My cat, Sam is about 14 months old now. He is a big softie but clumsy and always in trouble with my old girl, Nutmeg (14) as a result. He and his half sister, Jodie, loved running around in the garden, bug hunting last summer. It was during one such afternoon that I noticed a rather unusual addition to my bird bath which is a large, plastic saucer that rests on the path. Sam was standing ankle deep in the cold water, playing boats with a dry leaf from my Medlar tree. I watched, expecting a moment of realisation on his part when the water soaked into his fur and reached skin. No, no rush to leave, no Catty blab of indignation, and no furious washing. No, he just curled up in Sphinx pose in the middle of it than sauntered over to me and leapt on my lap for a wash. Ugh, cue one rather cold, wet, biped!
Bird bath paddling went on well into Autumn, until I decided it was too cold to have the back door open. This has not deterred Sam however. You'd think years and years of cat ownership would have honed me to expect a cunning alternative plan, wouldn't you? But no.
I often have a bath in the mornings and set it running whilst tidying the kitchen and brushing my teeth. Such distractions meant I did not see a certain Samuel paying more attention than usual to the running tap or take note that his conversation had lapsed (he does like to talk a storm, especially in the mornings). That is, not until I went to get into my bath. Yep, there's Sam, armpit deep in my bath, patting at the plug chain.
He's repeated this trick several times since (all under my close supervision), often playing water polo with me, courtesy of a ping pong ball. I've not tried seeing if he'll swim yet but it wouldn't surprise me. Anyone got some cat-sized armbands?
