Can you post some pics? What color are her eyes?

Maine Coons have long hair around their ears and eyes, and my Ragdolls get really long hair under their toes. My cats' ruffs get really long in the winter, and the hair behind them gets really short just as you describe, so I don't know if your cat has this year round or just in the winter. Even though we live in Phoenix and they are indoor cats, they still grow a ruff in the fall and shed it in the spring.

Give us some more info, and post some pics!

She has green eyes. I see that she does look alot like pics on the internet of Maine Coon cats and her profoundly short nape hair sure fits too (there's a little less drastic definition in summer but its still there). She "walked into" my life/heart, so I'll never know for sure. (I have another twang of regret that I had her spayed.)
I don't know the process of posting pics, Michelle. Is it an easy one? Is there a site with directions?

Thanks-Cheryl

A while ago, someone did post photo instructions...I think you can do it thru a site called PHOTOBUCKET.

You cat may also be a Norwegian Forrest cat...they have similar characterisics and come in different colors.

I had a similar experience to yours with my late cat, Max. I took him from a friend when he was 9 yrs old because she could no longer care for him. I've always had domestic shorthairs adopted from shelters and Max was my 1st longhair. My friend had found him starving on the streets when he was about a year old. The tops of his ears were gone and so was one of his eyes. Her vet guessed that blind eye was from from street fights and that his ears had been frost-bitten. She took wonderful care of Max for 8 years...had him neutered and (yeah,I know) declawed. He was a gorgeous sweetie of a cat; Solid charcoal grey fluffy, long fur that had remarkable luminous silver highlights at the tufted paws, ruff, and what was left of his ears.

When I took him to my vet for his annual check up, the receptionist said, "Wow...he looks like a full-bred Nebelung! I know someone who just paid hundreds of $$$ for a Nebelung kitten." She showed me the latest copy of Cat Fancy where they had a feature on this breed of cat...the photos looked just like Max.

Max may have had a valuable pedigree, but that it didn't stop someone from abandoning him to a cold city street. Your puss sounds like she has a similar history and was lucky to have found a full-bred cat lover to give her a good home.
You did the right thing by spaying your cat...don't regret it.

L

As someone who has a long haired cat, here is some advice. Get him used to having his butt fur trimmed. You will be unpleasantly surprised someday when he has his first "cling-on".

I put treats on the floor and while my cat is eating them, I hold up his tail with one hand and trim with my hair-cutting scissors.

Ah, stir fryi, I've already learned of the need for this. Still don't have the knack of it yet but (no pun intended!) I will definitely try your method. Thanks.

Stir Fryi, we call them "butt nuggets". You are lucky your cats don't mind it, one of mine just hates to be groomed by us, it takes two of us to trim the butt fur (my old groomer called it "grooming the poop chute"!).

Cheryl, you have to have a website to upload pics to, Photobucket is one. Once you upload the photos (very easy, they provide directions) then you can look at a photo and it has its own URL. Copy the URL (the web address in the long box at the top of your screen) and paste it in the "Optional Link URL" box below your followup message. Name it, then look at it when you preview your message to make sure it is coming up. Let us know if you need more help.

grooming the poop chute
you guys are funny!

I have one long hair, and often wonder why long hairs adopt so well! ( I do fostering) Whenever my Pixel gets a "butt nugget", I wonder - why don't people just adopt a short hair black cat instead! (that no one seems to want)

My long-haired cat is also good for a couple of hair balls a month. The other day there was a six inch shoe lace in his puke!

Today, I went into the guest bedroom to get my vacuum cleaner and he had puked on the cord. I held up the cord and a hair ball was hanging from it!

But I still love him :)

When I was young my sister brought home this skinny, shivering little stray, she was maybe 8 pounds. Just a little kitty, maybe even an older kitten.

She promptly pushed out a litter of 5 kittens a few weeks later - we kept one. He had marking similar to a main coon - but we thought there would be no way because she was sooo tiny. He is now a MONSTER. All of her kittens turned into gigantic cats. He looks 100% pure bred main coon. it's amazing that he came from a itsy bitsy white cat with black spots! He's gorgeous, though!!