Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Blame It On the Heat

That big word I used for the City Council meeting schedule is probably real, though I could have talked about the "inefficacy" of the schedule and cut it back by one syllable.

This heat is enough to addle the brain and we are promised a week more of it. The cat refuses to take my advice about where to lie down to be cool. But as long as he indulges in his favorite trick of manipulating his water dish to make it splash all over, I guess he is coping with the heat.

He first inspects the dish while giving just the most contemplative small tail-twitches, then does his best imitation of having opposable thumbs by lightly pushing the dish from side to side with his big mitts. When the inevitable happens and water splashes over the side, he studies the spreading water with great scientific interest, taking mental notes on the pattern and sometimes giving a small squeak as if to say, "Eureka!"

This experiment holds never-ending interest for Mau. He used to just flip his old metal water dish from its holder by hooking a claw under the rim. The Pfaltzgraff one is heavier and presents more of a challenge, but Mau is always up to it. It is also a great way to exert his influence in the household, because the water must be mopped up and the dish must be refilled by somebody.

As long as his water-movement studies continue, I must conclude he is his normal self. I just hope it cools down soon.

--Bernice

3 comments:

  1. Cats are the king of manipulating their surroundings to suit their needs & interests. Hence why they say, never feed a cat immediately after waking up in the morning. They will anticipate the fact they are going to be feed and will begin trying to wake you up earlier and earlier if you let them.
    Either way...enjoy the water show and stay cool Bernice!

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  2. One of the cats I had (or who had me) over the years was also a water-tipper. He seemed almost proud of how much water he could get out of his bowl! He also used to love to sit in the bathroom sink and catch a trickle of water in his paws. Once he jumped in a full bathtub of water. Now, that he didn't like too much!

    Stay out of the heat the best you can, Bernice. After yesterday's travels to and from work, I'm happy to have a day off and thankful for air-conditioning here at home.

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  3. As Rob wrote,one does not have a cat as a pet, you are lucky to be Mau's human.
    As to cat quirks; my daughter had a cat that jumps on the toliet to watch the water being flushed. He defends his rught to do so against any and all humans who try to remove him. Oh yes, he anticipates the flush.

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