Cats are finicky. This is not a myth. They have their idiosyncrasies, the likes of which make the stereotypical hermit or village eccentric seem like the most well-adjusted individual. Most feline quirks are harmless. Take, for instance, Josie and her water.
In the old house, there were five bowls, of various sizes and material, around the building into which I poured water for the cats to drink. In the new apartment, there are three: two heavy glass bowls - one by the food and one in the library - and a small ceramic vessel in the bathroom. Periodically, my Chubs will sate her thirst in the library. But when she sees me go into the bathroom, she follows, and makes it clear that she wants water.
Josie is not satisfied with the water in the bowl. It must be fresh each time. She will rub against me, curl her tail about my leg and, as a last resort, cry out in her creaky old lady voice. If I have not recharged the water for some time, I will do so, and the Great White will enjoy the spring-like effluent from the tap above the basin. I don’t want to waste water that was poured into the bowl but an hour previously, however. Sometimes, if I am newly returned from work, I will have already filled the bowl when Josie trots in to the bathroom after me, calling for fresh water. I don’t intend to throw out perfectly good water for her fastidity. I pick up the bowl and immediately place it on the floor again.
This seems to satisfy my Chubs. Either she is unaware that it is the same water, or the action fills her need to have me wait upon her, to do my duty and provide her with sustenance.
This is a new characteristic Josie has exhibited since our arrival in the apartment. She is not really demanding, but when she wants something - not surprisingly, her needs tend to involve food or water - she will let it be known. It is, as she is well aware, part of my job as human to make water available to her.
I am, one may say, a bhisti for my beasty.
It might just be your act of servitude that satisfies her. :-D
ReplyDeleteWould they like a water fountain, I wonder? I had tried two fairly inexpensive ones some years ago, without success, but caved last summer and ordered the stainless steel raindrop shaped one...I'm having a blank moment on the company name. Anyway, I think I got it in August and it took a couple of months or so before I saw the boys use it. I actually gave up after the first few weeks, then brought it out again because of the money I'd spent on it.
I tried a fountain, and of the cats, Tungsten and Renn used it - drinking out of the bowl water was drawn from, not bothering with the actual flow. Giving the beasts water is very little trouble, of course, and I wouldn't mind giving them a fountain to increase their intake. But they don't seem to care for it.
DeleteYour comments about Josie's drinking habits brought to mind, Cody, a cat I had years ago. Cody would wet his paw in the water bowl and then lick the water off. He rarely drank straight out of the bowel. My cats now have a Pagoda style water fountain and they seem to like it. I also have a regular water bowel near the fountain just in case they would rather drink from that.
ReplyDeleteyou have your dad so well trained Josie; high paws to you and hugs as well from dai$y.....today, water, next week, his charge card ♥♥♥ =^..*=
ReplyDeleteJosie may be enjoying some one to one attention from you and having you give her personal service at the water bowl makes her feel special. What a sweet lady is Josie.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I had to google bhisti. I'd heard of Gunga Din but not the context.
ReplyDeleteWhat we don't do to ensure our cats are happy! Saku loves fresh water dripping from the tap. Sami prefers a freshly flushed toilet and Sasha will only drink from the bowl in the bathroom sink. I've tried bowls as well but Saku has a tendency to pull them over.
They all have their funny ways. Flynn has a ceramic water bowl which he never uses. He likes to drink rainwater from the big bowl (bird bath, but they never venture near it!)in the garden. If it has been dry I refill it with filtered water. If I fill it straight from the tap, he won't touch it. He likes to drink from the bath tap though which is left slowly trickling for him. He will also drink from the watering can which is filled direct from the tap. If I fill the bird bath with water from the watering can he won't touch it either. I get the feeling he enjoys giving me the runaround.
ReplyDeletelove that you can pick it up and put it back down - must just be a complaint about the service :)
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