A brown tabby female Maine Coon cat named Cosey was awarded a silver collar for Best Cat at the National Capital Cat Show held in 1895 in New York City, beginning what would become a long record of winning Maine Coons at cat shows around the world.

Originally valued by early New England settlers as working cats, Maine Coons came to be appreciated for their wonderful dispositions and good looks so much that they became America’s first show cat.

As far back as the 1860's, New England farmers began holding a cat show as part of the annual Skowhegan Fair. America's first show cat was born as Maine Coons from all over the territory vied for the title Maine State Champion Coon Cat. By the 1870s, shows were already being held as far west as Chicago.

Yet it was the May 8, 1895 National Capital Cat Show held at Madison Square Garden in New York City that is generally considered the most famous of the early cat shows. 176 cats were entered in three categories: Longhair (not differentiated by breed), Foreign Shorthair (which included Siamese, Manx, and Russians),and Domestic Shorthair. After each cat was judged once, Cosey (left), a female brown tabby Longhair owned by Mrs. E. Barker was chosen as the Best Cat. Based on photographs of Cosey, she would be classified today as a Maine Coon cat. Below, Cosey was awarded a silver cat collar engraved "National Cat Show, 1895, won by Cosey" that was later purchased by the CFA Foundation, thanks to a generous donation from the National Capital Cat Show, and today is housed at the CFA Central Office.

Within a few years, the Boston show circuit became a prestigious event. For three years King Max -- a brown tabby Maine Coon cat owned by Mrs. Pierce, cat breeder and historian -- dominated these events, winning in 1897, 1898, and 1899 until defeated by his son Donald in 1900.

The Origin Of Cat Registries

When the first major cat show was held, there were no cat clubs and no cat registering associations. Exhibitors declared what breed they were showing on the basis of their cat's looks. In 1899, the Beresford Cat Club -- believed to be the first cat club on record -- was founded in Chicago. By 1901, believing that the club should assume responsibility for registering and recording the pedigrees of cats according to breed, this first cat association was chartered, registered, and named the American Cat Association. Five years later, disagreement over registration policies caused some members to found their own organization, which in 1908 became the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). It was the CFA that began keeping the only breed record books we have of this period. In Book I of the CFA Stud Book and Registry, 28 Maine Cats (as they were known) were listed under a special proviso that depended on a sworn statement that the sire and dam were "same breed, long hair and that neither is a shorthaired." In fact, CFA Registration #5 is a tortoiseshell female Maine Cat named Molly.

During the early 1900s, just as cat shows began to spread from the Northeast to the Midwest and finally to the West Coast, other imported longhaired breeds with pedigrees became status symbols in America. The Maine Coons, still beloved by many New Englanders, began disappearing from the ranks of the registry and from the cat shows in America.

That is, until the early 1950s, when people who loved Maine Coons formed the Central Maine Cat Club (CMCC) to showcase the breed and promote record keeping. For 11 years the CMCC sponsored a combined cat show and exhibition of cat photographs for all cats and the Maine Coon cat in particular. By 1963, the CMCC had created breeding records of the Maine Coon and one of the first written standards for the breed. People in other parts of the country began to breed and show Maine Coons.

Yet during the 1960s, there were still few Maine Coon breeders, and by 1971, there were only 20 Maine Coons registered with the CFA. As the CFA grew, the titles of Champion and Grand Champion were created to honor cats that were excellent examples of their breeds.

In 1973, the Maine Coon Cat Club was formed by members whose goal was to fulfill CFA's requirements for full recognition of the Maine Coon cat breed. By 1974, the breed club not only had a breed standard but 133 registered cats as well. Long awaited championship status for the Maine Coon occurred May 1, 1976. America's native American longhair was back on the show circuit.

On June 22, 1979, The International Cat Association (TICA) was founded in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. In June 1982, the Executive Office was moved to Harlingen, Texas. TICA describes itself as an association of enthusiastic, energetic members who take an active part in management and policy making.

CFA, the world's largest cat registry, ranks the Maine Coon second in popularity among all the registered breeds of cats. CaliMaine is a registered cattery with both The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA).

Today, why do we show our CaliMaine Coons?

We at CaliMaine believe that participating in cat shows helps promote the popularity of the Maine Coon breed, ensuring that the heritage of this wonderful breed of cat is not lost. Showing also provides us with an objective assessment of the success of our breeding program in producing Maine Coons that fit the breed standard.