Maine Coon is, I believe, the proper designation for this cat. Also called American Barn Cat, they resemble the Norwegian Forest Cat and may well be linked to the Viking settlement in New England a millenium ago. They are exceptionally large for domestic cats and have long coats that are shaggy rather than sleek like the Persian variety. This particular cat appears to be about half again as large as any others around here except for the long-haired grey cat I call Furball.