19 Apr The Kitten Chronicles: The Glug–Glug Machine
Our cat, Baby, is instinctually a hunter. There are times when she will sit mesmerized in the window, tail twitching, watching the birds and squirrels in our backyard. Although she has never been outside nor has she ever wrapped her paws around any wildlife, she is hardwired to go after things that fly, crawl, move and, we have discovered, those things that make intriguing noises, too. To our delight, Baby has a fascination with hunting for creatures inside our “glug-glug machine.”
In our sunroom, we have a woodstove in which we keep a fire burning most on most all chilly days and nights. While it provides warmth it also dries out the air and ultimately our skin and noses, too. In order to stave off the inevitable bloody noses that come when our room is too dry for too long, we also keep a humidifier running day and night also. The humidifier has a good-sized water tank which needs to be refilled every couple of days in order to keep the mist flowing and the air moist.
“Glug, glug,” the machine goes when we tip the reservoir back in place, as water runs into the base and large air bubbles rise to the top of the tank. To Baby, this glugging noise must be an enticing creature, just out of reach. Her ears perk up, her tail twitches. She’ll run around the humidifier trying to find access. She’ll insert her nose or scrabble under the handle trying to get purchase.
Although Baby has never wrapped her paws around the elusive creature inside, she is endlessly intrigued by our glug-glug machine and repeatedly entertained by each refill.