The Case of the Cat and the Water Glass

In the middle of the night, a few weeks ago, I heard a noise that sounded like the sound you make when you're licking your chops after eating a big piece of cake. Only the chop-licking wasn't chop-licking, it was water-lapping and it was happening on my nightstand at 3:30 in the morning. Lolita, everyone's favorite cat, has gotten into the habit of drinking out of our water glasses, so much so that now it's almost an addiction. I have to sleep with my arm extended outwards to block her path. Sometimes she ignores the arm and still makes a lunge for the water; when I lift her away, she gives an angry "meow." What's got into my cat?

Long time readers of the blog may remember a similar post from 2005 called "Lolita Likes Adam Water." In that case, I would sometimes catch Lolita lapping water out of my glass while I was working at my desk. No biggie.

But now? We'll be at the breakfast table, eating waffles, and across the way spy Lolita leaning over the coffee table with a water glass on it. And there she goes...

Anticipating your comments, I'll tell you that: yes, she has a clean bowl of water every morning and every night. I even started pouring her filtered water from the Brita thinking maybe that's what she's attracted to. Makes no difference. Someone on Instagram suggested I keep the food separate from the water, that maybe she doesn't like to eat where she drinks, so maybe I'll try that.

Otherwise, I'm going to have to start washing my water glasses more thoroughly. Or put books on top of them before I go to sleep. This cat is out of control.