PhotonStopper

Tasha figures out how to avoid water up the nose.

Every now and again our cat will do something to impress us. The most recent impressive feat, designed by Tasha, involves drinking water. Over the years our cats have had drinking problems. No, not the intoxicating kind. The cats would go to their water bowl, bow down to take a few laps of the pure, clear liquid, and promptly get water in the nose. There’s no visible boundary showing the surface of the liquid and they would often lower their heads too far. Water inhaled through the nose causes sneezing and nobody wants that. In the past I’ve seen cats touch the surface of their water with a paw to locate it, put that paw back on the ground, then start drinking. Clever. Tasha approaches her water bowl and, if the bowl has recently been filled, will see the water level and lick near the rim of the container farthest from her. The posture keeps the nose high and dry. Her tongue slapping the ceramic dish creates a cheerful, ringing sound with no sneezy accompaniment. Smart. Recently, however, our kitty has developed a new behavior dealing with water levels that might lead to nasal submersion. If the water level is a bit too low for safe slurping, Tasha dips a paw in the water, keeps it there, and laps up refreshment from her wet foot. The sneezing issue is completely avoided! Genius!