HI! I HAVE A MAIN COON MALE ABOUT 9 MONTHS OLD. HE HAS BEEN NEUTERED. HE SOMETIMES BECOMES SO WILD I AM AFRAID HE IS GOING TO HURT HIMSELF.HE RUNS AROUND THE HOUSE MAKING ALL SORTS OF GRUNTING NOISES.HE ALSO FLINGS HIMSELF UP ON THE MOLDING OF MY DOORWAYS. I ALSO FOUND THAT HE HAS BEEN CHEWING MY PLACEMATS ON MY KITCHEN TABLE. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A MAIN COON BEFORE. IS THIS NORMAL BEHAVIOR? I FEEL HE IS ACTING OUT. HE IS BY HIMSELF DURING THE DAY. COULD HE BE MAD. ALSO, I AM HAVING NO LUCK WITH THE SCRATCHING POSTS. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. WE GOT HIM FORM A CATTERY WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 5 1/2 MONTHS OLD. COULD THIS BE THE PROBLEM? THANKD FOR ANY INPUT. DIANE STOKES.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2000

Answers

Diane, This cat needs a playmate! Maine Coons are extremely intelligent and get bored and restless when they're left alone for long periods. If you get him a kitten he can work off his excess energy in play. This behavior sounds completely normal for a bored and very energetic cat. He'll calm down as he gets older. (You might try interactive play with a feather on a string--let him chase it until he gets worn out.)

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2000

Hi, my maine coon girl arrived at age 6 months and I though we had the flying devil monkey in the house. Loved to throw herself at anything with a screen in it, finally she got too big to hang on. Now she is 2 and loves to jump on the top of the door and survey everyone and makes flying leaps to get to the top of my china cabinet, often banging into it on her way up. Does not slow her down or faze her a bit. I got her a friend, my male maine coon who is now 1 1/2 years old. Fargo also jumped on every screen window and door he could find, but because he is a male that stopped a lot sooner. At 14 lbs, you can't much hang on to anything. He does not jump like the female, just watches her. He will jump only to heights he can manage. But he does fly through the house like a banshee. has broken 2 china cat dishes in the last month, because he gets a quick start and anything near goes flying. They love to chase each other and play fight, sometimes real fight. But I know they are much better because they have each other to play with. They still like private time with me playing their own games. Fargo loves to have his food thrown across the floor and chase it. He always hangs around the kitchen waiting for you to show up and meows loudly. Pretty soon I am adding a Norwegian Forest Cat to the mix, that should be lively. Hope this helps.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2000

Hi, as I am reading your 'question', I am just chuckling. I have a 1.2 year old silver mac "neutered" male. You described my cat perfectly. He is the terror of the house. He tortures my other two cats on an hourly basis. I do have to agree, I have never owned a cat that had so much energy and personality. He is probably "lonely" and wanting for a companion to play with and respond to him. Wishing you the best of luck.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2000