Breed?

Question
We have adopted a previously feral cat that we dearly love.  But he has a few strange quirks.  He is very furry, with what I think would be called a double coat.  I consider him gray, although his undercoat is really more like a pinkish beige.  The strangest thing about his appearance is that he has a very fluffy, plume-like tail which he carries curled up over his back.  We have had other cats with big tails and they generally carried them straight up in the air or held behind them for balance when walking along fences etc.  This is the first we have seen of this curling type.  The other strange thing he does is to shred the newspaper.  Not with his claws.  With his teeth.  Into kind of long streamers.  He doesn't seem to be eating it, although I'm not sure some of it doesn't get swallowed.  

My children have concluded that this is all the result of having been raised by squirrels while in the woods :)  Is this shredding behavior familiar to you at all?  And is a curled tail a sign of a particulat breed or just a peculiarity of this cat?  

Thanks.  Just curious.

Answer
Fay,

Without a picture. it is impossible to figure out what your kitty may be.  Lots of cats do carry their tails this way (it is called "happy tail" and is considered a fault in the Persian breed.

As long as you and your children are enjoying this cat with all the quirks, all is well!!!!!!

Best regards... Norm.