My kitten has a mane

[Flaxbee]

And no, I don't have a good photo of her (yet) - she's in constant motion.

But - she was brought to us, with her two sisters, by her mother who is a sweet, shorthaired tortie. Momma (Novi) was a stray, we fed her while she was nursing and were rewarded with her babies about a month later. Novi is a standard tortie, whom we have adopted, spayed, and brought into the family. We've also kept her daughers (all spayed) and they're all SO DIFFERENT, and one of the kittens has truly odd fur patterns.

Sister 1 (Ingrid) is a short-haired orange-and-white tabby. Looks like a kitten.
Sister 2 (Jayne) has longer silver fur, is a tabby, has a bit more fluff around the neck and a fluffy tail, and cute little cheek "pouches" - little fluffs of fur around her whiskers.
But Sister 3 (Marilyn) is just entirely different. Wild-looking. She's a blonde tabby, with a hugely poufy tail and a mane of fur around her neck - extremely long fur, but then the hair starting at her back is SHORT right under the ruff and then gets long again once you get past the mane pouf. It honestly looks like she's got a corona of fur around her head. Marilyn is also pretty much the same size as the other girls, though the two long-haired girls (Jayne and Marilyn) are definitely larger than Ingrid.

Do Maine Coons have this kind of fur pattern? I've cared for and loved upwards of 20 cats in my life (currently have 7) but have never, ever, seen this kind of fur pattern in a domesticated cat.

I promise to post photos soon. Promise. I know it is unkind to start a kitty thread with no photos.

(edited for clarity/spelling)

[Lars39]

1. Oberon, Lorien's cat kinda has a mane.

He's a Maine Coon cat. I love that cat.:D

[Flaxbee]

2. it's just so weird, b/c Marilyn is small (for a Maine Coon)

and I haven't seen any around here that are strays...

[Lars39]

3. You'll just have to post some pics for when the cat-owned are up.

:)

[Flaxbee]

4. I guess so. She's gorgeous, and wild-looking.

We joke that her daddy may have been a fox...

[LisaL]

5. Mine has a mane.

He is a persian.

[Flaxbee]

6. she looks much like that, fur-wise, just no Persian face structure...

definitely no Persian in her or her sisters, "looks-wise". But that big fluffy ruff looks a lot like Marilyn's "do".

[bettyellen]

7. can you actually get it to walk along side you?

[LisaL]

8. Nope. I have to drag him along.

[bettyellen]

10. i had a feeling that wouldn't work with most cats, unless we wore

the collar and handed them the lead. :shrug:
cute cat, BTW.

[LisaL]

11. Siamese are pretty good with walking on the leash.

[bettyellen]

12. well one of mine is a Rex with Siamese blood and they are both supposed

to be good on a leash, but god she hates that harness thing (when i go to clip her nails) so much, i dunno if i would try it. i've never ever seen anyone walk a kitty down the street, have you? ideally, i'd like to dress them up and then walk them, but i have a feeling they ain't gonna go for it. :shrug:

[LisaL]

13. You could always buy one of those pet strollers.

[bettyellen]

14. LOL, I saw those when our town had a Pet Parade and i could just

imagine them fighting it so bad that they wiggle out, get caught in the wheels or something. i think they'd have a heart attack with all the dogs in town too.
i would love to take them around town and show them off though. i used to take my last cat lots of places, i miss that.

[Richard Steele]

9. Yes, the 'mane' you describe is typical of the Maine Coons.

We have one (the cat, that is), but I have no pics handy which show her mane.

Here's a maine coon jpeg I just googled: