This majestic feline will sweep everyone off their feet, especially if you are lucky enough to encounter a full grown black smoke Maine Coon, which is quite rare. Why is the black smoke Maine Coon so unique?
The black smoke Maine Coon is a purebred Maine Coon cat breed that has a smoke pattern and a beautiful black color. Smoke Maine Coons can also be a variety of other colors, such as blue, cream, red, etc. However, black is the most common one for this rare smoke pattern.
Most people don’t see it at first, but if you look closely, you can see where the magic happens in the fur of the Maine Coon. When you pet a black smoke Maine Coon and run your fingers through its fur, you can see the colors changing from darker to lighter shades.
Continue reading to find out more about the beautiful cat breed known as the black smoke Maine Coon.
Info About The Full Grown Black Smoke Maine Coon
Most people don’t notice it at first glance, but when you look closer, you will see something amazing in the Maine Coon’s coat. When you pet a black smoke Maine Coon with your hand, you can see the merging and changing of colors.
Technically the fur is bi-color, with darker colors on top and lighter at the base of the cat’s coat and the skin. You can see the darker undercoat, and their face, paws, ears, and tail look darker than the rest of their body. Their coat looks like it is lighter in color, and when you stroke a black smoke Maine Coon you can see the color appearing to change from lighter to darker tones as the hairs move.
Origin
The Maine Coon cat breed origin pattern is tabby, but nowadays there are several different coat patterns for the breed, which takes us to the black smoke Maine Coon.
In order to breed and produce a black smoke Maine Coon, you need to be somewhat of a professional, i.e. you have to have a thorough understanding of coat genetics. To put it in simply, the DNA necessary for the production of a smoke coat pattern are dominant silver, wideband and recessive non-agouti allele.
It is important to know that even if the two parent or breeding cats appear to be tabby, they can carry a recessive non-agouti gene and therefore produce a smoke Maine Coon kitten.
Additionally, there are several tales about the origins of these gentle giants. According to one of them, Maine Coons came to America with Vikings because they were great mousers, which they still are, so this tale might be true.
There is a myth that Marie Antoinette took her cats to Maine, USA, and these cats included Turkish Angoras, Persian cats, and Siberian cats. It is believed that these cats mated and gave birth to semi-long-haired cats that became known as Maine Coons after the state’s name.
People also used to think that Captain Coon stopped in Maine and that his ship’s cats mated with other cats on land, and because his name was Coon and the state’s name was Maine, the new breed was titled Maine Coon cats.
Popularity
These majestic cats, full grown black Maine Coon cats, were primarily bred because they were excellent mousers. Historically, the black smoke Maine Coon was first mentioned in F. R. Pierce’s book in the 1860s, and they were bred in the Northeastern part of the USA.
The Maine Coon cat breed began competing in cat shows around the end of the 1800s, as more and more people started recognizing it, and the cat breed is one of the first major cat show winners in the US. The distinguishing traits of the full-grown black smoke Maine Coon, and the Maine Coon cat breed overall, have made the breed one of the most popular and recognizable cat breeds in the world.
Pattern Recognition
It took some time for the full grown black smoke Maine Coon to reach formal pattern recognition. Official breed recognition came in 1973 when the Maine Coon Cat Club recognized the Maine Coon cat breed. After three years, the CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) recognized it too.
Nowadays, Maine Coons are actually entering cat shows more than any other cat breed, they have won several times and are sure to win more titles. The temperament and the beauty of the Maine Coon cats make them unique.
Black Smoke Maine Features
| Height | 11-16 inches |
| Weight | 20-25 lbs |
| Lifespan | 10-15 years |
| Temperament | Friendly, sociable, loyal, affectionate |
The Smoke Maine Coon is a particular coat variety of the Maine Coon cat breed. The coat is most commonly a black smoke color, although it can be any color. At first glance, it appears to be a solid color pattern, but close examination exposes the light-colored undercoats that give it the smokey effect that give them their name.
The hair tips are deeply pigmented, yet there is a lighter area around the roots. These cats are huge and incredibly clever, as well as extraordinarily affectionate and loyal, making them excellent pets and loyal companions.
You might also want to check out: Maine Coon Cat Price And Costs
Other Color Variations Of The Smoke Maine Coon
Maine Coons can come in different colors, and smoke Maine Coon cats can have six different smoke pattern color varieties, as follows:
1. Black Smoke Maine Coon – the most common color for Smoke Maine Coons, includes fur that is black on the tips of hairs with a light-colored undercoat. The black color is the most common one, due to a pigment called eumelanin. At first, it appears to be a solid black Maine Coon, but close examination exposes light-colored undercoats that give it a characteristic smokey effect.
2. Red Smoke Maine Coon – this coat has a red or orange color on the tips, and a lighter undercoat. Red pigmentation is associated with the cat’s sex, and the red color is caused by pheomelanin. Interestingly, the Maine Coon cat can only have red color in its fur if its same sex parent also has it.
3. Blue Smoke Maine Coon – the blue fur color is diluted from the black color. In the case of the Maine Coon’s fur, blue comes as a variety of the black color. If a black parent cat possesses a dilute gene, then that can transfer to its kittens and the color of their fur can come out as a diluted gray color, which is called blue in cat world.
4. Cream Smoke Maine Coon – the cream/beige fur color is diluted from the red/ orange color. Just as with the blue-black coat, the cream color comes as a dilute form of the red color. Most typically the Maine Coon’s coat is tipped with light orange or cream color, while the base is white.
5. Tortie Smoke Maine Coon – some parts of Maine Coon’s fur coat are tipped in red or black color. Cats that have black and red pigments are called tortie, and tortie smoke Maine Coon cats have tipped red or black fur, and the base of the fur is lighter.
6. Blue Tortie Smoke Maine Coon – the coat fur is pigmented in black or red color. If the Maine Coon kitten was to inherit the black and red diluted pigments, then they’ll have come out as a blue tortie. The blue tortie smoke Maine Coon typically has cream and blue tipped fur with a light-colored undercoat.
Interesting Facts About Black Smoke Maine Coons
1. Maine Coon – The Largest Domesticated Cat Breed There Is
The world’s biggest domestic cat is the Maine Coon cat, including of course the Smoke Maine Coon. A full grown black Smoke Maine Coon cat may weigh up to 35 pounds, which is more than twice the weight of most other domestic cat breeds.
Many people often mistake Maine Coons for bobcats. Females can weigh from 8 to 17 lbs, while males can weigh 13 to 20 lbs. To compare, a typical domestic cat’s weight is around 8 lbs.
2. Black Smoke Maine Coons Are Native Americans
Nobody knows how these cats got to America, but they have been here since colonial times. There are different stories of their origin, but the most likely explanation is that they are descended from cats kept on early ships to eliminate mice and rats.
3. Smoke Maine Coons Love Water
While most cats avoid water, the Smoke Maine Coon cat (similar to the Turkish Van) enjoys being around water and playing in it. They are frequently seen in the shower after their owners leave, playing with drops of water, and they might even try to enter the shower with you.
4. Maine Coons Have A Wide Variety Of Possible Colors
The Black Smoke Maine Coon is only one fur color among many. Maine Coons typically have brown coats and fluffy tails, however, there are also six other color varieties. Nowadays, the available colors of the Smoke Maine Coon’s coat include black smoke, cream smoke, red smoke, blue smoke, tortie smoke, and blue tortie smoke.
5. Maine Coon Coats – Ready For Winter
Maine Coons are native to the chilly, northern parts of the USA, where they have adapted to endure hard winters and colder climates in general.
When it’s chilly outdoors, they have huge, tufted feet that act like snowshoes and thick hairy tails that wrap around their body to keep them warm. Their thick, water-repellent coat is their finest attribute. It is longer on the cat’s belly and flanks, and these fuzzy areas keep the cat’s lower body warm while it moves through snow or over ice.
6. Maine Coons Are Record Holders
The Maine Coon cat breed holds the record for oldest cat in the world, and it held the record for the world’s longest cat. The longest cat was nearly four feet long until he sadly died of cancer in 2013. The world’s oldest cat, which is 26 years old, still retains that title.
7. A Maine Coon Cat Won America’s Most Popular Cat Show
Madison Square Garden hosted a well-known and popular cat show in 1925. The Best Cat award went to Cosie, a brown tabby Maine Coon, and the medal is now on display at the CFA in Alliance, Ohio. This made them one of the most sought-after cat breeds in the state, until Persian cats arrived.
Where To Buy A Full Grown Black Smoke Maine Coon
When you decide you’re ready and prepared to take on a Maine Coon kitten or cat to take care of and give them a furever family by providing them with a permanent home, then it’s best to look for reputable breeders.
Professional registered Maine Coon breeders will provide you with your cat’s health records, documents relating to their cat parents, info about ancestry, advice about Maine Coons, cat food, and advice on possible health issues (e.g. spinal muscular atrophy, hip dysplasia, and some other conditions that Maine Coons are prone to than other domestic cat breeds).
You can check out some of the articles listed below which offer lists of the best breeders and Maine Coon catteries in the USA, where you’ll be able to find full grown black smoke Maine Coon cats or kittens for sale. Hopefully, some of them will be near you and suitable for your requirements.
• List Of Best Maine Coon Cat Breeders In Massachusetts
• List Of Best Maine Coon Breeders In Michigan
• List Of TOP 8 Maine Coon Breeders In Alabama
• TOP 10 Maine Coon Breeders In California
• 11 Best Maine Coon Breeders In Wisconsin
However, if the breeder’s prices are a bit too expensive for you, but you’re keen to provide a home for a Maine Coon kitten or a full grown black smoke Maine Coon or any Maine Coon color will do, you can try checking at local shelters, or rescue centers, since sometimes (not often, but it can happen) you may stumble upon a Maine Coon.
Some people leave adult Maine Coons that they can no longer take care of, some breeders don’t want to sell but they also don’t want to give their kittens to just anyone, so perhaps you might get lucky and the people at the shelter can forward their contact info to you.
What You Need To Know When Buying A Black Smoke Maine Coon
If you are thinking about getting a smoke Maine Coon kitten, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets! Make sure your breeder is accredited (look for TICA and CFA registrations), as many “backyard breeders” may promise a lot, but won’t deliver on those promises.
Bear in mind that the color of a kitten, particularly a smokey Maine Coon, can change as the cat grows older. When a kitten is small, it may appear to be smoke, but as it develops into an adult, you may discover that it is not smoke at all! This is why it is critical to buy from recognized breeders.
Another important thing when buying from registered breeders is that they put their Maine Coons’ health above all else! All breeders should stick to their ethical rules, and they should take great care of their cats and kittens, putting their health first.
Lastly, check out online reviews! Whether you find a reputable breeder that is suitable for you, or you decide on a shelter or rescue center, take some time to browse through customers’ reviews and get all the info you need about the people (whether it’s breeders or shelter workers) you’ll be doing business with.
Having a good relationship and communication with breeders and shelter workers is so important; it is always good to have someone you can talk to about your Maine Coon cat. Of course, it is also great to have a vet that can be at your disposal at any time, especially if there is an emergency of some sort.
FAQ
Are black smoke Maine Coon cats rare?
Yes. Black smoke Maine Coons are fairly rare, and silver black is the rarest coat color there among Maine Coons. The fact that black smoke Maine Coons are quite uncommon is probably exactly what makes them extremely desirable as pets.
How big do black smoke Maine Coons get?
A full grown black smoke Maine Coon can weigh up to 25 lbs. However, males usually weigh up to 18 lbs, and females up to 16 lbs. Maine Coons are the largest domestic cats, especially in comparison to the average domestic cat’s weight, which is usually around 8 lbs.
How much does a black smoke Maine Coon Cost?
Maine Coon cats, in general, are quite expensive, and when it comes to certain coat colors and/or patterns, a black smoke Maine Coon can cost anywhere in the range of $700 to $2000+, depending on the breeder.
What color are black smoke Maine Coons?
The color pigment called eumelanin is what causes the black color in a cats’ fur. A black smoke Maine Coon has black-tipped hair and an undercoat in a lighter color, with striking white roots.
How many colors of Maine Coon cats are there?
Maine coons are available in a wide range of colors and patterns. The Maine Coon cat can come (and is recognized by CFA) in 75 different colors, and its patterns include solid white, cream, red, blue, and black, as well as tabbies, tabbies with white, tortoiseshell, smoky, shaded, bi-color, calico, and parti-color Maine Coons. The most prevalent solid colors for Maine Coons are black, white, cream, and blue.
Final Words
Most people, even huge cat lovers, don’t see it at first, but while petting a black smoke Maine Coon you can see the exchange of colors happening before your eyes. The undercoat of these large cats is visible, and their face, paws, ears, and tail seem darker than the rest of their coat. Their coat appears to be lighter in color, but when you brush a black smoke Maine Coon, the color looks like it changes from lighter to darker.
Full grown black smoke Maine Coon breed is quite rare, and Maine Coons are generally quite expensive too. However, most cat owners feel they are well worth the money, especially since this coat color is so incredibly beautiful.
If you decide to get one of these lovely cats, your pet will provide you with more than just their beauty; they will also be your loyal friend and cuddle buddy for many years!