> My cat is VERY VERY STRANGE. For one thing, in recent weeks I have discovered that he likes to chew on things like metal pipes and electrical wire.

Keep that cat away from electrical cords. I had one who bit through one. It was pretty horrible. He survived somehow, but his mouth was never the same. He couldn't eat for two weeks. That happened about 60 years ago and I still have a nervous fit every time I see a cat do that. They have very sharp teeth and can easily bite through the insulation.

On a lighter note, I have a very strange cat now. He is a little larger than the average cat. He follows me everywhere, and likes to play with a ball of string. I throw it and he gets it and brings it back to me so I can throw it again. Unlike most cats, he wears a leather collar and will walk on a leash. His ears don't stand up like they should. Then seem to flop over to the front. He never climbs trees, but likes to sniff around the trunk. The other day, he learned to pick up his dish and bring it to me when he is hungry. He never seems to get enough to eat. Now he is beginning to make a barking sound when somebody comes into the driveway. Sometimes he chases cars. He is one strange cat.
Howard