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A-Z-Animals
Ragamuffin vs Maine Coon
By Colby Maxwell,
22 days ago
The Ragamuffin and Maine Coon are both cat breeds that have become popular at various times through history and are often confused for one another. These fluffy cat breeds are wonderful companions, but they each have distinct histories and physical differences between them. Today, we are going to compare a Ragamuffin vs Maine Coon and see what makes them unique. Let’s get started and see their differences!
Comparing a Ragamuffin and a Maine Coon
The Ragamuffin and Maine Coon differ in size, temperament, and breed origin.
Ragamuffin
Maine Coon
Breed Origin
First recognized as distinct from Ragdolls in 1994.
One of the oldest North American breeds. Potentially created from European forest cats in the 18th century.
Appearance
Muscular and elegant. Broad head, short muzzles, and ruffed fur around head.
Large and prominently ruffed. Defined bone structure, bushy tail, and large features.
Soft, dense, and silky. Comes in color, stripes, spots or patches of white, black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, seal brown or mixed colors.
Two-layered coat. Guard hairs over silky satin undercoat. Extensive color and pattern possibilities, but the most common is brown tabby.
Temperament
Docile, friendly, sweet, and cuddly.
Known as gentle giants. Intelligent, relaxed, and vocal. Often referred to as “dog-like”.
The 5 main differences between a Ragamuffin and a Maine Coon
The main differences between a Ragamuffin and a Maine Coon are their breed origins, size, and temperament.
Both the Ragamuffin and Maine Coon are large, fluffy, and make for amazing companion cats. Both of these breeds have some similar traits, leading them to be confused with one another quite often. Still, despite those similarities, there are some distinct differences between them.
Ragamuffins are a somewhat newer breed that split from the Ragdoll breed around 1994. They were considered the same breed until a group of breeders decided to form their own group. After trademarking the name “Ragdoll” and “Cherubim,” they combined them into Ragamuffin. Maine Coons have a much longer history and are recognized as some of the oldest North American breeds. They were first bred in Maine, likely around the 18th century. Maine Coons probably came from Norwegian forest or Siberian forest cat breeds.
When it comes to appearance, these cats can appear similar. The Ragamuffin is fluffy and large, although not as large as the Maine Coon. They are heavily boned and have long, bushy tails. Their heads are triangular, with two pointed ears on top. The Maine Coon is also large and heavily boned. They are strong, powerful cats adapted to live in a severe climate.
Let’s take a look at these differences, plus a few others, in more detail below.
Ragamuffin vs Maine Coon: Breed origin
The Ragamuffin was first recognized in 1994. The Maine Coon was first bred in the 18th century.
The Ragamuffin is a newer breed that only came about after a split between breeders in the 1990s. The IRCA Cherubim cats were crossed with the Ragdoll breed through the 1960s but were never recognized as a pedigreed breed. Breeding of the Cherubim Ragdolls continued until a group split and set up certain breed standards. The breed was officially recognized in 1994 as distinct from a Ragdoll hybrid.
The Maine Coon is one of the oldest cat breeds in North America . There isn’t exact dating around their origin, but it was likely around the 18th century. Rumors abound as to the exact way that they were bred, with some stating that Marie Antoinette’s personal cats made it to shore, including a Siberian forest cat, and were later bred. While that exact story may not be true, the likely origins of the Maine Coon are from Siberian and Norwegian forest cats that were brought over and bred in Maine.
The Ragamuffin is a heavily-boned cat with square features, a predisposition to a belly pad, and strong legs. These are large cats, with the body type being classified as “substantial”. The addition of a fluffy coat adds to this cat’s size and stature.
Maine Coons are natural-looking breeds with extremely large bodies and a robust structure. They have a prominent ruff around their neck, ear tufts, and paws with fur adapted to walking on snow. The Maine Coon looks perfectly adapted to the cold climates where they were bred.
Ragamuffin vs Maine Coon: Size
Both breeds are among the largest cat breeds around.
The Ragamuffin has a double coat, bushy tail, and prominent neck ruff. Their hair is generally considered to be soft and silky. Ragamuffins can come in a variety of patterns and colors, all are within the breed standard. The options include stripes, spots or patches of white, black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, seal brown, or mixed colors.
The Maine Coon also has a double coat, bushy tail, and prominent neck ruff. Their double coat has long guard hairs and a soft undercoat for keeping warm in cold climates. Any color or pattern is acceptable by breed standards, but brown tabby is the most common.
Ragamuffin vs Maine Coon: Temperament
Ragamuffins are cuddly, docile, and sweet, while Maine Coons are intelligent, gentle, and vocal.
The Ragamuffin makes for a wonderful companion cat. They are known to be docile, friendly, sweet, and cuddly, and they do great in apartments. The even disposition of these cats makes them great for homes with multiple people . They aren’t known to be very active.
The Maine Coon is also a wonderful companion. They are known as “gentle giants” and are well regarded as vocal, intelligent, and sensitive breeds. Many people refer to the disposition of the Maine Coon as “dog-like.”
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