A: “The earliest known cats in the United States with recorded pedigrees were the homegrown Maine Coon Cats. New Englanders were proud of their large long-haired cats with huge raccoonlike tails, who were able to survive the severe northeastern climate, and began to exhibit them in local shows. At the first large cat show in the United States, held in 1895 in New York City, a Maine Coon was Best Cat in Show.”
The Cat Fanciers Association Complete Cat Book, edited by Mordecai Siegal, Cat Writers’ Association.