A Caturday question

He's thinking about food and she's entertaining a million conflicting crazy thoughts, some of which are about bugs and ghosts and doorknobs and newspaper shreds, but most of which are about creative ways to bust into the bedroom at 6 a.m. during my second REM cycle.

Is it possible that cats can be born without the gene that allows them to learn how to drink out of a water bowl? Or is that just called "being a cat"? I only ask because my cats cannot drink out of a water bowl. They can't do it. I hear them constantly scooting the damn thing along the kitchen floor with their paws (they're doing it right now!!!), spilling water everywhere, stepping in the water, and then licking that water off their paws. That's how they freaking drink water. That or they jump into the shower once I'm out, and lap up the water off the bottom of the tub. Or jump into the sink and lap up whatever nastiness is in there.

But they can't just stick their heads into a water bowl and drink water like a normal animal. Like Tigers drinking out of streams or some shit. Can't do it. Will not do it.

It might be worth noting that their mother — my mom's cat Sophie — only drinks from a running tap. In fact, here's a picture of her doing just that. Is it possible that my cats were born with only the desire to drink water out of a freaking running tap? (They never actually drank out of a tap when they lived with their mother; they were outdoor kitties.)

Because otherwise I'm going to have to confront the fact that they may be too dumb to use a bowl.