Objects In Water

This is Leela's favorite game in the world. Bengals are known for their love of water, and she's no exception. She will indeed climb into the shower or jump into the tub - although not to swim around. She likes to pad around in maybe two inches of water, but more than that is too much.

But if there's something in the water, something she can fish out, well then she's in heaven. She goes nuts. We've even caught her on the kitchen counter fishing frozen pierogies out of the bowl of warm water they were thawing in. (And yes, we've since learned not to leave things on the counter when she's around.)

Even Laszlo (not a Bengal) has always had a unique relationship with water. Rain frightens him, but at the same time, he loves it when you leave a faint stream of water running from the tap for him to drink. This contrasts to his usual style of drinking, which is to dip his paw in the bowl and lick the water off.

But Leela's water fetish goes way, way beyond his. Even though she doesn't want to get into a full bathtub, she's still fascinated enough that she works her way around the edge, and has managed to fall in more than once. She will occasionally drop things in her water bowl so she can then fish them out. She also loves digging around in glasses for ice cubes. In fact, ice cubes themselves have become objects of fascination. When she hears the ice trays being emptied, she will come running and leap right into the open freezer - yes, from the floor - and have to be removed while wrapping her claws around the edge of the shelf.

One lesson here is, don't try disciplining your Bengal kitten with a spray bottle of water. It isn't exactly a deterrent. Another is, the best way to distract her is to give her something in a bowl of water and let her splash around.