My beautiful, full-grown Maine Coon has always loved to chew, even as a baby . . . quilts, sheets, blankets, any kind of fiber. In fact, he has chewed holes in all these things from time to time. Is this a common behavior for Maine Coons? Other than his tendency to tear holes in items with his teeth . . . he is a real doll!

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

Answers

My Maine Coon cat, Quincy, loves to chew on plastic bags. I'm not sure if this is common Maine Coon behavior or if we have a couple of oddballs!

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2000

Our Coon, "Goose" (as in "Silly...") is living up to her moniker, that's for sure. She'll start the day by making the tour of our bedroom, looking for anything polyethelene (curtain blinds, wastebasket rims, and such). Later in the day, she seems to prefer things much more ominous, like anything that has electrical insulation on it...the day she came home I had just bought and installed a web cam for my PC, and she bit CLEAN THROUGH the cable! Couldn't have done a smoother job with a knife. Since then, she's been VERY interested in anything that looks like a wire, and we're getting VERY nervous about that: when a string of Christmas lights went out this year, her "trademark dimples" were on the cord. Thank Goodness the power wasn't on (or maybe it was?) I've seen what happens when a cheap extension cord shorts out, and it's a real threat, not only to Goose, but to her home!!!

Having watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", with the scene involving that poor, white Persion under the living room, would really appreciate anyone's ideas for breaking this gnawing habit (or any insights for the behavioral origins). Thanks gnaw! gnaw! in ad- gnaw! *click*

-- Anonymous, December 31, 2000

I didn't want you guys to think you are the only two with odd-balls, I thought I was! My Isabelle has done it since the day I brought her home, everything goes in her mouth. She too loves blankets, bags, anything with cotton in it. Her favorites though are my shirts, she crawls up in my lap, starts to literally drool, then kneading and chewing away! Good to know this is common!!

-- Anonymous, January 05, 2001