Why Maine Coons Have An ‘M’ On Their Forehead
Many people wrongly assume the ‘M’ marking on a cat’s head stands for ‘Maine Coon’ when it is present on all domestic cats with a tabby pattern!
The ‘M’ on a Maine Coons forehead is a dominant patterned marking found on all tabby patterned cats. This prominent marking is not specific to the Maine Coon cat breed but is visible on all Maine Coon cats with a tabby pattern.
Over the years many popular stories have evolved that claim to know why the ‘M’ marking exists. In this article, we delve into the most popular myth of the m pattern and explain in detail what the m stands for.
The ‘M’ On Your Cat’s Forehead
Distinctive markings like the ‘M’ marking on a cat’s forehead are not specific to the Maine Coon cat breed. Instead, they are visible on all cat breeds with a tabby pattern.
This prominent tabby coat pattern is therefore not present in all Maine Coon colors, only tabby-patterned Maine Coons.
It is worth noting that tabbies are the most common pattern in Maine Coon cats which might explain why cat owners often assume the m marking is a distinctive Maine Coon physical trait.
Below is a picture of the distinctive feature ‘M’ marking on a Maine Coon cats head:
Where Does The Term ‘Tabby’ Come From?
According to National Geographic, the term tabby originates from al-‘Attābiyya, a region of Baghdad where fine lustrous silk was made in the 16th century.
The stripes of the tabby, however, are linked to the domestic cat’s ancestor, the striped Near Eastern wildcat.
Tabby Patterns
According to the Cat Fanciers Association’s breed standards, there are three tabby patterns:
1. Classic Tabby Pattern
The classic tabby Maine Coon has dense markings that are clearly defined, and broad. The ‘M’ marking on their forehead is formed by the cat’s frown marks.
2. Mackerel Tabby Pattern
The Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon also has dense markings that are clearly defined. These markings look like narrow pencillings.
The cat’s forehead is barred with an “M’ marking.
3. Ticked Tabby Pattern
Ticked tabby Maine Coons have ticking all over their body, with a darkening at the dorsal crest.
They do not have any other patterns, spots, stripes, or blotches, but do have well-known tabby facial markings.
Why Tabby Cats Have An ‘M’ On Their Head
It is not known why tabby Maine Coon cats have an ‘M’ on their head, but this hasn’t stopped the creation of many stories to explain it!
Below are five particularly popular myths:
Let’s take a look at each of these legends in a little more detail:
1. Mark From Mary
A popular myth used to explain why the ‘M’ marking appears on a cat’s forehead is linked to a religious Christian influence.
According to Christian folklore, Mother Mary swaddled baby Jesus in multiple blankets to keep him warm during the cold winter weather.
Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain since Jesus continued to lay in his crib crying and shivering.
In an attempt to keep her precious baby warm, Mary asked the animals in the stable to move closer to her baby’s crib, hoping their body heat would help warm little Jesus. Sadly it did not.
Legend has it that an intelligent tabby cat witnessed this and knew how to save baby Jesus from the bitter cold.
The cat climbed into the crib and lay next to the baby, purring. Its body heat warmed the cold baby’s body, whilst the gentle purring calmed baby Jesus, enabling him to sleep throughout the night.
Mary was full of gratitude for the tabby cat’s actions and stroked its forehead. As she stroked the cat, she moved the fur on its brow to make the shape of an ‘m’.
This ‘m’ is thought to have been her way of ensuring that humanity would forever remember that a tabby cat had been the savior of baby Jesus.
2. Mark Of The Moon
Egyptians noticed that cat eyes reflected the daytime light, yet looked luminous during nighttime hours.
They were convinced there was a link between a cat’s luminous eyes and the moon, and thought cats were the god of the moon!
The ‘M’ marking on every tabby patterned cat’s forehead is considered a sign of the relationship between a cat’s eyes, and the moon!
3. A Cat Named ‘Mother’
According to this website, a writer named Jim Willis wrote a story named ‘Beloved of Bast’.
In this story, a tabby cat named ‘Mother’ is visited by another tabby cat named Bast, owned by Sun Goddess Ra, the king of the deities and father of all creation.
To celebrate the kindness of ‘Mother’, Ra decreed that all tabby patterned cats must have m-shaped markings on their forehead.
4. Muhammad And Muezza
The Islamic religion claims the ‘M’ marking on tabby patterned cats’ foreheads comes from the prophet Muhammad, the ‘protector of cats’.
Islamic legend tells the following two stories about Muhammad and the cat Muezza:
- Prophet Muhammad passionately loved cats. On one occasion he was called to prayer but knew moving would wake his cat ‘Muezza’ who was sleeping on the sleeve of his robe. So he cut off the sleeve of his robe to prevent waking his cat!
- Muhammad’s cat ‘Muezza’ saved his life by killing a poisonous snake that had slithered into the prophet’s sleeve unnoticed. As a mark of respect for Muezza, Muhammad drew an ‘M’ marking on his cat’s forehead to show the world how much he loved cats. To thank his cat for its act of kindness, he is also thought to have given cats the skill of landing on their feet.
5. Ancient Egyptian Cat Name
Ancient Egyptians used to call cats ‘Mau’, possibly due to a cat’s ‘meow’ sound. The ‘M’ marking is thought to stand for the name ‘Mau’.
Does The ‘M’ Stand For Maine Coon?
Contrary to popular belief, the ‘M’ on a Maine Coons forehead does not stand for ‘Maine Coon’.
This fictional myth likely arose because all tabby-patterned Maine Coon cats have the distinctive ‘M’ on their foreheads.
Since all tabby cats have this distinctive marking there are many other cat breeds with an ‘M’ on their forehead.
If you are wondering if you own a Maine Coon, check out this guide on How To Identify A Maine Coon Kitten.
