Sandy the cat, Portland, 1903
Item 152018 info
Maine Historical Society
Sandy was a Maine Coon cat who lived with the Stevens
family in Portland. The Maine Coon breed originated in
Maine, and was an extremely popular pet around 1900,
when Sandy was part of the Stevens home.
Maine Coons have long and thick fur coats, tufted ears,
and snowshoe feet, leading to numerous mythic origin
stories. Some suggest they are raccoon or bobcat hybrids
or descendants of Norwegian Forest cats, brought to
Maine on Viking ships. Genetic studies of Maine Coons
trace their lineage to English settler colonialists who
started communities in Maine and Massachusetts in the
1600s. In 2025, the Maine Coon is the state of Maine cat,
there is no state dog.
Sarah Stevens painted this portrait of Sandy after
the cat died, memorializing him with a note on the back,
“My heart is broken, dear little friend, good-bye,
Sandy Stevens.”
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