Dodo has added new step to his morning routine. Normally, he wakes up and meows to wake me up, and then follows me into the bathroom as I get ready. He’d rub up against my leg while I’m sitting there all droopy and sleepy on the toilet (sorry, TMI), and then while I’m showering, putting on my face, etc., he’s lounging in the hallway right outside the bathroom door. And then when I’m ready, he walks me downstairs, I replenish his food and water, and as he’s eating, I leave.

Now, somehow, he’s realized that when I step out of the shower, the bottom of the tub still has puddles of water collected. And he’s decided that this water tastes great. For the past week, when I open the bathroom door after my shower, Dodo pads in, meows his greeting at me, rubs up against my leg, and I have to pet him to acknowledge him. As soon as I do, which he takes as permission to leave because he’s done his foremost duty of attending to me, he puts his forepaws on the edge of the tub, sniffs, the hind legs go up and all four paws balance on the rim of the tub as Dodo looks in, and then there’s a light “thump” as he goes into the tub. Soon, there’s happy lapping sounds. *lick lick lick lick lick*

But what’s interesting to me is that he won’t go in the tub until I give him leave, which is my petting him when he’s affectionately rubbing against my leg. If I ignore him, he’ll keep leaning against me, start meowing, and then if I continue to ignore him and he gives up, he’ll just sit down very close to me and wait. He won’t leave to do what he really wants to do. So do animals follow some kind of heirarchy etiquette? Like how the female lions won’t eat until the male lion has already eaten and then walked away, thus giving the lionesses the “cue” that they are now permitted to feed?

Humans are so uncouth.