What to know?

The Maine Coon is a cat that got to Italy    less than 40 years. The first  specimens  caught on quickly even in cat shows, which at the time were very popular.  But together with their legends  on  unlikely crossings with lynxes or raccoons, they carried an annoying    reputation    about some heart diseases to which  would be   predisposed.  

In 2004, it was discovered  the gene whose mutation is responsible for 90% - 95% of   cases of Feline HCM (Hypertrophic Cardio Myopathy, lethal heart disease). In  2005 was marketed the test for  identifying   the subjects carrying this mutation (A31P) and it was possible  to begin to breed, largely avoiding the possibility of giving birth to creatures with a sad destiny. In fact, thanks to the introduction of mandatory genetic tests and ultrasound heart    controls in breeding animals,  the incidence of the disease has become much lower, such that it no longer exists  associated with the Maine Coon. We now know that  it wasn't about predisposition  of the breed, but of a disease widespread in all cats, whether purebred or not.

Another annoying rumor is related to Hip Dysplasia.  The Maine Coon is a big cat, but that doesn't mean that more than other breeds are predisposed to  illnesses  resulting from dysplasia, neither to osteoarthritis nor  to other diseases of the joints.  

The truth is that it is a natural breed, very strong and sturdy.