Oh, for goodness' sake. Now we have teenage angst.

When Lucy was a baby, we bought her a short perch and a personal fan heater to dry her after baths. For months now she has jumped down repeatedly during every drying session. I've retrieved her and put her back on the perch, exhorting her to "work" and "stay warm" (paying attention to the temperature so she wasn't overheated).

It was a warm day today, and the house remains warm this evening. Since she was having such an issue with the fan, I just plopped her on a playtree branch to dry.

For half an hour she didn't move. No fluffing, no preening, nothing. So I brought a piece of newspaper and laid it on the counter in the office, as usual, and set up the perch, as usual, and turned the fan to low. Now she's working and preening and doing fine. Hasn't made an effort to jump at all.

I'm with my mother-in-law. It wouldn't have done for me to have a human child.