Thread: Intelligence, willingness to please, or what?

My new (as of October 28) kitten Electra seems either much smarter or much more willing to try to get along with us than any other cat I have ever known. Underlying all her antics is a sweetness that charms me all the time.

My family is one sweetheart and one old border collie. Electra came to us with a few bad habits (chewing books, for one) and some issues that came from being in a rescue/group environment. She used to claw this and that but with very gentle encouragement began using the scratching post. She used to chew books but now when she gets the urge to chew she finds her special toys (she's teething). She used to bite but she doesn't any more, and when she plays her claws are always sheathed and she uses soft, soft paws.

I don't understand how a five-month-old kitten responds to so much of what we ask of her. She learns very quickly and seems so willing to try to get along. She has made friends with our old dog and they play together most of the day. This morning she had her bath, then she decided the dog needed a bath too and got started (he weighs 60 lb). He doesn't mind, she is his friend. She walks on a leash and helps when I put on her harness.

Electra is the first cat I have had who has any Maine Coon in her. Is this behavior breed characteristic, luck of the draw, or what? She has made everyone in my house very happy and she's been here just five weeks!