OCD In My Cat

I would like to discuss my cat in these ramblings, if that’s okay with you?

I do not like throwing these terms around lightly. OCD is very real and a serious problem for many people and I do

Tessa cat

find the term used far too flippantly these days. The reason I am using it now, is that I really got to thinking that my cat does suffer in this way.

Here is the problem as I see it.

Tessa likes to drink fresh, running water. We have a water shortage that may have been somewhat relieved lately with fabulous Spring rains, but I like to be water concious in times of plenty aswell. I have in the distant past, tried standing there whilst Tessa tries to get her tongue around the running tap water, but my conscience gets the better of me.

More recently I devised a way of using a plastic bottle to allow water to filter through at a slow pace into a container, so as the water is still there to be lapped up. I thought I was onto a winner for awhile, but in the end, She still wasn’t getting enough and also quite enjoyed watching the water flow through without drinking one drop! That meant Tessa was STILL tripping me up to get my attention, to start the water flowing just for entertainment value.

Other times She sits right there in front of her full water bowl and as I walk past, my energy is pulled towards this forlorn looking presence and there is a pathetic ‘miaow’ that comes out. I know She is talking to me. It really is an energy drain. Like having the guilts because you’ve said ‘No’ to your child for not being able to play 24 hrs a day. I finally decided to take the hard stance and got rid of the running water set up, but EVERY TIME I go anywhere that there is a tap, Tessa is there before me. In the bath, kitchen sink, laundry sink.

My latest thing is to hold the bowl of water when She is on the laundry sink whilst the water is guzzled down as if She has never had a drop in her life. It is too strange. And I am not doing that all the time, but I thought, okay here and there, I will be compassionate about the situation. It occurred to me as I was holding the bowl one day that Tessa needs it up off the ground. Okay great, I’m onto it now, the bowl is elevated, but not too much. Nope that aint it either and as you can see, my English becomes really poor when I’m at my wits end. lol.

What am I to do here? Have you ever encountered such obsessive behaviour in your moggy?

Sometimes I do see the funny side of it, but it truly is driving me nuts most of the time now. I’ve taken to putting Tessa outside nowadays when I’ve had enough. I know cats are strange creatures at times. Yes, so are we humans, but this is just ridiculous and I’m sure animals are not exempt from psychological problems and I’m also sure this is an OCD of sorts in my cat. Advice on this matter is urgently required and will be welcomed with open arms

I need to add right here, that Tessa is 12 plus years old now and completely adorable in so many other ways. She has not always been with me due to my travels, but She has been with me since February this year. I am trying my darndest to work out a loving way around this problem and I’m not fairing too well. It’s like having two children, Charlotte & Tessa, requiring my attention constantly only one is an animal for goodness sakes!

Perhaps I should sign Tessa up with a Twitter account and She can follow me from there. It sure would make life easier and safer. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have almost fallen over her.