I have a five year old "Maine Coon Type" cat that fits the description to a tee (no papers though) named Teddy Bear. Every time she goes under my coffee table, or other low furniture like that she purposely bumps her head. Is this a trait of that breed or just my silly cat? I have two other cats in the house both domestic shorthairs (a calico and a tabby). Neither of these girls do this. Teddy bear loves to have her head stroked and scratched as well as bumping it all the time.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 1998

Answers

Response to My "Maine Coon Type" cat

Maine Coons are notorious "head bumpers." They're marking the things they bump on as their own, and they love to have their heads rubbed.

-- Anonymous, October 14, 1998

Response to My "Maine Coon Type" cat

I have an 8 week old "Maine Coon Type" cat and she always bumps her head too! What nutty cats we have!

-- Anonymous, December 31, 1998

Response to My "Maine Coon Type" cat

My 3-yr-old Maine Coon type ( no papers) does just that--bump on my forearm. He, named Sylvester for his resemblance to the cartoon namesake (in both appearance and behavior), loves to come up to me and bump to show affection, lick my hand or arm, and, most of all, runs into the bathroom to have his tail petted while i'm using the facilities.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 1999

I had heard that cats have scent glands on the tops of their heads and on the tips of their tails. They "bump" you with their heads and do the "figure eight" around your ankles to mark you as their human.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 1999

My Buster, is a male MC cat that I got as a stray and pretty much saved his life. He also is a headbumper and it usually seems that he is showing love to us. He also runs into the bathroom when I'm using it even if he has to wake up. He just wants petted and seems very protected of me. 16 lbs and he will get in my lap and get as close as he can usually puts his face in my hand and goes sound asleep. I have gotten so stiff just sitting like that but I put up with it because he is so loving towards me.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000