She showed me.

Alice is obsessed with our kitchen rug. OBSESSED. Half the time, it's not even in our kitchen-- she bites the corner and brings it to her hiding spot (otherwise known as the place where you have to walk over her to get to any part of the house) and chews on it. And chews. And chews. It's a pretty hefty rug, but the sides are starting to fray already (we've had it for about a month). She's even started trying to pull it away when we're standing on it.

After putting it back about half a dozen times in a span of five minutes on Sunday, I decided that I'd let her play with this remnant of fabric I bought to make her a coat. She's been running away every time we try to put her sweater on lately, so I thought that if she could see it as a toy, she might be more willing to wear it. After running laps around the house, the drooly purple polarfleece flapping in the breeze, I decided that it was fair to give her her Christmas present. When not chewing on the kitchen rug, she spends a lot of time lounging and chewing on a crocheted blanket my mom made me a few years ago. To protect that, we decided to get her a blanket of her own, one that she can snuggle and chew on as much as she wants. We got it a few weeks ago, and I've been looking for excuses to give it to her. Trying to keep her from eating her coat before I get it made was good enough.

Immediately, she began running all around the house, the blanket trailing from her mouth like a superhero unclear on the concept of a cape. The past two days have been full of cuteness, with her cuddling with her precious blanket.

Today I got home from work to find the crocheted blanket and her Christmas present in front of the TV. The Human Male said that she had pulled them out of the bed and had been lounging around on them all day. "At least she's not chewing on the rug," I say, just as Alice trots by, carrying the rug. She walks over to her pile of blankets, sits atop it, and starts happily gnawing on the rug.

Alice: 1. Humans: 0.