shags.
Although they develop slowly, not reaching maturity until they're three or four years old, they end up as great big fellows! A male can weigh anything between 15 lbs and 25 lbs, while a female weighs 10 lbs to 15 lbs.
Their length is somewhere in the region of forty inches, including tail.
For all their size, they're gentle giants, and their disposition is usually kittenish for most of their lives.
They're held in high regard as mousers, and are ideally suited to the harsh Maine climate.
They love people, but are by no means dependent upon them.
They enjoy being with their owners, 'helping' them whenever they think they can and they'll follow you from room to room, almost like a dog.
They're 'best friend' cats, but don't like being babied.
Neither are they lap cats, as a general rule, although they will stick close by you, perhaps in the chair next to your's or by the side of your chair.
The females are definitely more dignified than the males, who tend to be clownish.
They're highly intelligent, very good with children and, perhaps surprisingly, dogs.
So they're very laid back and make wonderful companions.
They have several physical differences to the normal cat to help them survive the harsh winters.
Their dense, water-resistant fur is longer and shaggier on the underside and rear, while their long, bushy tail won't sink into the snow, and can be curled around the body and face of the animal as protection against wind and blowing snow.
They have large paws that act almost like snow shoes and tufts of fur grow between the toes for extra warmth.
Their ears are much the same; big, heavily furred both inside and out.
They make a sort of chirping, trilling sound and seldom 'meow.
' If they do, then it comes out as a funny, tinny little sound, quite the reverse that you'd expect from such a big cat.
Another popular theory about the origin of the Maine Coon cat was that it sprang from six pet cats which Marie Antoinette sent to Wiscasset, Maine when she was planning to escape from France during the French Revolution.
At least that makes more sense than the raccoon theory!