Watson (large, bossy tomcat) still sits in front of the kitchen sink and howls at me to open the tap, but after a few minutes of insisting he drinks from the fountain. Isobel, his sister, sussed out my intent right away and has ceased to bother. She still bounces up onto the counter when she hears water running, but clearly does not expect me to reinstate the previous standard of service.

So the tap issue is essentially political, and Watson has yet to give up on bending me to his will. Pragmatic Isobel saves her energy for more important projects, such as her daily drive to push treat time from 1700 hours to 1630.