He jumped in the shower

Remember how I mentioned in my first post that Simba looks like a tiny tiger? Well apparently he also shares their complete lack of fear when it comes to water. I discovered this today in a very unexpected and very wet way that I was not at all prepared for.

So I was getting ready to take a shower after work. Normal evening routine. Turned on the water to let it heat up and get to the right temperature because our water heater takes forever. Simba was doing his usual thing of sitting right outside the bathroom door meowing and yelling at me because I had the audacity to go somewhere in my own home without bringing him along. I've accepted at this point that privacy is no longer something I get to have. I ignored the meowing and stepped into the shower.

I hear the bathroom door creak open and push against the wall. He's figured out how to open it by pushing with his head, which is great, love that for him. Then I see his little striped face peeking around the edge of the shower curtain, just watching me with those big curious eyes. This is normal. He does this literally every single time I shower. Just sits there and stares like I'm doing something absolutely fascinating that requires his full attention. Weird but whatever.

But then. And I genuinely still cannot believe this actually happened. He just... jumped in. Like INTO the shower. With me. While the water was actively running and spraying everywhere. I let out this surprised yelp which scared him a little bit, he flinched, but not nearly enough to make him actually leave the shower. He just stood there on the wet tile with water running down his tiger stripes looking up at me like 'what? This is completely fine and normal behavior.' Then he started batting at the stream of water coming from the showerhead with his paw. Splashing water absolutely everywhere, getting me even more wet.

I ended up having to physically scoop him up and lift him out of the shower because he was getting completely soaked through his fur and I didn't want him to get cold afterwards. He was NOT happy about being forcibly removed from his new favorite place. Kept trying to jump back in while I was holding him. I gave up fighting it and just let him splash around in the tub by himself for a while after I finished and got out. He was having the absolute time of his life in there honestly. Just pawing at the leftover water pooled in the tub, trying to catch the drips from the faucet.

Now there are wet paw prints literally everywhere in my apartment. A trail from the bathroom, down the entire hallway, into the bedroom where he jumped on my bed and got my sheets damp (thanks so much for that buddy), and then finally to the kitchen where he stopped to shake himself off like a dog. I had to get a towel and dry him down afterwards which he actually seemed to enjoy, purring the whole time I rubbed his fur.

I looked it up online afterwards and apparently some cats genuinely do like water. Its not super common but its not unheard of either. But combined with literally everything else about this cat? The tiger stripes, the insane energy levels, the following me absolutely everywhere like a shadow, and now this whole water loving thing? Honestly people weren't that far off when they asked if he was some kind of wild animal. He really is like a tiny jungle cat in basically every way. Except for the part where he curls up on my lap purring every single night and demands chin scratches. Very strange animal. But I love him.