-->

MCO Standards

POINT SCORE (100)

HEAD (35)
	10 .. Shape
	10 .. Profile
	10 .. Ears	
	05 .. Eyes	
BODY (35)
	15 .. Shape
	10 .. Legs/Feet	
	10 .. Tail	   
	
COAT (20)
	10 .. Length	
	10 .. Texturel

COLOR (10)

General	Appearance:	The Maine Coon is a working cat, muscular, solid, medium to large in size with the look of the wild. This cat is a result of natural evolution, capable of surviving a harsh climate with little or no human assistance. Thus, this cat may be reserved initially toward strange people and new situations, yet the Maine Coon does have an amiable disposition. Males may be larger, females are usually smaller. Females should not be penalized because of this size difference. Allowance should be made for slow maturation, as a Maine Coon does not achieve ultimate type until three to four years of age. Type must not be sacrificed for size, or size for type.
Head	Shape:	The head is medium in width and slightly longer than wide with allowance for broadening and jowls in males. Muzzle is square when viewed from any angle. Cheek bones are high. Chin must be firm and in line with nose and upper lip.
Head	Profile:	The nose is slightly concave with no break.
Ears	Shape:	Large, tall, wide at base, tapering to appear pointed, with lynx-like tipping and inner tufts extending beyond the outer edge of the ears.
Ears	Placement:	They are set high on the head, the distance between them being equal to the width of an ear at its base.
Eyes	Shape:	Large, round, wide-set, with a slightly oblique setting.
Eyes	Colour:	Eye color may be shades of green, gold or copper. Clarity of color is desired. There is no relationship between eye color and coat color, except in white cats, which may be blue-eyed, copper-eyed or odd-eyed.
Neck	Neck:	Neck medium to long; may be thick and muscular in older males.
Body	Structure:	Medium to large in size, muscular and broad chested. The body should be long with all parts proportioned to create a rectangular appearance. The body should feel solid, with firm muscle and no flabbiness. When viewed from the rear, there is a definite squareness to the rump.
Legs	Legs:	Sturdily boned, wide-set, medium in length, in proportion to the body.
Legs	Paws	Feet large, round and well tufted underneath and between the pads.
Tail	Tail	Long, at least the length of the body, wide as the base and tapering to the tip.
Coat	Length:	Coat is uneven in length and markedly subject to seasonal variation. Fur on head, neck and shoulders is short, becoming gradually longer along the back toward the tail and down the sides toward the belly. Britches and belly fur are full and shaggy. The coat flows smoothly down the body, continuing in the same manner on the tail. There is a frontal ruff, generally heavier on males than females. The tail is heavy furred, long and flowing, but it is not bushy as is a fox's brush.
	Texture:	More or less self maintaining, the coat is warm with a light density undercoat covered by a water proof outer coat. The coat is not fluffy. Coat texture may vary with coat color.
	Colour	White trim around the chin and lip line allowed except in solid color cats.
Condition	Condition	There is no point score for condition as such. Flabbiness, obesity, emaciation, dull coat, evidence of illness, or any other indication that the cat is not in good physical condition or has not had proper grooming are faults and should be penalized under the appropriate heading constituting the point score.
Misc.
FAULTS:
Faults:	General	*Allowable Outcrosses:* None.
	Head:
	Nose:
	Muzzle:
	Chin:
	Ears:
	Eyes:
	Body:
	Legs:
	Tail:
	Coat:

Accepted Colors:

Blue Eyed White
Copper Eyed White
Odd Eyed White
Blue
Black
Cream
Red

Blue Patched Tabby
Blue Silver Patched Tabby
Brown Patched Tabby
Silver Patched Tabby
Golden Patched Tabby
Blue Patched McTabby
Blue Silver Patched McTabby
Brown Patched McTabby
Silver Patched McTabby
Golden Patched McTabby

Blue Patched Tabby Particolor
Blue Silver Patched Tabby Particolor
Brown Patched Tabby Particolor

Bluecream
Tortoiseshell

Blue Smoke
Black Smoke
Cameo Smoke
Golden Smoke
Bluecream Smoke
Tortoiseshell Smoke

Chinchilla Silver
Shaded Silver
Shell Cameo
Shaded Cameo
Chinchilla Golden
Shaded Golden
Shaded Bluecream
Shaded Tortoiseshell

Blue Tabby
Blue Silver Tabby
Cream Tabby
Red Tabby
Brown Tabby
Silver Tabby
Golden Tabby
Cameo Tabby
Blue McTabby
Blue Silver McTabby
Cream McTabby
Red McTabby
Brown McTabby
Silver McTabby
Golden McTabby
Cameo McTabby

Blue Bicolor
Black Bicolor
Cream Bicolor
Red Bicolor

Blue Tabby Particolor
Blue Silver Tabby Particolor
Cream Tabby Particolor
Red Tabby Particolor
Brown Tabby Particolor
Silver Tabby Particolor
Golden Tabby Particolor
Cameo Tabby Particolor
Blue McTabby Particolor
Blue Silver McTabby Particolor
Cream McTabby Particolor
Red McTabby Particolor
Brown McTabby Particolor
Silver McTabby Particolor
Golden McTabby Particolor
Cameo McTabby Particolor
SilveBluecream Particolor
Shaded Bluecream Particolor
Smoke Bluecream Particolor
Tortoiseshell Particolor
Shaded Tortie Particolor
Smoke Tortie Particolor

Silver Patched Tabby Particolor
Golden Patched Tabby Particolor

Blue Patched McTabby Particolor
Blue Silver Patched McTabby Particolor
Brown Patched McTabby Particolor
Silver Patched McTabby Particolor
Golden Patched McTabby Particolor

PATTERN/COLOR DESCRIPTIONS:
Solid Colors:
White: Pure clear white. Eyes blue, copper or odd eyed (one blue and one copper eye) with equal color depth. Nose leather and paw pads pink.
Blue: One level shade of blue, lighter shades preferred; free from shading, markings or ticking and sound to the roots. Nose leather and paw pads blue. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Black: Lustrous jet black, with sound color from roots to tip of fur. Nose leather and paw pads black or charcoal. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Cream: One level shade of cream, lighter shades preferred; free from shading, markings, or ticking and sound to the roots. Nose leather and paw pads pink. Eye shades of green, gold or copper.
Red: Deep rich red, free from shading, markings or ticking, and sound to the roots. Nose leather and paw pads brick red. Eye shades of green, gold or copper.

Tabby Patterns:
Classic Tabby Pattern: Markings dense, clearly defined and board, showing good contrast between the pale ground color and the deep, heaving markings. Legs evenly barred with bracelets coming up to meet the body markings. Tail evenly ringed. At least one unbroken necklace on neck or upper chest. Frown marks on the forehead extending between the ears and down the neck to meet the 'butterfly' on the shoulders. An unbroken line runs back from the outer corner of the eye. Swirls on cheeks. Back markings consist of a vertical line down the spine from the butterfly to tail with a vertical stripe paralleling it on each side. The three stripes are well separated by stripes of the ground color. The dark swirls on the sides of the body shall be centered by a dark blotch surrounded by groundcolor. The underside of the body should have a double row of vertical buttons in the color of the dense markings.
Mackerel Tabby Pattern: Markings dense, clearly defined and all narrow penciling showing good contrast between the pale ground color and the dense markings. Legs evenly barred with bracelets coming up to meet the body markings. Tail evenly ringed. At least one unbroken necklace on neck or upper chest. Frown marks on the forehead extending between the ears and down the neck to meet the shoulders. An unbroken line runs back from the outer corner of the eye to the ear. There are three distinct spine lines but they are all very narrow and often meld into what looks like one wide stripe without fault. Narrow penciling lines in the dense marking color runs around the body in vertical fashion in the unbroken lines. The underside of the body should have a double row of vertical buttons in the color of the dense markings.
Patched Tabby Pattern: markings to Conform to either the Classic Tabby or Mackerel Tabby pattern. The Patched Tabby is an established blue, brown, silver, blue silver or golden tabby with patches of red an/or cream. Tabby Colors:
Blue Tabby: The ground color should be pale bluish ivory. Markings are very deep blue, providing good contrast to the lighter ground color. Warm fawn patina over the whole. Nose leather and paw pads rose. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Blue Silver Tabby: The ground color should be pure, clear silver. Markings are deep blue, affording good contrast to the light ground color. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors.
Red Tabby: The ground color should be red. Markings a dense, darker red providing good contrast with the lighter red ground color. Nose leather and paw pads brick red. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Cream Tabby: The ground color should be very pale cream. Markings of cream are sufficiently darker than the ground color to provide good contrast, but remain within the dilute color range. Nose leather and paw pads pink. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Brown Tabby: The ground color should be a rich, tawny brown. Markings dense black. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads slate or black. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White chin/lip trim allowed.
Silver Tabby: The ground color should be pale, pure silver. Markings dense black. Rims of eyes, nose and lips outlined in black. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads black. Eyes shades of green, bold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Golden Tabby: The ground color should be rich warm gold to apricot, apricot preferred. Markings dark brown to black. Rims of eyes and nose outlined with dark brown or black. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads dark brown or black. Clarity of markings takes precedence over depth of tipping. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White chin/lip trim allowed.
Cameo Tabby: The ground color should be pale ivory. Markings are red, diminishing in intensity of color approaching the roots of the hairs. Clarity of markings takes precedence over depth of tipping. Nose leather and paw pads rose. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Blue Patched Tabby: The ground color should be pale bluish ivory. Markings a very deep blue providing good contrast with the pale ground color. Patches of cream clearly defined on both body and extremities. Cream markings on the face are desirable. Warm fawn overtones or patina over the whole. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Blue Silver Patched Tabby: The ground color should be pure, clear silver. Markings deep blue, providing good contrast with the pale ground color. Patches of red and/or cream clearly defined on both body and extremities. Red and/or cream markings on the face are desirable. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Brown Patched Tabby: The ground color should be rich, tawny brown. Markings of dense black with patches of red and/or cream clearly defined on both body and extremities. Markings of red an/or cream on the face are desirable. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Silver Patched Tabby: The ground color is pure pale silver. Markings dense black. Patches of red and/or cream clearly defined on both body and extremities. Markings of red and/or cream on the face are desirable. Rims of eyes, nose and lips are outlined in black. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed.
Golden Patched Tabby: The ground color should be rich warm gold to apricot, apricot preferred. Markings dark brown to black. Patches of red and/or cream clearly defined on both body and extremities. Markings of red and/or cream on the face are desirable. Rims of eyes, nose and lips outlined in dark brown or black. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads dark brown or black. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. White lip/chin trim allowed. Tortoiseshell Colors:
Bluecream: Blue and cream, lighter shades preferred, clearly visible on both body and extremities. Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Cream markings on the face are desirable. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Tortoiseshell: Black, red and/or cream clearly visible on both body and extremities. Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Red an/or cream markings on the face are desirable. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors. Eye shades of green, gold or copper. Smoke Colors:
Blue Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with blue. Cat in repose appears blue. In motion the white undercoat is apparent. Extremities and face blue with narrow band of white at base of hair next to the skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. White ruff and ear tufts. Nose leather and paw pads blue. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Black Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with black. Cat in repose appears black. In motion, the white undercoat is apparent. Extremities and face black and narrow band of white at base of hair next to the skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. White ruff and ear tufts. Nose leather and paw pads black. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. Cameo Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with red. Cat in repose appears red. In motion, the white undercoat is apparent. Extremities and face red with narrow band of white at base of hair next to the skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. White ruff and ear tufts. Nose leather and paw pads rose. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Golden Smoke: Rich warm gold to apricot undercoat, apricot preferred., deeply tipped with black. Cat in repose appears black. In motion, the golden undercoat is apparent. Extremities and face black with narrow band of golden at base of hair next to the skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. Golden ruff and ear tufts. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads dark brown or black. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Bluecream Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with blue and cream which are clearly visible on both body and extremities. Cat in repose appears bluecream. In motion, the white undercoat is apparent. Extremities and face bluecream with narrow band of white at base of hair next to the skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. White ruff and ear tufts. Cream markings on the face are desirable. Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Nose leather an paw pads to conform to requirements for coat color. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Tortoiseshell Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with black, red and/or cream which are clearly visible on both body and extremities. Cat in repose appears tortoiseshell. In motion, the white undercoat is apparent. Extremities and face black, red and/or cream with narrow band of white at base of hair next to the skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. White ruff and ear tufts. Red and/or cream markings on the face are desirable. Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat color. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper. Shaded Colors:
Chinchilla Silver: Undercoat a pale silver or silvery white. The coat on back, flanks, head and tail sufficiently tipped with jet black to give the characteristic sparkling silver appearance. The legs and feet may be slightly shaded with tipping, but the chin, ear tufts, stomach and chest should be silvery white with no tipping. Rims of eyes, lips and nose leather outlined in black. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads black or dark charcoal. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Shaded Silver: Undercoat is pale silver or silvery white. A mantle of black tipping shades gradually down the sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge to silvery white on the chin, chest, belly and under the tail. The legs to be the same tone as the face. The general effect is much darker than a chinchilla. Rims of eyes, nose leather and lips outlined in black. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads black or dark charcoal. Eye shades of green, gold or copper.
Shell Cameo: undercoat is ivory white. The coat on back, blanks, head and tail should be sufficiently tipped with red to give the characteristic sparkling appearance. The legs and face may be very slightly shaded with tipping, but the ear tufts, stomach and chest should be ivory white with no tipping. Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads pink. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Shaded Cameo: Undercoat is ivory white. A mantle of red tipping shades gradually down the sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge to ivory white on the chin, chest, belly and under the tail. The legs to be the same tone as the face. The general effect is much darker than a shell. Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads pink. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Chinchilla Golden: Undercoat should be rich, warm gold to apricot, apricot preferred. The coat on back, flanks, head and tail should be sufficiently tipped with dark brown to black to give the characteristic sparkling appearance. The legs and face may be slightly shaded with tipping, but ear tufts, stomach and chest should be cream to apricot with no tipping. Rims of eyes, lips and nose outlined in dark brown to black. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads dark brown to black. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Shaded Golden: The undercoat should be rich warm gold to apricot, apricot preferred. A mantle of dark brown to black tipping shades gradually down the sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge to golden on the chest, belly and under the tail. The legs to be the same tone as the face. The general effect is much darker than a shell. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads dark brown to black. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Shaded Bluecream: Undercoat is silvery white with blue and cream tipping well distributed and clearly visible on both body and extremities. The depth of tipping may range from shell to shaded with evenness of tipping taking precedence over depth. Cream markings on the face are desirable. Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Shaded Tortoiseshell: White undercoat with black, red and/or cream tipping clearly visible on both body and extremities. The depth of tipping may range from shell to shaded with evenness to tipping taking precedence over depth. Cream or red markings on the face are desirable. Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Nose leather and paw pads black and/or pink. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.

Bicolors: A combination of blue, black, red or cream solid color with white in a pattern that is pleasing to the eye. Having at least 1/3 white is desirable, but not mandatory. The solid colors are as found in the color descriptions for the solid colors. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.
Particolors: Particolors are multi-colored cats which combine any of the recognized colors/patterns of the breed with white in a pattern that is pleasing to the eye. Having 1/4 white is desirable, but not mandatory. All colors in a particolor should be judged according to the listed color descriptions preceding. Cats with only white feet, lockets or spots are not considered particolors, but are faulty solids or tabbies. White lip/chin trim is allowed. Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.