DANTE: WHAT YOU SEE ISN'T NECESSARILY WHAT YOU GET!

Maine Coons, like Dante, are classified as 'semi-longhair'.  I've often wondered about that because Dante is one of the floofiest cats around.

'Semi-longhair', to me, makes it sound like they are sort of longhaired, but not really.  I guess looking at one of my recent batch of pictures, it all became clear to me.

When you look at Dante from the back, he looks like many other cats, although his tail is rather huge.  This shorter, oilier coat is slicker and protects the Maine Coon cat in wet weather.  The water just runs off their back (like a duck).  I guess that makes it a kind of  'rain slicker'!

But turn around, and Dante goes 'poof' with the floof!  Does this look like a semi-longhaired cat to you?  Who would have guessed that the cat in the previous picture was hiding this massive coat underneath?  Once again, it's for protection, but this time against the cold.  The undercoat is silky soft.  Maine Coons originated in the State of Maine where the winters are frigid, but the breed has become one of the most popular the world oFUR.

I think we should take the "i" out of Maine and just call them "Mane Coons", don't you?  

It's definitely more uniFURSal!