Last updated Sep 6, 2024
Chobani isn’t your average feline. Sure, she loves basking in sunbeams and pouncing on unsuspecting feather toys like any other cat. But Chobani had a unique quirk that left her human, Tyler, both surprised and strangely endeared. Chobani harbors a peculiar fascination with water—not for drinking, mind you, but for drowning her toys in it!
“One thing she does,” Tyler chuckles, shaking his head fondly, “is she’ll drown all of her toys. She takes toys and just drops them in the water.” At first, it was frustrating. “It was really upsetting at first,” Tyler admits. “I’ve made her some toys, and I’ve sewn some by hand. Then she’ll just drown them. And I’m like, ‘No, I worked so hard!’” But as any cat owner knows, it’s a cat’s world, and we’re just living in it. Tyler never holds it against Chobani and instead lets her play any way she wishes too.
With each soggy rescue mission, a realization dawned on Tyler. “I think it’s because sometimes they think it’s prey,” Tyler speculates, trying to understand Chobani’s logic. Perhaps, in her feline mind, a good dunking mimicked the thrill of a caught fish. Or maybe, as Tyler muses, “they think it’s a safe space and they can come back to it, and it’ll still be there.” After buying her a water fountain, he noticed that her drowning tendencies seemed to decrease.
Chobani wasn’t always so confident, though. She was just a small, shy rescue kitty when Tyler met her. “We went to the local animal shelter called Best Friends Society, and they had a kitten adoption event,” Tyler recalls. Despite seeing lots of cute and playful kittens, it wasn’t until Chobani was placed in front of him that he felt a connection. “She seemed so shy and scared and didn’t really know what to think of all the other cats. I picked her up and put her in my lap, and she seemed pretty content. And I just knew I had to have her.”
Years later, the duo is now inseparable! Chobani has even inspired Tyler’s latest business venture. One day, while rearranging their new home, Tyler and his friend, who has a cat named Michael, found themselves contemplating the lack of feline-centric aesthetics. “There’s art at the human level,” Tyler observed, “but there wasn’t anything down low.”
A mischievous idea sparked. “Wouldn’t it be cute if there was art for cats?” his friend chimed in. What if, they pondered, they created miniature art galleries for their feline companions? Little frames showcasing miniature masterpieces, bringing a touch of human culture to the cat’s eye level.
And thus, “Art for Your Cat” was born. Tiny replicas of famous paintings, from Van Gogh’s Starry Night to Monet’s Water Lilies, now adorned the walls alongside cozy cat mats, creating a space that catered to both feline curiosity and artistic appreciation.
Queen of the Gallery
Chobani, with her quirky ways, had unknowingly ignited a spark that transcended the walls of their home. Her playful dunking, once a source of frustration, had blossomed into a heartwarming tale of human-feline understanding and a unique business venture.
After all, who would have thought a mischievous cat with a penchant for watery mischief could inspire such artistic endeavors? In the end, Chobani’s story reminds us that sometimes, the most unexpected quirks can lead to the most delightful discoveries, both in our furry companions and in ourselves.
