Bari's Water World

I got Bari from Cat Rescue just over three years ago. If Zoey is my love, then Bari is my soul. I dearly love this cat. He was my “first son” and as such, he is entitled to special treats reserved only for him.

Bari likes different treats than the other cats enjoy. Bari walks over to the counter, when I’m giving the other cats their treats. When he sees the treats I’m handing out aren’t his, he looks hurt. Then here comes my guilt.

We share a special bond. I’ve raised him since he was four weeks old. When he was a tiny kitten, he liked to hide behind the hood of my coat. He would peek out at the world every so often, and then snuggle back into this hidey hole. I’ve taken him to every vet appointment while he is riding in my hood. One time, he left me a souvenir of the visit; he pooped down the back of my shirt.
It didn’t help that the food we were giving him made things a little more fluid than normal.

When you love a cat, you love them unconditionally. He holds a special place in my heart. When he left his trophy, I found it cute and endearing even if it was a bit odorous.

He loves to watch the birds around the truck in the mornings. To encourage this, I spread birdseed around the outside of the truck to give Bari some distractions.

“Bear-Bear” as I call him loves to drink water as I’m pouring it from the bottle. I buy bottled water for my cats. Traveling as we do, buying bottled the same kind of bottled water, prevents digestive upset in the cats.  Many times when the bowl is nearly full, if I stop before he’s finished, he extends a paw to the bottle as if to say, “I’m not done drinking yet.” This usually means I have to empty the bowl of fresh water and start all over again. I’ve perfected the “slow pour” but sometimes, that isn’t enough.

At home, I have three drinking fountains that Bari loves. Only recently did it dawn on me that I could, and should take a pet fountain with me on the road. I have an inverter to provide electric power and although it isn’t spill-proof like the water dishes, I could set it up when we’re stopped for the night.

When I got the box out from under the trucks bunk, I used my best “I’ve got something for you” when I called Bari’s name. When he came running and watched me pull the fountain out, he became so excited. He cried and rubbed against me as I was setting it up. By morning, the fountain is close to sucking air. Bari loves his water. 

So like my own children, I indulge my cats. The only difference, no one will consider my feline children rude. Just typical cats who have trained their owner not only to fulfill their needs, but also to anticipate them!