91 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Cat with 'Boondocker' Paws, March 6, 2001
"That Yankee Cat" is 'the' complete reference guide to the Maine Coon cat, and well-written to boot. I also read "Maine Coon Cats" by Carol Himsel Daly, and "Guide to Owning a Maine Coon Cat" by Abigail Greene (et al) and "That Yankee Cat" is by far the most interesting and the most specific to the breed. The author, Marilis Hornidge even spends some print on the characteristics of Maine Coon owners (although, for some reason she leaves out the fact that we are all totally loveable):
"Maine Coon people, more than any other group in the fancy, seem to enjoy word games in naming organizations, catteries, and their cats."
In Chapter 5, "Tales of the Cat", Hornidge gives full rein to Maine Coon-related word play, although she doesn't explain why some owners chose the names they inflicted on these big, shaggy beauties, e.g. Captain Jenks of the Horse Marines, Absorbine Jr., Commodore Perry, and Surfer Dude. ...
Breed characteristics are discussed in terms of 'boondocker paws', 'Elizabethan ruff', 'rectangularness', "SMART, SMART, SMART (but not stuck up about it)", 'a dry sense of humor', and 'the Medium-sized Cat in the Large Fur Coat' - not quite CFA-standard language, but easy to visualize! The photographs in this book demonstrate the great variety of the breed, not just your typical big, brown tabby. There are pictures of red mackerel tabbies, cameo tabbies, and splotched tabbies, and even a Black Smoke and a 'tuxedo cat' or two. I only wish more of the photographs could have been in color. It's very difficult to distinguish a brown mackerel from a red mackerel in a black-and-white photograph.
The book also has clearly written sections on genetics and coat color, 'peaceful coexistence' (if you own any cat at all, you'll know what that means), grooming, and first-aid.
The author has even composed a sub-chapter called 'Pot Purry' which I will leave to your imagination.
And speaking of word games and Maine Coon owners, shouldn't a Maine Coon Cattery be called a 'Coonery'?
Read "That Yankee Cat" if you're even thinking about getting a kitten. Or not. It's a hundred-and-one pages of sheer delight for those of us who are actually lucky enough to be owned by one of these gentle, shaggy down-Easterners.
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83 of 92 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
past present and future of america's native long hair, May 6, 1998
For people who love the Maine Coon, as well as those who have only just discovered it, this book is 'required reading'. If you are shopping for a gift, "That Yankee Cat" will delight the expert or novice alike. Marilis Hornidge has collected the folk lore and legend of the Maine Coon cat, added the story of the fight to have it reccognised by the international associations. and included plenty of pictures along the way.
The perfact book for anyone who owns or is owned by a Maine Coon, or wants to be.
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Miss the mark, March 6, 2006
I bought this book due to the great reviews given by readers, but I cannot see what they are so excited about (Maybe they were the author's friends). The photographs are really poor (blurred, poorly lit) and only a few are in colour. I would have expected at least a clear description (with images) of the different colours Maine Coons available, but again here were only written descriptions. The text runs on an on with no apparent point to make. This was clearly written for purple haired ladies who attend cat shows and go on and on about standards, not a cat enthusiast who would like to learn and appreciate a specific breed.
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