Ice Ice Baby.

Photo credit: Adventures Along the Way

I have a confession: our cat is an ice cube addict.

It started last year on one particularly toasty summer afternoon in our 100 year-old, unairconditioned apartment. Booboo had been lying around in that stretched out, tummy-up, lethargic position of a cat enduring a heat wave. So I thought I would add an ice cube to his water bowl so that the cool water might provide a little relief from the sweltering temperatures.

Booboo was hooked from the very first cube. Later, when we went in the kitchen, he followed us and meowed by the fridge. We indulged him every now and then because it was funny and cute—and it was hot, after all. The addiction let up a bit after it got cool and winter kicked in, but recently he has begun frequently meowing by the fridge again. And when we give him an ice cube, he rubs his cheeks against the cube, first one side then the other. Again and again. And yet again.

Today, after several (assumed) requests for an ice cube, I got him one, and he rubbed his cheeks against it repeatedly while purring loudly in sheer enjoyment of this small frozen-yet-melting miracle. After a couple minutes of happy cube–cheek rubbing, I made a move to rinse it off so I could drop it in his water bowl, and he complained with a loud meow. So I grabbed a towel to give my cold fingers a break and gave him some more time with his happiness-in-a-cube before dropping it in his bowl. After he realized the cube was in his water bowl, he had some water. Which is a relief because I have recently noticed him standing around by his water bowl, staring at it and not drinking, only to meow at me when I walk in the kitchen. Perhaps he has decided that he only likes iced water now.

I guess we could have worse problems than a cat who has become a water snob. Besides, having that much fun with every ice cube that life has to offer sounds like a pretty good idea.