Around the legend of the Maine Coon cat swirls a fog as thick as that of its homeland. The most romantic of these legends is the tale of Captain Samuel Clough of Wiscasset, Maine, Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and Marie's six royal longhaired cats.

As the French Revolution drove to its bloody climax, many plots sprang up to save the royal family. One such plot involved Captain Clough's attempt  to bring the queen to the United States in his ship, "The Sally." After they had smuggled her  prized possessions onto the ship, they loaded her most precious cargo of all: six royal longhaired cats.

Before the ship could set sail, Marie Antoinette returned to the palace at Versailles one last time. There, an angry mob seized her and threw her into the dungeon. Fearful for his own life, Captain Clough set sail without her. The ship docked safely in Wiscasset, Maine, while in France, Marie Antoinette was beheaded.

For many years, Marie Antoinette's cats roamed the North Atlantic Coastline. Their coats grew longer and shaggy and they adjusted to the bitter cold and snow. People ignorant of the cats' true heritage called them "Maine Coon Cats" - "Maine" for thier state, and "Coon" because of their thick bushy tails, reminicient of the raccoon.  

Today, part of the Legend of the Maine Coon Cat has been kept a secret. The only ones who know for sure are the Maine Coon Cats themselves—and they aren't talking. Until now.