My Maine Coon cat, 1 year old, carries stuffed animals around the house, most are bigger than he is, he's 13#. Is this unusual? Also he steals and "buries" pens and pencils under area rugs and under the couch cushions. He is strictly an indoor cat. He's a character!, but a love!

-- Anonymous, November 10, 1998

Answers

My MC is 7 months old and he scoots alot. He also plays with weirds things, He even goes into my bathroom garbage and take the Q-tips and plays with them. I guess is in their nature. My siamese plays with small stuff animals.

Is you MC run from you when you try to pick him up. Let me know, if he does or not.

-- Anonymous, November 25, 1998

A while back, I saw on one of those amazing video shows, a cat that was stealing stuffed animals from peoples homes. The cat had quite a pile of them. The owners of the cat wanted to return the stuffed animals, but didn't know where they were coming from. They set up a video cam, and then followed the cat. The cat was going out the dog door, and entering other homes by using their pet doors. It would bring home only stuffed animals. The owners were going to consult a cat behavorist to find out why it was happening and how to stop it. How is this for a true cat burgular story.

-- Anonymous, December 01, 1998

Our 3 yr old (20 lb.) neutered male MC, (Nelson, Hero of Trafalga), also carries large stuffed animals around the house, up and down the stairs. I have had some luck teaching him his right paw from his left paw using cat treats and a lot of repetition. He also can do a sort of "hand salute" with his right front paw. He is a true native of Maine. As he is an indoor cat (we live in the woods surrounded by wild animals that might do him harm) that has great fun peering through house plants that are thickly arranged in front of a glass door that gives him a great view of our bird feeders. We love him dearly.

-- Anonymous, January 09, 1999

At my house, my female Maine Coon Cat carries around her fuzzy cat toys alot at night when I am asleep. I find them upstairs in my bedroom the next morning. The only other cat (that I have Had) which did this was a mixed-breed, barn cat that I adopted. So I wonder if this is related to a particular cat's inherantly wildish nature and/or genes? It seems to me that these toys are like her prey.

-- Anonymous, February 28, 1999

My MCC, Brutus (Adentlo Robert de Brutus) has been carrying things around since we brought him home when he was 13 weeks. Socks, bras, stuffed toys, q-tips, pencils, even knotted up plastic bags. I think that it is the predator instinct. Ever watch those nature documentaries about lions? See the way they drag their prey between their legs? Bingo!

-- Anonymous, March 06, 1999

When she was a kitten ours used to "fetch" a furry toy if it was thrown to the end of the room. She does it less now she's grown up, but she still carries toys around with her, and brings in clods of earth and grass from outside. A few months ago she tried to get a spent rocket (firework that is)in through the catflap. It was at least a foot too wide.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 1999

My cat Grendel has many MC characteristics though no papers. He loves to carry things in his mouth too. Q-tips pencils and stuffed animals are just a few. He has a tendency to drag and carry anything he can with his mouth. I've had cats all my life and i've rarely seen them carry things in their mouths. Most of them will bat it around with their paws. Not Grendel. Even if it's bigger than he is he'll try to carry it away. Must be a trait of the breed.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 1999