I used to have a cat who only drank water from a tiny stream in the bathtub. Once we left her with friends for a trip, and when she returned to the house, she raced to the tub for a drink.

She gave me a hard stare, the she whacked the faucet handle with her paw. That was sign language! It was perfectly pointless for her to touch the handle, because she couldn't grip it or turn it. She was using her paw to indicate "Turn this, stupid!"

Need I mention that she was always hacked off with us when we went on a trip?

She was a wonderful little cat. I miss her.