Yep, that's how my cat talks to me, too.

Thank you! It lightens my heart to know I'm not the only one who gets this sort of treatment. It's either this, or the third eye in my face, and I suppose I prefer this.

I'm a regular reader of your blog and think that your comments and insights are totally hilarious. However, I think when you are in the bathtub...step away from the camera phone and the talking cat (also very funny) and RELAX! Take Care.

P.S. Franklin Habit has some talking yarn that could distract the kitty for you during your bathtime.

I think our cats may be related. Does yours sleep on your chest too?

Awesome. XD Sounds like your typical cat to me.

Getting the tail wet does not count as getting wet...my cat hates water, but doesn't mind her tail wet. Weird huh?

She who rules the bathtub rules the house!

How well I remember a time when my girls were really young and I had sneaked home a candy bar from the grocery store. I managed to get outside with it and was going to eat it in utter, blissful solitude. The cows in the adjoining pasture came over and watched my every bite. Solitude? What's that?

Cats invading alone time must be akin to their urge to lay on whatever you're reading, or randomly having a relapse to kitten-hood the second you're working with messy art supplies...

They're damn lucky they're so cute, or we'd have wised up to their wickedness long ago.

What intrigues me more: your curious cat or the fact that your camera was with you while you were in the tub?

camera in the tub, eh?

I find it hilarious that you have a camera in the bathtub.... ^_^

OK, who didn't change the toilet paper roll?

BRILLIANT. So freaking hilarious. Bonus points for the use of the phrase "freaked the frak out," too. Oh, cats. Such personalities. I totally talk to them, too.

Your cat and my cat could be separated at birth! Does she also try to sit on your lap on the toilet? Mine can't leave me alone in the bathrom - apparently Australians call such cats "bog moggies"!

Melissa x

Aren't we all lucky that cats don't have opposable thumbs...

My cat likes bubble baths. That is, until she's popped all the bubbles within reach and I forget to send a few more her way and then she falls in the tub. EVERY TIME.

Also, I hope that was your camera phone. And like Linda, I noticed the empty toilet paper roll. Next question - over or under?

Oh my Gawd, I love your cat. Totally can relate but unbelievable it kept it's tail in your bath. So very funny!

Your cat is too beautiful. I have a feeling she knows it, too.

One of my cats is obsessed with the bathroom. She likes to stand on the edge of the tub while I shower. If I try to keep her out, she'll sit outside the door and cry and poke her paw under the door.

I love the cat, so saucy.

You take your camera to the bath just in case something funny happens? That's real dedication to your blog.

What? The cat can interrupt your bath and not be bothered to bring a roll of toilet paper?

Silly cat.

Just be happy she didn't 'fall' in like one of our did with my husband --- neither have been quite the same again.

That is SO adorable! Millie is just a gorgeous cat, and so kind to supervise you in the bath! Plus, you know she's going to go drag that wet tail back onto that grey sweater later. :)

My Maine Coon cat has similar antics, and will occasionally jump on in with you.

Try closing the door next time.

Should it bother me that I found it completely normal that you would have a camera in the tub?

More to the point, should it bother ~you~ that you're doing something I think is normal?

Oh, yeah - my cats are being way ruder than that today - we had the nerve to not only bring those 2 noisy boy creatures over to their house but we evicted them from their bedroom and their bed for 3 entire nights so that those loud creatures (who also sometimes play with their toys) would have a place to sleep and snuggle with THEIR Beanie Babies. Everyone should know that BB's are clearly cat toys not boy toys!!!

I SOOO sympathize with you. I am wonderfully ignoring the whines, screams, and blood (fake or otherwise), from the kids, along with the grumbles, and extra loud TV from DH (he turns it up so he can hear it above the rest of the noise!).

Hang in there... by the way... I'm impressed that you didn't drop the camera... I would have!

I say, your cat is very polite compared to my potty mouthed dog. She comes by to check me out in the bath too.

People forget to refill the toilet paper when they use up the roll in my house, too!

I don't know. I think the nosy cat is better than the talkative toddler who told someone that "Lori's in the tub, wanna see?"

I think your cat is channeling my cat! Did your cat forget that water is wet?

At least your cat is staying at a distance. We have one that likes to sit on our shoulders while we are using the toilet!!!!

We never think to take photos though so I have no proof. You really are dedicated to your blog.

Closing the door AND locking it, setting a trip wire, and a booby trap.

(I was a little too fast on the right pinkie.)

OMG, I'm laughing so hard!
That is SO much cat behaviour. I even think ours could do that too.

This is why I take showers: animals are generally intimidated by the sound of the water falling onto the floor. That and it's more efficient. Love the cat though.

hey, at least your cat talks to you. come to think of it, i kind of prefer it this way. all mine says (when she's not harrassing me to feed her AGAIN) is "GO AWAY" or "turn that light off so i can sleep for a few more weeks." i guess when you look like you weigh 50 pounds your vocabulary is somewhat limited.

Totally needed the laugh today! And can I just say, I think your cat and my 2 year old think along the same lines!

That's just hilarious :) Your excellent writing made me laugh out loud while reading this, so now my dog is pacing around the living room looking for the intruder who made me so noisy - I'm glad he doesn't recognixe the creature on the screen. Thanx for the laugh!

Absolutely fabulous! The only time my cat has taken a peek inside the shower, her eyes grew very wide, her expression became very anxious, and she ran away quite quickly.

Just now I'm being honored by my meezer sitting on my hands while I"m trying to type. I'll have to get up to get the cable to upload my new sweater picture onto my blog and I'll make her angry, poor me.
They are all the same.

I have been reading your incredible blog for a while now, (almost since I started knitting 2+ yrs ago), and infact often read it out loud to my husband and we often giggle (or out and out gafawww).
I think this one really tops the cake, the camera in the bathtub, the cat in the bath room, the total conversation and ... well, I really hope you didn't have to pee when you got out of the tub, as I noticed you are out of toilet paper... :)

I notice the toilet paper roll is empty, too. I thought that was only a problem in houses like mine, that are full of boys. Guess I was wrong.

I love your cat! Thank you for sharing with us.

My cat is trying very hard to get on my lap right now. This lap-top-computer-thingy is getting in her way. I can just imagine her thoughts...what these poor cats have to put up with! p.s. next could be a very nicely photo-illustrated kids book...

Another talking pet! I almost told the veterinarian about the dog's speech impediment today...

1. It cracks me up that you took your camera into the bath with you. That's total blogging preparedness.

2. It also cracks me up that someone at your house also uses up the last of the toilet paper and leaves the empty roll there for the next person. (although, even worse in my opinion is leaving one square so it's not immediately noticeable but just as useless.

The part that reminded me of home, aside from the "no peace, quiet or privacy" aspect, and it wasn't the cat, because I'm clearly a DOG person, was the empty "bathroom tissue" roll!! So familiar.

Oh yes, our cat does the same thing, without the wet tail however. He cries outside the shower door when my daughter is taking a shower. Like the daughter used to do when I was taking a bath--she cried, screamed, moaned outside the locked door when I was in the bath. My husband, who was "in charge" of the toddler, would finally demand that I get up out of the tub, unlock the door, and let her come into the tub with me.Did you ever read the book about Mrs. Elephant and her three elephantettes called "Five Minutes Peace"??

I'm not sure what is making me laugh more...your story line or the fact you actually had an electronic item within arm's reach of your bath in order to take photos.

Too funny! I won't say how jealous I am of your tub. I don't have one large enough to soak in, just large enough to bathe a kid or two.

BTW, does your family have toilet paper changingitis? Noticed your toilet paper was empty, just like in my house.

And should it bother me that you had a camera with you in the bath? Hmm?

That's so funny...thanks for the laugh!

Yeah, my cat does that too, he's so funny ;-) Once he even fell in the thub when balancing on the edge watching me...

My favorite part of the post was the empty toilet paper roll on the wall. I kept wondering who left it that way - I think that would have spoiled my bath more than the cat.

Back in the day when I lived alone and my cats were much younger, my Daisy used to wait for me to finish my shower, then get my robe on, and she would crouch there and jump up into my arms the moment it was tied because she loved me to cuddle her in the terry cloth. And I think once or twice she actually *fell in* the tub while checking out the water.

Anyway, I'm so sorry to hear that you're still not getting any alone time - I keep hoping that once my girls are both in school I'll get a moment or two here or there, but you are dashing those hopes, albiet in a hilarious way.

Oh my, lol! I am both a cat and dog person (I know, I know), and so this reminds me of a short story I listened to recently on PRI's Selected Shorts (I subscribe to it as a podcast through iTunes). It's the episode that aired on 12.24.07 titled "Postcards from the Edge" and the story is Merrill Markoe's "Conversation with my Dogs." It was hilarious - similar kind of conversation that your cat had with you, but that the dogs have with their owner. Of course they are dogs, and so that aloof disdain and elegance that your cat has becomes the goofiness and desire to please of what I imagine to be yellow or black labs.

Heh - my SIL's cat can open doors and jumps INTO the bathtub with her. Nothing like ending up covered with wet cat hair...

Where do cats get these ideas anyway? They must have a book issued at birth that explains all about driving their humans crazy.

Somewhere on one of my lists is someone who signs off with:

"Dogs have owners; cats have staff".

But they are awfully damn cute.

Cats.... they're so impertinent. When you want them, they won't come, and when you don't want them on your leg, they hang on with their claws.

(sorta like kids)

Someone said ""Cats and women will do as they darn well please and dogs and men had better get used to it " Good advice, and apparently your cat believes it. If perhaps you knit a little blankie out of the grey yarn she loves she'll stay on it instead of following you to the bath. Thanks for the laugh.

Thanks, that was hysterical. My mother used to have a cat that actually got IN the tub with her...can you imagine. I hope despite the lack of strict alone time that your bath was nice and relaxing!

Poor Harlot! Millie is a beautiful cat, maybe that's where the attitude comes from? Did she fetch you the camera too? My Sophie runs whenever the water turns on in the bathroom.

Love the empty toilet paper roll. Teenagers, eh? In our house they always leave the last two squares so they can't be called upon to change the roll.

My cat is very graciously allowing me to share my computer chair with him as I read/type.

I see I'm not the only one to notice the toilet paper roll. And to find it weird that you have your camera in the bathtub with you.

Whoooooooooooooa. She opened your door to come and stalk you while you were soaking in the tub?

Do Cylons come in cat form?

My dog likes to supervise me at all times. When we first got him, he was so determined to be with me AT ALL TIMES that he would sometimes jump into the bathtub. I have a "steeping" tub which is probably as deep or deeper than your clawfoot tub. He is a Shih Tzu. Let's just say he had to keep his nose in the air to survive.

It's no use locking the bathroom door. They just scratch and scratch until you let them in…

I woke up from a horrid dream this morning and read your blog - a much needed laugh even if I do have to get coffee out of the sheets now. I don't have a bath or I'm sure that I'd have the same experience, but she has to content herself with getting between me and my knitting. All of my projects are 'mixed media' with cat hair as a feature.

Awesome.

I take my shower every day with five cats and a dog in the bathroom with me. They go insane if I lock them out; I come out to vomit, claw marks on the door and some very angry looks.

Even my teenagers know to leave me alone in the shower. The animals not so much.

Great photos!!

Dogs have owners... Cats have staff. :)

rofl... too funny...

You could have warned me, so I could have, ahem, relieved myself before reading this. Hilarious! And kinky!

You cat and my cats are clearly soul sisters, right down to letting the tail dangle in the bath. They love to sit on the edge of the tub when I bathe and expect me to pet them while I do it. Sometimes I knit in the bath for double the feline entertainment value (though it cuts in on the petting time).

Sometimes to mess with their minds I take a hair tie and float it in the water. Then it's fun to watch them. "Ooo! A hair tie! I'm going to grab... wait, that's WET!" Then they shake their paw off and try it again.

It's annoying when they pull their tail OUT of the bath and flick the water all over my book, though.
I wonder why they'll dangle their tails in the water but can't stand to get their paws wet?

I don't know if I'm more amused at the entry or that you are always thinking of the blog enough to bring a camera into the bath with you. ;)

My Pussy (ok, that's the cats NAME *giggle* nice to be a foreigner) would never ever let his tail get wet and then keep it IN water long enough for anybody to get a picture of it! Just think, having a picture taken in that sort of position?

You do know you're the cats servant? ;)

I'm only awake now because of my Miss Tigger Kitty, she insisted I get up and let her outside to go whup up on a trampy little Calico that has been hanging around our garbage can. She had a brother that is a shocking dopalgangar to your kitty, comlete with mane and chest hair. He passed away last March due to complications from diabeties (yes, I gave a cat insulin shots--for 4 years--and furthermore, he was psychotic so I had to give him his kitty prozac too...no I'm not kidding, why?) He would come IN the shower with me, had a strange habit of defending the bathroom in general with the ferver of a banshee...come to think of it he had a drinking problem too, Bailey's Irish Cream was his favorite, but I wouldn't let him have it too often--he was a mean drunk. Damn, I miss that cat...

Yep i always take the camera with me when I go take a bath for alone time.. hmmmm..
seems the cats are taking over today!

I can't believe you brought the camera into the bathroom. But my cat does the same thing. And drinks the bathwater, plays with bath bubbles, etc.

LMAO! Yeah, that's my cat, too. Also, my cat is toilet trained so oftentimes I'll be sitting there, trying to have my "alone time", and the cat will be looking up at me with that "aren't you done yet? I really have to go, so hurry up" look.

Come on...you have got to tell us why you had a camera in the bathtub!

Camera in the tub?? I mean, I take a book, wine, maybe the phone, but a camera? Then again, I don't have a cat, so I wouldn't have a need for one.
I'm going to have to come over and reload your toilet paper - I owe you one for the last time you were here and refilled mine...

I shower, so my cat's reason for racing me to the bathroom door is that he loves to lie by a filled basin and stare into the water. Perhaps he finds answers to the mysteries of life there and it can take hours before he finishes his meditations. And yes, I have pictures.

I once had a cat who would wait until there was about an inch left in the water and then get in and splash around in it. He liked puddles, too.

It did come in handy when he got in the house paint and I was able to simply put him in the bath and wash him off--he didn't mind a bit.

Now the question is this. Why on earth did you have your camera with you while you were taking a bath?

LOL! My first cat used to lay on the edge of the tub with one paw dangling in the water. Scared the crap out of me because it was not a very nice cat - very scratchy and bitey. One day it fell in. Neither of us was happy.

I am a little curious to know how you got the camera into the bathroom? I am assuming that you don't regularly bathe with a camera. I might be wrong.

I don't comment very often, but MAN this post was funny!

And am I the only one whose cat turns into a mad screaming demon around water? He had a couple of encounters with a skunk a few years ago and wow... nothing like a slippery grey ball of fur with sharp, lashing claws, complete with yowls of rage!

He does, however, come in while I'm on the toilet and demand that I pet him.

Too funny! Maybe you should take the camera in the bath with out from now on. ;)
Here's a short you might find amusing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qiGyxPplAw

Oh, I laughed so hard at this post. I can totally relate. I have this cat who sits outside of the tub when I shower and meows at the top of his lungs...like I'm not supposed to be in there - or get wet - or whatever. Think our cats are related!!!

I'm laughing out loud here. The tail in particular has just put this whole thing over the edge. Thanks!

I kept hearing "what!" "Mom, what are you laughing at?" "MOM!! WHAT!!!"

My little hairless wonder dog comes in to see what is going on in the bathroom. She likes to get in the shower with me and link the water off the bottom if the tub while she walks around it but she hates to have a bath.

what disturbs me the most about those piccies is the obvious lack of toilet paper on the roll! AGGHHHHH! (my home can be an utter disaster, but I freak out when there is no tp!) :)

You know what? All I could think about looking at the pics was "Who the h*ll didn't refill the toilet paper when they used it up?" Really bothered me. I have been know to wake people up in the middle of the night to find the answer. Doesn't that bother you? The cat thing..well, I only wish it was just the cat coming into the bathroom when I was relaxing. What I think can wait til I get out, is a dire emergency to the rest of the house. "Yes, that is a nice picture you colored, can you wait until I am out of the bath? I kinda naked here!"

Door locks are a wonderful thing. I still used to get messages slipped under the locked door (with a pencil so I could write back). My rule is: do not (come in, call me, whatever) unless you are throwing up or bleeding. It only slows them down, but some days that is a help.

he he he... Too funny. My cat bugs me in the bath too. I'm afraid he'll jump in and I'll end up scratched up.

So you watch Battlestar Galactica

Gotta tell you, this may be my favorite post yet!!

I think maybe you aren't the only one who needs an agent! That cat is hysterical. :)

Your cat is so pretty, I love her fluffy fur!

And between our old cat and the children, I haven't done anything alone in the bathroom in ages.

Why is it that so many of us noticed the empty tp roll? Based on the post title and the first picture, I seriously thought it was going to be about how your cat empties your tp roll on a regular basis...

We used to keep the cat's litter in the powder room. I couldn't go in without company. Jen in CT - I think I'd have preferred him bugging me to finish rather than him using the litter at the same time!

No one can give us the cold shoulder like a cat. Our two rescues sit outside the door and whine if they are not invited in or push their paws under the door to let you know how disapointed they are that you have forgotten to invite them in. The kids used to do the same thing-little chubby fingers under the door while whining things like"but I need you NOW". I used to say prior to entering the bathroom(sneaking in was impossible) that "unless your hair is on fire or blood is pumping from an artery I do not want to be disturbed." It never helped. Can you get a bathroom door that is flush with the floor?????

P.S. I notice your toilet paper holder is empty. I have a beautifully framed saying on the toilet-"Changing the toilet paper roll does not cause brain damage". It doesn't help either.

I like your bathroom. Is that a claw foot tub? Beautiful cat too.

Hi, well you sound like me talking about my cat. Also have a friend, who has pugs, check out www.blackpugknits.blogspot.com/ She tells funny stories like yours about the cat! She is an expert knitter.

I thought my cat was the only one who dipped his tail in like that!

At least she didn't use your leg as an 'island' - they don't allow a lot of turning around room and tottery kitties tend to dig in their nails.

So funny!

btw... You're out of toilet paper.

Too funny! My cats also have to accompany one to the bathroom. I warn guests that if they do not secure the door they can expect a rather sudden and rude intrusion. I have one who likes to hit the door rather high and hard to fling it open. She can always tell if the door has not been snuggly closed. We are used to it...guests...not so much. However, none get too close to the tub. No chance of getting wet that way. They prefer just invade and run.

that's so funny! i also had a cat who would come in and drink the water out of the tub, but only while i was in there. it was like "mommy soup".

Two of my cats take turns visiting me in the bath. Bovine (she is black and white) guards the Open door (not allowed to close it) from the other cats. Alice, if the door is unguarded, checks on me 3 or 4 times to make sure I haven't drowned, she always has such a look of diapproval on her face too.
If I take a shower, Bovine sits between the inner and outer shower curtains.
You must not have been needy, if I need a little cat love - there is not a cat to be found.

I finally convinced my family that replacing the toilet paper did NOT cause "cooties"--now if I could just get them to refill the ice cube trays. There are frequently six trays in the freezer, each with ONE cube in it!

Abby

My son's first complete sentence was "I want some of your privacy."

Cats, are like living with a rebellious teenager. Once you think you have them figured out, they go and change how they act, what they wear, etc... Beautiful cat!

This has to be one of the funniest things I've read in AGES. I think this might have made me laugh more than any other blog post ever!

at least your cat doesn't actually hop right in the tub with you!

mine gets seriously pissed if i lock her out of the bathroom, whether i'm 'doing my business' or taking a bath.

if it's the latter, she has to be allowed to join me in the bath or else! she loves water, and she loves bubbles even more. but that's an abyssinian for you . . .

I see someone left the toilet paper roll for you to change, too.

Thanks for including us in your "alone time". Your blog posts never disappoint. Thanks for the laugh!

haaahaaaaaaaaaaa!

Well, I bet you've learned your lesson! Next time it'll be, "Sam! The camera, quick! And a new roll of toilet paper!"

Seriously, that is a gorgeous cat. And you understand her language so well! And . . . she's Canadian! Eh?

Glad I was not the only one to notice the empty tp roll.
We have a small dog who jumps into the tub if you don't lock him out. Then he whines on the other side of the door. Very relaxing ;)

I have to admit, it is awfully nice of Millie to let you all stay in her house. So, how does she afford the house payments?

My sister's cat joins her in the shower, then frantically laps the water off her legs when they get out. Her cat doesn't change the toilet paper roll either!

LOL. That's hilarious. I'm flabbergasted that it put its tail in the water. And sat in the sink. Maybe it's a Canadian cat thing?

We, Number Guy and I, have bathed cats. This was on the directive of the allergist - as a last ditch attempt to thwart the allergies and keep the cats - didn't work but that's another story.

Cats DO NOT let their tails dangle into the bath water. Unless they are on some strange cat-head twisting mind-altering substances.

Oh, the knocking on the front door? That's the SPCA coming to talk to you about the drugs you've been giving the cat.

PS - Number Guy advises the cat not to be seen by other cats doing such things - it will get her "cat card" taken away.

that is all

Such a funny post complete with pictures. Thanks so much for the smile. Millie is adorable.

Such cuteness. Good to know I'm not the only one treated so disdainfully by my kitty overlords.

Awwww, she's just too cute. No wonder you wanted photos!

Thanks for clearing that up - I was wondering if you regularly brought the "blog camera" into the bath with you. If you did, I'm thinking this would be a different kind of blog!! Cute kitty!!! :)

For those who want a real insight into cat psychology , they should real an old book ( but still available in most second hand shops ) -- Silent Meow by Paul Gallico. He blows the whistle on those devious but oh so effective ways cats use to manipulate us.

Steph, Your sink is just like ours! But you'd better set out a new roll of toilet paper because someone gets caught short.

Love your blog. Read it every day. More fun than a cat in the bathtub.

Thanks for the laugh. It was much needed.

Ok, so if people take there cell to the bathroom with them, then the're really probably taking the camera with too. Lots of my friends get video, including the knees and toes of my cats antics on the tub. Best game is to get a lot of bubbles in there, get the cat staring really hard at one spot, and then fling your outstretched fingers up out of the bubbles at them. Guarenteed to make them fall in!

My cat Samwise (yes, named after the hobbit) I'm sure would do the same given the opportunity if I was a bath person. Instead, he has decided my laptop is evil and must be walked upon because it takes away precious petting time. I have not laughed this hard in a while though, and I love the way you tell your stories too!

That is the funniest and cutest post I have ever read. Now the cat is ticked off at you--better keep an eye on that grey sweater-in-progress. She may want to do a bit more than lie on it.

It must be a global cat plot, my cat is equally fascinated when i'm in the shower or tub...or trying to go potty. Your cat has stepped it up a notch by sleeping in the sink though. :-p

Uh -- You're out of tickets.

HA! We had a maine coon who would "supervise" the bathing of the babies (hubby and I are shower people) and frequently ended up in the tub too. Thanks for the laugh!

elyse:

it's actually "the silent miaow".

seeing your feet "naked" like that was kinda scary!!!

My cat, Lilith, who is very appropriately named, loves sitting between the outer and clear inner curtains in my bathroom and watch me shower. She's a rather risque cat at the best of times, but it's still odd to have someone or something watching you while you bathe yourself.

Oh, too funny. Your Millie must be in cahoots with my Maui, he's a Meezer, and insane, and OBSESSED with the bath.

I yanked him right in with me once. He kept his distance for a week or so.

thank you for that explanation! cos while i was enjoying the "cat-a-logue" (get it? DIA-logue done by a cat? HAHAHA) anyhow, while i was enjoying the whole post i thought whoa! those blogging types are seriously prepared for anything, if she thinks ahead to take her camera to the bath!! but the end result was total enjoyment! just what you kinda need when you are in a haze of vomit, ruined sleep and other ailments that accompany the flu (which of course starts up friday evening, never monday morning!)

Millie is definitely related to Spot and Satan, um, I mean *SHADOW*.

Fortunately our other two cats are less voyeuristic. That and they don't talk back as much.

Thanks immensely for the laugh. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one!

Can't comment. . . must. . . pick. . . self. . . off. . . floor.

I noticed the empty TP holder also.I have never seen a cat get that close to water, and I have had a few. When I had my sprained calf and had to soak,my Labrador Retrieve was the pest. She always wanted to get in with me or at least hang her paws over the side until all those short black hairs would make me want to get out and then she would try to jump in. Ah, the fun of trying to be alone.

I read this and it put me in the mood for a bath so I poured a glass of wine and ran the bath and climbed in with my book. I got two whole minutes to myself before the interruptions started and the LAST one was a call for help from my seven-year-old who thought my bath looked so good, she wanted to take one of her own. Unfortunately, she lacked the physical strength to turn the tap off and therefore, after nine minutes in my bath, I had to race out, dripping wet to avert a second story flood. The cats, curled up on my bed, watched all this rushing about with great amusement.

Thank you, Thank you, Thanks You! I thought I was the only one with animals like this.

Pan always helps me in the bath, too. The last time, his tail was in the water, which he totally didn't notice, but he got a little freaked when I squeezed the water out of it. (What? I was imagining him running through the house, spritzing everything with bath water. No thanks.) He's fascinated with the entire bath process.

Which is probably why I usually take showers.

Stephanie? That was hilarious. Like, I'm sitting here laughing so hard that both of my sons woke up to come out of their bedrooms and ask me what I was laughing at.

Thanks for that!

You think the cat's odd? I believe she may have some company on that one sister....by the way I did note that just like home the toilet paper holder is always empty!

My Millie (her original name. She was rechristened The Bad Cat for reasons that I'm sure you could hazard to guess.) likes to sit outside the shower and cry plaintively until I look out at her. My old apartment had one of those sliding doors on the showers, and she liked to climb up top of the sliding door frame and cry at me. "Why are you wet?" Also, if she can get to you before you hop in the shower, she'll try to grab you to save you from the water. The cats just like being helpful, right?

Stephanie, I hope that is as close as I will ever come to a nekkid blogger. :)

PS: saw your new book advertised on amazon today. Hooray!

My bunnies think it's terribly rude of me to be naked in their presence, so they have not bothered to learn how to open doors.

One Cute Fusa. Odd fish bets are the best.

Pets in the bath is why I take showers. In a bath, the dog has to stick his nose in it, maybe have a little drink, if there's a toy floating, he may even try to get in with you. One cat has to supervise from the toilet seat and the other from the doorway. In the shower, I am finally alone. Until the child has to go potty.

I noticed you are out of toilet paper. I hope someone helped you out with that.

Oh god, that is the funniest little photo essay I've ever seen, and I'm not really even a cat person. The ability of family members to track mom down in the bathroom has always mystified me. No one ever goes looking for my husband in the bathroom. No one goes looking for houseguests or each other in the bathroom, just me. Sometimes I even do an experiment where I go into the bathroom just to see how long it will take before they come looking for me...(answer: not long).

When I had a clawfoot tub like yours, my cats would visit me in the bath, often walking around the rim or sitting with tail dangling in the water. A couple of times one slipped off into the tub with me and I'd get scratched from the rapid exit! Great pictures and "catalog" (or is that "clog?"), Stephanie!

This is hilarious. We have a cat who does the same thing...though she's clumsy and tends to fall into the bath, then gets pissed off and claws whomever is having "alone time".

I hope, though, that you got some respite from the interruptions.

2 things...
1 ~ have you ever knit ChicKnits...CeCe? and if so what yarn did you use.

2~ I think its time you consider getting a dog.

Took me forever to read your blog & comments because Missy the Holstein Cat (she's black & white) was pawing at me & yowling for attention the whole time. She is my official Shower Supervisor. I'm not allowed inside the Demon Water Machine without her sitting on the bath mat playing "Life Guard".

Thank you Stephanie, I needed a good laugh. My 16 year old son appreciated it too. And thank Millie too.

Interesting to see into the mind of your cat...Do you always take the camera into the bath with you? What if it fell in?

Hilarious pics, love the commentary. My cat Sam actually goes in the shower just to sit (obviously when no water is running.) Although he also goes in the bathroom at night and shuts the door, probably for his own alone time.

I'm not taking the time to read through the 150+ other comments so I'm certain at least 83 other people have pointed out the fact that you might want to grab a roll of toilet paper before sitting down next time....it looks like the roll is out.

Exactly WHEN did cats acquire the ability to open the bathroom door? When my two strike it opens the bathroom up to the front hall and thus, the window in the front door.

Let's just say this is yet another way to surprise your mail delivery person or UPS guy.

You don't want to know.

I often open the shower curtain to find one of our boys (I call our two cats "the boys") sitting on the closed toilet seat waiting for me to get out. Other times, Pitch likes to stage sneak attacks if I put my foot on the edge of the tub when I am shaving. Because I can't see him (it's a clawfoot tub, so he can position himself at the end since the shower curtain blocks my view), he can move in with great stealth and scare the crud out of me. All of a sudden--whoosh--a big, black paw thwaps my toes. (Not that a 19 lb. cat actually moves with great stealth...)

Wow, my husband and I were both just wiping tears out of our eyes. He actually said "wow, I didn't think anyone could write anything funny about cats anymore!"
Thanks

My cat, Sumalee (snowshoe Sealpoint), is often to be found crouched on the carpet outside the bathroom door when I come out. When we first got her, she came into the bathroom and when I looked out at her with shampoo on my head, she screamed and ran! (She doesn't like 'strangers'.)

Our late cat Tenzing used to love to lie/sleep in my bathroom sink. Made handwashing rather difficult! He also liked to sit in the dry tub and to drink out of the toilet. If we put the lid down, he'd sniff all around it trying to figure out how to get to the water! His other favorite trick was to stand on the sink rim and hit me in the back of the head with his tail!

Suma just likes to come in and be petted, or lie on the bed and watch me (with her head hanging upside down off the edge).

Cats are sooooo strange! You can thank a knitter friend for showing me this.. and of course, I had to send it to my cat-and-dog owning sister!

It's completely non-knitting, but I think this could be my favorite post ever. That first photo of her peeking over is priceless!

this is fabulous.

thanks. i miss dog-throwing a ball into the bathtub. it drove me crazy but always made me laugh.

I don't know why you think you get alone time when you live with cats. I have three and I swear all of them think I'm an idiot. Since I need to supervised to do any bathroom related activities.

Steph - I always get a kick out of your blogs, I have never written before, but today "took the cake". Millie is a "hoot". That must be where you get your sense of humor!

I had a 20# white long hair, Samson, (well named at that weight, no?) who would always sleep in the sink, unless the water was running for him, then he drank instead.

Babbs, my current cat thinks she's human too.
When I worked, she would meet me at the door and race me to the bedroom, jumping on the bed to "discuss" the day. She's a very vocal cat.
She also is a bathroom cat. I dare not forget to close the door or she'll come in after I'm seated. Of course, she won't close it. If I do close it she'll lay on the floor with at least one paw under the door, yeowling the whole time. What's peaceful and quiet about that?

Gotta love em! Love your books and blogs, too! Keep it up!

I love cats. Is there any other animal out there that has as much personality? And communicative abilities? (as I belive that was a very accurate translation of Millie's monologue)

I see you have fallen into the same trap I did. And I consider it payback, because it's your fault that it happened to me. No, I don't mean the cat and bathtub business - though I've had that happen too, and it is often very cute and funny (I won't waste your time with the stories of my black cat Flanagan who was so fascinated by my bubble baths that he patrolled the tub edge like a sentry on a tightrope, pausing often to allow me to anoint his bag with blobs of foam until he looked like a bathasaurus rex - OK, I lied there, huh) - no, what I'm really thinking of is the Trap of the Spurious Labor-Saving Device.

A couple of months ago I was particularly swamped by work and deadlines, and I felt guilty for neglecting my blog, and then suddenly I had this bright idea: "Hey, I'll take a leaf out of Stephanie's book and have a guest blogger take over for a post or so! It'll ease the burden!" I even knew someone who had just had an exciting and unusual adventure and who I was sure would be just panting to tell about it. Pefect, no?

No. Unfortunately for me (and for what it says about my judgment) it happened to be someone with inadequate syntactic skills and no opposable thumbs whatsoever.

So much for delegating. Bringing in a quadruped guest blogger is even more work than just doing the job oneself.

Lesson learned, eh?

That's great! Way to make a person smile!

Reading this made me think of all the things the cats I have known have done. The time one was playing with her tail and forgot it was hers and bit - very funny, or the current cat getting too close to the hob while the gas was being lit resulting in losing most whiskers on one side (hasn't stopped her stealing food). I could go on!

Hahahahaha! Your cat is so articulate! =)

Hahah. My cat scooter used to get really upset when i took a bath. He would actually try to rescue me out of the water...One time i had the shower curtain shut to keep the heat in and he busted a hole in the shower curtain and fell in the water. He's really cute like that.

Oh, this is so dang funny. You MUST send the picture of Millie with her tail in the bathtub to Stuff On My Cat. Water on cats has its own subcategory which this definately falls into.

My first cat used to walk the lip of the tub, but he would occasionally lean down and drink the water while I was bathing. I finally dawned on me he was thinking of me as soup....Thanks for the laugh.

I thought my cat was the only one who liked getting the tip of her tail wet--except mine sits on the tub ledge in between the shower curtain and the clear liner keeping an eye on me and meowing intently. Same backtalk though. Meow!

Hey Steph....now you know who is emptying the toilet paper roll and not replacing it.
The proof is in the picture.
Very cute kitty but with attitude.

Yep, a "real" blogger always thinks of her camera when life happens!

For creatures that aren't supposed to like water, cats are certainly fascinated by it. Great photos!

So.....who didn't change the toilet paper roll? Or better yet - why is it (around here) always my job? What? Men can't change the roll? There's no tools required? Glad to see my house isn't alone in this malady. I just don't get it. I would be the one to notice that too. I probably need some alone time. It maybe too late. Probably freaked the frak out already.

Now I feel pleased that I've moved to a house where the cats are unable to open the doors :)

LOL. That is just so funny & I know exactly how you feel.
Only, if it's not Hubby or my son who follows me, it's the dog ;)

Oh, that's priceless!

Cats do hate a closed door, don't they? They'll stay quite happily where they are until someone shuts the door, then it's as though the starter gun goes off.

Better in-bath entertainment than usual! (I'm a shower person)

Oh my gosh, you are a brilliant writer. That just made my morning.

I am so glad you put your little side note in at the end. I was thinking how crazy it was to anticipate something happening, in the bathroom no less. I never seem to have my camera with me when something nutty happens.

By the way, I can never get peace in the bathroom either, well any room for that matter. My cats constantly want to be in the same room with me. If the door is closed they scratch on it until I open it. We also have a swinging door and they just can't quite get it open enough to squeeze through, but they try. They push on it and it swings open a little bit and then bangs back, eventually that drives me nuts and I let them in.

They really do own us instead of the other way around.

Well, at least Millie only put her tail in the tub. A friend of mind had a cat named Monty who would actually get in the shower with her. I didn't believe it until the time I stayed over & he got in with me. I thought he would just sit in the corner, out of the direct line of the spray, but no, he wanted to be right in the middle. It sort of made me feel better somehow, knowing that humans aren't the only creatures doing wacky things.

I am glad to know that I am not the only person in the world with a cat who can open doors and gets in the water. My companion of 13 years gets highly insulted if you lock a door so that he cannot come or go as he pleases. This is especially true in the wee hours of the morning when he has decided it is time for the people in house to feed him or pet him. Does Millie yowl if you lock the door?

WHOA! I think we have a children's book in the making....except for the "arse". This was a good way to start the day, except for the coffee I spilled on my jammies while laughing.

I want that bathroom color somewhere in my house.

"feline voyeur" so NOT googling that one.

hmmm a new theory develops as to why internet porn is such an issue---- it's not really men looking at it.... it's cats.....if they can open doors, stare down authors and drive them to photographing their bath time...it just could be plausible.

PS- Really- I know you're in a crunch... I think it's time to hole up in a hotel room for a day or two...looks like you're only shot at peace and quiet.

Between a five-year-old and a border collie (Must. Herd. The. People.), I've forgotten what "alone time" means.

are you sure your
cat
is not a witch

they change shapes
its taken over the cardigan
the house is cold
now it stalks you in the tub
knitting landed on the floor
heat went off

you just never can tell now can you
i would on terror alert in the shower

How sad is it that the first thing I noticed was the empty toilet roll. Yep, domestic goddess is what I am.

Ok, this could be me in Tulsa, OK. My cat(s) do this to me all the time, and line up on the tub waiting for the shower to turn off so they can then play in the water left. They sit on the toilet, sit in the sink, nap in the sink, and love to play with the empty roll of TP. And yes, they are all talkers and love to out shout one another. It is like we are raising a second family, but cats are way less trouble than kids!

I have a little maltese who loves to spend "alone" time with me, too!
All I have to do is sit down at my computer for some "knitting and listening to a podcast" time and there she is. "Up, mommy, up mommy!!!" she says and how can I resist those puppy-dog eyes!

I loved this post! It made me laugh out loud!

HAHAHA! My Penelope is super co-dependent. I can't leave *any* doors closed or she whines and cries. She used to walk the rim of my tub (when I took baths before the drought began) until she lost her balance and fell in. She's a Persian so imagine a huge cotton ball completely soaked and freaking out. I cleaned water from every inch of my apartment.

Even in your "alone" time, your sense of humor prevails! Thanks for the chuckle!

Excellent. You have an incredible ability to read the thoughts of a cat. Alone time? What's that?

You're out of toilet paper.

This just made my day.

Bobo sits on the bath mat while I shower, and then wants to rub himself all over my wet legs when I step out of the shower. Then he wants me to rub his ears with my wet hands.

Who needs children when an orange cat is so demanding??

Love it! Your cat resembles mine -- but many years younger (my Fred is 18+ with cataracts and a touch of arthritis!) Great photos. I'd nominate him for an Oscar in the 'Best Animal Short Still' category!

My cats behave the same way! Too funny!

Two of our boys will not allow anyone to shower or bathe without an audience. One sits on the toilet seat, the other sits on the sink, and they watch with wide eyes and dilated pupils.

I think it's like a horror movie to them: "Getting Wet On Purpose, Part Two."

Envy that deep tub, I do.

Ah, a bath alone. I long for the time when it's only a weird cat. I've got the toddler-to-big-kid version still.

Glad your cat communicates so clearly.

The least she could do is bring you a warm, dry towel!

I'm seriously sending a link to this to Hubby. The tail in the water was the best. I might have to drag the space-heater into the bathroom now to see if I can capture the madness that is Izzie-cat around my tub.

Brilliance.

Not that you need to hear it again - but this is PURRFECT...I used to have two of mine doing that...and one once fell in! They are priceless creatures. Great photos!

My cats are also incapable of understanding the concepts of "alone time" and "this door is shut for a reason". I especially enjoy when they barge through the bathroom door while I'm, um, NOT in the bathtub. Bless their little self-important hearts!

Now I know that I have company when I go over the edge!! Save me a seat! Thanks for the giggle!

I had a cat just like that, about 10 years ago. Looked the same, loved water and otherwise acted like a blond, except it was a boy.

My 9 year old son loves to listen to you! We buy your books from audible.com and he'd rather listen to you than the Hardy Boys. I read him the cat story because he loves cats and he stayed and listened to the whole thing (he's adhd)--maybe you could talk to him about his school. (:-D Thank you for sharing your beautiful work!

Oh yeah, I saw your sweater pattern in the patternworks catalog but its not the whole booklet.

VERY cute post!

I notice that your toilet paper dispenser suffers from the same affliction as ours....never a full roll on it.

dude, I sure hope you didn't have to jump out of the bath to use the commode - cause the paper is gone - the extra roll is probably out in the hall closet somewhere and for once in your freaking life - the chance that you could yell for help with the paper and get a response is nil.

and btw - camera in the tub? Come on - did you really try to get some alone time and then call for the camera?

I have a black cat similar to yours - fluffy tail and all - she's shy and only peaks over the edge - never sits on the side.

I just love her and don't get to see her nearly enough! (Yes, I've read your blog from the beginning over time, LOL!)

I'm so glad she got her own post!!! And you're so lucky to have a cat that won't scratch the heck out of you when she barely has the hint of water on her! That totally hurts...She's a star, we should see more of her.

My favorite post ever!!! Freakin' adorable.

you should have had Sam bring you more toilet paper, too....looks like you need more

Hurrah for crazy cats!I have two who love to nosy in on bath time.....I laugh so much when they fall in (our bath has narrow sides) I dunno why they just don't give up!

The water flip with the end of the tail was one of Ms Kitter's particular faves when she was alive. That and trying to catch the washrag.

I miss that kitty and her seeing ghosts...

Aaaaahhhhhh, yer outta toilet paper.

This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy ate tofu
This little piggy had none
And this little piggy cried wee, wee, wee all the way to the bath.

I'm laughing so hard that I'm afraid my tears are going to short circuit my keyboard. (which is on my lap, btw, cuz my cat is sitting on the keyboard drawer.)

I love your blog - and the variety is wonderful. Even tho you dropped your leaf this week, the writing leading up to it was top notch. I felt I was riding along in some wonderful prose. AND, I love your cat. Forget all the other stuff that tries to invade our lives - those are some precious memories.

Your cat is hilariously bizarre. I was giggling throughout this entire post.

My DD's cat likes to have "bathroom moments" with people too. She is actually dim enough to fall into the tub with me. She seems to enjoy showers though.

I love kitties. This was so funny I made Mr F read it. :)

Fantastic.

You say the cat's in on it. How do you know he didn't mastermind it?

hehe. Yup, you can't tell a cat no. My cat Nixon likes to sleep on my pillows and sometimes in the middle of the night when I'm tired and not thinking clearly I find myself scrunching down and moving my head off the pillow so he can fit comfortably. Mind control, I'm telling you when we're vulnerable cats employ mind control. =^)

you might get some peace and quiet if you shut the bathroom door while you soak ;-)

There must be something in the air, everyone I know is teetering on the edge of frickinfreakinout

I loved this post...and Millie is so darn cute, especially all curled up in the sink.

My cat Morgy used to sit on the side of the tub while I was bathing, watching me. Out of the blue, he would start crying and had this worried look on his face. One day I finally realized he was fearing for my life when I'd fall asleep in the tub. I decided to check it by putting my head back and fake snoring. Sure enough, the howling began :)

Course, he doesn't do it anymore when he realized I was faking it.

Amazing how many people missed the part about Sam bringing the camera to you.

My cat does the same. If you want odd as fish you'd have to go to the dog who likes broccoli stems for play sicks.

Hey, Steph? I think you're out of toilet paper. :)

Thank goodness you explained the camera in the bath thing.

I was starting to worry the pressure of The Constant Feeding Of The Blog was getting to you.

Hilarious blog-hijacking by Millie!

Now if _I_ were to try capturing such amusing scenes while bathing, I would embarrass myself totally, because it would turn out to be a day when my toenails were three-quarters of an inch long!

*dies laughing her head off*

I had a couple of nice young men here last night who brought me FOUR LLAMA FLEECES! One of them really likes cats. Unfortunately we have five cats who only like people who are allergic or don't like cats. He spent an hour trying to convince my very hostile cats to come over and play with him...

Didn't work.

He left the fleece anyway.

Evangeline doesn't bother me in the bath, but sits right on the counter next to the toilet staring at me as I sit there. I can almost hear her saying "ICKY! You don't even cover it up, just throw it away with that water."

muy muy funny, I have a cat who (repeatedly) falls into the toilet when trying to drink (she never drinks the water from the bowl i set out for her)
for creatures that act so smart, she really is dumb

This sounds like my cat, too. Only, Zephyr adds "You idiot" to the end of every sentence.

I'm delurking to thank you for such an adorable post, the pictures and everything. I have a cat, too. Thanks for such a wonderful blog.

Others train their cats to flush a toilet, maybe you could train yours to refill the toilet paper? :)

My cat, Widget the Supervisor, has to supervise my bath also. It's become a ritual in these parts.

This is still hilarious the second time I read it. Reminded me to go your Secret Life of a Knitter for the third or fourth time, which I did last night, and I still love it. You are such a good writer!

That is exactly what I was thinking..."geez she takes her camera into the bath all the time too??" Ha Ha That is some cat, Stephanie.

My cat does the same thing! And then when I get out and all the water drain, she lies in the empty (but still warm) porceline cleaning her paws and face.

My cat Tigger used to do that too....except she would never actually touch the water. Your cat must be braver.

So.FUNNY. And I'm not even a cat person.

I sent this blog entry to several cat-blessed relatives as well as to colleagues, one of whom is a PhD who would no more knit than fly to Mars. I'm not sure he would know a knitting needle if he saw it. However, when you give him something to read, he reads everything he can find.

Therefore, his response included "I did continue reading and increasingly felt I was slipping into an alternative dimension, especially when I got to " It's unravelled. It's unravelled back into the leaf. It's gored. It's a (*&^%$%^&*ing gored inlaid &^%!!ing leaf corpse sewn into a *&^%$%ing &$%&er of a leaf hole. Rat Bastards. Pig dogs."

I believe that one of my jobs is to expand his horizons beyond Monty Python, invertebrate zoology, information technology and his office with three computers and four 21" monitors. This may have done the trick.

Wonderful post.

i wonder if the cat was following you to remind you to finish your knitting. the yarn is yummy, the one for the cardigan you mentioned.. i got mine this week.. i can see why your cat wants it as it's bed.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Immediately after rolling on the floor with laughter, my 11 year old asked if he could have a bath - to see if Sparky would dangle his tail, too. If only all parenting was this easy.

My elderly cat-- a twin separated at birth from the Newfie next door, same glossy black, same goofy temperament, same size (almost), and same predilection for lying belly up, all four paws flopped--gets in the shower every morning with me, walks around, licks my calves, eventually decides it's wet and leaves. Shakes himself like a dog, too. My daughter doesn't knit but is a cat person, so I am forcing her to read this one.

I have a cat that will do that too. I know it has something to do with her breed, which is Turkish Angora (mmm...angora...I don't think she's knit-a-ble). This breed aparently likes to swim (sometimes) and will only drink running water. But maybe your cat is just adorable, and just a little wierd.

Oh my goodness, this made my entire day. Your cat reminds me so much of mine, although she *will not* go anywhere near water. She does like to invite herself into the bathroom any time you're in there, though. .

I was rather concerned until I got to your disclaimer at the end. I was wondering what kind of "knitted" leaves you had been playing with for several days.

That was totally awesome..what a hoot!!! A very special cat!! gotta love it

I once had a cat who would get in the shower with me. For real. She'd sit on the edge, or in the tub at the opposite end of the drain. She seemed to like it, really. I read that there are cats bred from a pride that lived near a remote lake in Turkey. Because of the hot, dry weather, the cats took a liking to swimming. Maybe your cat is part Turkish Van (at least I think that's what they're called).

Okay--my cat must have been talking to your cat, because my cat thinks that MY knitting time is OUR knitting time, and it seems as though your cat caught the gist of that conversation and swam with it...

How did my cat get up to Canada and into your bathroom? They must be twins....
:-)

Aw, this made me smile lots.

My previous kitty, Havok, could not stand closed doors. As we lived in a teensy efficiency, the bathroom door was the only one in the whole apartment, so it was not generally a big issue. The one day I closed the bathroom door, he managed to get stuck under it.

Strange cat - he was a maine coon but easily mistaken for a bobcat. Loved water. He took showers with me and everything.

My current kitty, Moneypenny, likes to sit on my chest all the time. Even in the bath - at least until she realizes that she's gotten damp and scratches the heck out of me while launching out of the room.

E

I didn't know cats would put up with their tails being wet!

Oh, the cat-ness of it all! Too funny!

Thanks for a big laugh on a cold Monday morning!

One of our cats Dobby loved sitting in our bathtub when it wouldnt drain and there were a few inches of water in the bottom. Luckily he hasnt figured out how to open doors. Yet...

Now I am very, very happy that my cats never bothered to learn how the doorknob works and that they don't entirely trust the bathroom...or as they consider it, the place of kitty torture, since that's where we always manage to corner them if they have to be medicated.

At least I can BATHE in peace. :)

Thank you for the wonderful Monday morning giggle! I took a shower Sunday morning, dried off, brushed my teeth, did all the necessary stuff .... opened the bathroom door, and there SAT my dog, looking sad and dejected because it's been 15 below in MN and he can't have a walk. He didn't even lie down ... sat there and glared at me.

We always have a variety of cats in and out of the house- we live on a farm. One of the cats-Fouche- will only drink water with her paw in the water bowl. When she was a kitten she was so wee that she would climb into the toilet and drink from there. Almost all of them love to sit in the sink, but none of them will willingly allow bathing.
Due to remodeling the old farmhouse, the cats can enter the bathroom via an unfinished linen closet door- it's quite convenient for them. I am not looking forward to the fuss when the doors really shut again.
Thanks Steph- you've saved many a crap day for me.

I had a cat that used to do that. He was an abbysinian, though, and they are notorious for liking water. He'd get up on the tub, drape his tail like that. If I had bubbles, he'd sit there and smack the bubbles. He also would fall in sometimes. Now, THAT, was an experience.

My husband says you have chubby little feet and he doesn't understand that because the rest of you isn't chubby. I want to know when he has seen the rest of you!

I enjoy reading your blog..recently discovered and I find your writing very inspiring for this knitter. Thanks

Here is a link for the Must Have Cardigan, at Patternworks.com:

http://www.patternworks.com/productdetail/100279.htm

Glad I search "empty" in the comments before I wrote this. Cat was the first attraction. Then I noticed the empty roll.

One advantage is living by yourself, you only have you to blame!

OMG, as someone who never has a freaking moment along either (even in the bathroom, oy), this made me laugh until I had tears in my eyes.

I had a day off unexpectedly, kids were to go to friends...then my 13 yo canceled her plans and told me "I didn't want you to be lonely...."
ARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH

my cat watches me bathe, too. its a little freaky.

Hey, everyone -- I fianlly figured out why there's no toilet paper on the roll! Stephanie doubtlessly has a hand-knit, 12 stitches/inch, Fair Isle Toilet Paper Cozy sitting on one of the counters that we can't see in the pictures!

Yep, a typical multi-person household. Someone interrupting the bath and no t.p. on the holder. Is the seat up or is Joe trained to put it down in a household full of women?

clearly, the cat is a cylon.

Five indoor cat household. No one is permitted to be behind closed door (cats and people alike). Taking a bath behind a latched door means lots of yelling, door pounding and scratching - they know the horrors of baths and want to save me.

Potty time is also time to hang out and pester me. Kate, in particular, likes to circle my legs. With her long and swooping tail, some day she will be surprised when it gets peed on. I won't be surprised. Why cats demand potty privacy but won't give me the same consideration is beyond me.

Thanks! I needed to smile today and you made it happen. And thanks to Gayle for forwarding the link to me. It is awesome. What a talent you have!
Gotta love that kitty and what must be going thru the little critters head.

we (my kids and I ) laughed our heads off with this one! thanks, that is SO like every other cat I've ever met!

[snerk] [snork] [really unladylike noise]

I should know better than to read your blog while eating lunch.

At any given time in my house I can find at least one, usually two dogs and two cats in the bathroom while I take a shower. One of these same two cats likes to supervise me while I brush my teeth. I'll never be alone!

tee hee hee hee on the wet tail. I love having animals in the house. our dog, hal, used to come into the bath during bath time and lick the water off the porcelain edge. we would drop finger fulls of water and he'd lick it up as if he hadn't a drink in days. tee hee.

Priceless!

We used to have two cats in Calgary that actually LIKED to get in the bath. They would usually just wade on in (in the winter, of course) and then stand there while they were shampooed and rinsed. Then they would wait until you lifted them out, wrapped them in a towel and placed them by the radiator to be groomed. (They groomed themselves, we weren't that accommodating.) They did this to every member of the family at one point or another. Love cats, but yes, they are odd!

Pssst, Millie. Hey, you can come live with me. I know you are only an "obligatory knitter's cat" in your current situation, but if you want to come live with me, I promise you More respect than the Harlot gives you, not to say that she mistreats you or anything like that, but I will actually adore you, perhaps knit a Kitty Pi and catnip-filled mousies for you. Just let me know when your coming (You can probably hitch a ride on a logging truck) and I'll send you the directions;-)

my doggies do not allow me in the bathroom alone, though they are not as amusing as your cat :) they will run out as fast as they can when the shower turns on as they believe that means bath time for them, which is their least favorite activity!

I can't believe your cat put her tail in your bathwater. My cats won't get near anything wet.
Thanks for answering my burning question in your note. Couldn't believe you would take your camera with you to take a bath. Cat yes, camera, no. Better a cat than a toddler, particularly a toddler with something they're not supposed to have dragging behind them. Remember those days?

Oh. My. God. That cat is so funny. My cat would never have come that close to the tub--the earth might bump on its axis and he fall INTO WATER, which is the worst thing in the entire world, and way worse than getting your temperature taken, well, back there. Way worse.

LOL. You tell Sam you need some solitude, Millie comes along, and you need to ask Sam to bring you the camera. Does it seem like the universe is trying to illustrate something profound there?

Or maybe it's Millie. Yep, weird as snake fur - but cute!

That was priceless!

Oh man - being catless for several year now, I had forgotten about their obsession with baths. As a kid, I had a couple of cats that would dangle their tails in the water also.

Thanks for the laugh!

When my cat hangs her tail in the water like that she always ends up flipping the water in my face. She has a nice big fluffy tail too, that holds lots of water.

I had a cat that did this when I was a kid. He'd sit on the edge of the bathtub and watch. It didn't bother us, we kids thought it was funny. (I don't know, my mom may have had a different opinion).

This ended when my little sister came up with the idea that the cat may like to come into the tub, and decided to help him try it out.

I think my cat Hoosier has been reincarnated as Millie. Tail in the water and all!

Steph, you can upload your cat in sink pics at:

http://catsinsinks.com/

Exploit her!

Millie, I think I know how you feel. Life was fine until Mom started bringing all those bassets home. These dummies are apparently convinced that some day -- I'll play with them! What's that about? They stink, they drool, they eat poop -- how on earth did I land here? Just because I sometimes cut them some slack and curl up on the arm of a chair where all three of them are sleeping is no reason to let it go to your little pin head, ya know? Trust me, you've got it pretty easy.

*****************************

Our Libby Cat could be Millie. Door opening is a fine art here. Old houses are so a cat's dream home! And for the record? Libby can't talk, but I swear she's perfected the art of Flipping Off With The Tail. You know the one: strut, strut -- Flip!!!

Okay, people are way to nosey and have too much time when they actually notice the toilet paper roll is empty. If you ever need decorating advice, just post in on your blog and it will all flow in.

As far as the cat... that is a cat. They are all like that!

Yep, that's my Mystic, to a T! Even the tail in the tub. Hope you enjoyed your "alone time" as much as I do mine!

We're 23 below (celsius) here, too... without windchill. The air is blue.

Your cat is a howl. My cat would have fallen into the bathtub.

OMG! I have shared this with just about every single soul I know! I come back to it when I need a grand belly laugh. I've got five. Cats that is, not cameras. My boy is a worrier. He's convinced that when I am standing behind the shower curtain with the water running, that I am in the bowels of Hell. He sits outside the tub and cries until the water is off and I step out. At which time, of course he proceeds to rub up against me like I've returned from the dead. So much for shaving my legs.

I think your cat may be the reincarnation of my cat, in a smaller body. They even look alike. Chick (the cat) always used to keep me company in the bath, and cared not that his tail was in the water, which it usually was.

Spike does the same stuff to me. Once, he even walked out onto "Mom Island" and proceeded to sit down on me. Actually, he lowered his cat butt onto my face, but let's not go there.

Speaking of Spike, someone LOL-catted him onto I Can Has Cheezburger:

http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/01/04/funny-pictures-be-my-naybir/

He's wearing a gansey from the teddy bear section of the craft store, because I couldn't resist. That he didn't claw my face off is a testament to his lovely temperament...

I find the empty toilet paper holder in the background amusing. Why is it no one else in the house knows how to re-fill it?

hee he

I have a cat who likes to go into the shower after you're done and lick the water out of the bathtub. I'm really not sure why. She's a little weird.
btw: you have really small feet. No wonder you knit socks. I always have to make my foot extra long. . .

If you had told the cat that you were researching a blog post, she would have left the room immediately rather than cooperate with a human endeavor.

I *finally* got the kidlet trained that "bathroom" meant "stay away" - but now I have an audience of 1 cat and 1 dog - there IS no "alone time" at my house. Ever. Never.

Many people have already commented on the lack of TP so I'll be different and say...

Put some bubbles in the tub next time! We don't need to see all that gratuitous skin!

Your Millie could so be my Sandy! SHe used to do the same thing till my son who was 2 at the time pulled her into the bathtub with him! SHe is a Manx and they are also notorious water cats also!

I just need to say, I have tears streaming down my face right now! You call this your cat "acting weird" but for me, this is bathtime as usual. The main difference is that MY cat actually dips her paw in, splashes me a few times, then leans over and starts drinking the bathwater. I'm not kidding. We have to watch what products we use in the tub. She'll even lick up the puddles left behind after a shower, but for some reason she is absolutely unable to let me bath solo. Cheers to crazy cats!

Brooke

That is absolutely hilarious. My two furballs also love it when there is a bath occuring - they love to sit on the edge and dabble in the water. Until I splash them; then they get down (Chaucer also likes to sit on the bathroom counter and headbutt whoever is using the toilet).

yea, the empty paper roll got my eye, and sent me back to the years of children at home and NO ONE using the very last square off the roll. Must have been the cat.

LOVE the pics of kitty - and I'm not even a "cat person!" I especially like the last one: "can't even stand to look at you..." Tee hee!

And - I just discovered your 2 books on Audible.com - Yay! So much fun to hear you reading your own words. More, please?

My cat is doing the same! But I could never describe her thoughts like that like you can ... it's great.
Maybe I also should bring my camera with me when I'm taking a bath next time. Lilly is coming along with me everytime. I'm NEVER on my own!

And I also got a book of you from audible. My first one. I hope I will understand it. My English reading is quite good, my English writing is quite poor as you can see, but my English understanding (listening) ? It's been a long time I tried this ...

I have Vinnie the Voyeur: He perches atop the commode while I'm in the shower and then supervises the drying-off process. Not bad for a one-eyed feline.

Oh YES! Thank you so much for a laugh! The Meezer is one of those kitties, too!
(((hugs)))

HA! Just by the comment "Freaked the frack out"...I knew you had to have kids. Read a little bit more of your blogs, and yep, it was confirmed?
How did I know? Because I have two little boys and today I feel like I might "Freak the frack out".
And on that note, it's quiet upstairs (they're SUPPOSED to be napping, but quiet is either very very good, or very very bad) so I had better check things out.
P.S. The cat does that to me too. Why???? Why I ask?
Funny blogs, thanks for the smiles :)

Hi Stephanie,

I loved this little senario! I have 3 cats as well and they are chock full of just that sort of attitude! Giggles

So I was up in To in Aug/Sept to visit my daughter and attended a couple of SnB's hoping to meet you in person but alas you were off signing book or some such wonderful event! hehehe I did however meet the lovely Jennifer Campbell (from the Purple Purl) and we made fast friends at Lettuce Knit one night!

I am hoping that my daughter might purchase one of your books and get you to sign it for me .. maybe by next Christmas! LOL ALL the girls around here would be absolutely lime GREEN with envy of such a lustrous treasure! Giggles

Great reading your blog Stephanie! VERY entertaining!

Happy Knitting!
Alli

Gee, that brings back memories of my late cat, who could get in the bathroom, but not out. So when she got tired of clawing my leg and glaring at me as if to blame me for getting her tail wet, she would sit in front of the door and yowl to get out.

I had a cat once that layed on my chest while I was in the tub. All my cats like being on the side of the tub.

Yes. This is my cat, Iago. He just perches himself on the bath ledge and hangs out with me until I'm finished. I'm used to his visits by now. Trails his tail in the water. He looks rather wistfully at me - if he didn't hate the water so much he'd probably enjoy the bath.

That was awesome fun to read!!
As I am writing this a couple of days late--Happy Blogiversary:) I so love reading your blog. You have really helped to shape and nurture this blogging/knitting/shopping/enabling community;)

Does your cat play footsie with your toes when they're under water? And chase the water as it disappears when you have either been forced out of the bath by indignant yowls or deigned to remove yourself from the warm receptacle? Or taken a flying leap at full speed in the certain knowledge that you will catch him just like you do when you're out of the bath? Closed door? What's a closed door? There speaks a non-cat person... Thankyou for making me realise that I am not the only knitting-cat-nut!!!

I've always said there's just something about black cats. My Madison was obsessed with water - she even jumped into the shower with me a few times! I lost her a few months ago, but I'll always remember her little quirks fondly.

BSG fan? I use 'frak' a lot too.......in the direction of my (unimpressed) cat!

OMG....thank you so much. Now I know I'm not the only one. I have 6 cats and 2 dogs. The one kitten tries to pull me out of the bath tub when I am in there. I think he thinks I am trying to drown myself. Because really, who in their right mind would purposely submerge themselves in water?

I couldn't help but notice that a member of your family forgot to put a fresh roll of toilet paper on the holder...

Hilarious post!

I think your cat watched Shrek and became a fan of Donkey.

I had to link you from my blog; that photo post is tooooooo rich. Thanks for the smile.
Now I know why my cats like to dunk their tails in my tub.

Hilarious! Our cats do something like that. They like to sit on laps when we're in the bathroom, usually when we're doing serious bathroom-type things. Once, when I took a shower, I had two cats and two daddy-longlegs spiders staring at me! I felt like I was in an interspecies peep show! (The bathroom has been cleared of cobwebs since!).

I guess I'm a bit late on the commenting, but this post = freaking HILARIOUS! I love the cat commentary.

The last time I took a bath, one of my cats came in, got up on his hind legs, perched against the tub, and just stared at me and the water.

For a good 5 minutes straight.

Cats are bizarre animals!

Funny! My cat likes to purr and meow around my legs as I use the toilet and then thinks that it would be appropriate to jump up on my lap an stick her nose in my face. She also has the annoying habit of scratching my door like a maniac at 6:00 a.m. until I scream or get up to stop her. By the time I get to the door she has already run into the living room. She waits for me to come into that room and then flies past me into my bedroom and hides so I can't get he out! Smart animal or stupid human, you decide.

My cat does the same thing! I can't even use a sink in my house w/out him in it! I have several great photos of him in the tub, and in the sink!