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A smiling white-haired woman in a green quilted vest sprays a hose at a car as a ruddy Abyssinian cat leaps at the water. 1 / 34

Grandma Ruth Only Wanted to Wash the Car. Saffron Had a Better Idea.

AI imageabyssinian catgrandmadriveway

Washday in the driveway was supposed to be a quiet Saturday chore. Grandma Ruth, white hair fluffed up by the breeze and her green quilted vest zipped over a plaid flannel shirt, aimed the hose at the dusty dark sedan. She barely got the first door rinsed before Saffron, her ruddy Abyssinian, came bounding out of the garage and launched himself straight at the arc of spray. Now he is mid-pounce, paws out, ears pinned forward, as droplets bounce off the car and onto the wet concrete. Behind them the open garage spills over with gardening tools, a watering can, and flower pots, and Ruth is laughing so hard the hose wobbles in her hand.

It surprises a lot of people, but some cats really do enjoy playing with water, and Abyssinians have a reputation for being among the most curious and active breeds. They tend to be busy, athletic cats that want to investigate everything their people are doing, which makes moving water from a hose or faucet hard to resist. If your cat likes to bat at drips, a few safe habits help: never spray a cat directly, keep the play brief, and towel off a soaked coat so the cat does not get chilled on a cool day. Car-washing soaps and degreasers should also be rinsed away from where pets walk, since cats groom their paws and can swallow what clings to them.

The sedan may end up with paw prints on the bumper, and the job will certainly take twice as long. But Ruth never really minded. A car can be washed any day of the week. A cat who thinks the garden hose is the best toy ever invented only comes along once in a while.

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