As a pet parent you may be asking why do cats follow you to the bathroom? We all know cats love privacy, but have little respect for YOUR privacy! Finding a pair of curious eyes watching carefully as you sit on the toilet can be a little unnerving!
No self respecting cat puts up with closed doors! You see, your home is her territory and that includes the bathroom. Being banished from this small room is seen as very rude behavior to your kitty.
In this post you’ll discover the answer to why do cats follow you to the bathroom, and if you really do deserve privacy. You’ll learn a little bit about cat psychology and if vulnerability is one reason for this strange behavior.
Prey or predator?
As a cat parent you may been on the receiving end of “gifts” from your fur baby. This gesture is not only to show her love for you but to proudly demonstrate her skills as a predator.
Cats are extremely skilled in the art of catching prey. Whether a small bird or field mouse, your cat knows exactly how to stalk and hone in on her prey.
However, cats also instinctively know they themselves are prey to larger animals. Unless your kitty is a super size breed she’ll feel vulnerable on her own.
While you’re around she feels safe, as in your cat’s eyes you’re her protector. She looks upon you as her guardian and if you disappear behind a door she feels exposed to danger. Of course that could be the front door if you go to work, but the bathroom door is somehow different.
Your cat may need to make sure you’re not doing anything to attract predators, even if that means banging on the door! A gap in the door is perfect allowing her to shove her paw in!
The funniest thing is watching your cat trying to push her way in! It never ceases to amaze me how cats are able to squeeze themselves through the narrowest of gaps.
Curiosity
Your cat isn’t daft and knows when you go behind this door it’s only for a short time. However, her curiosity is piqued as You didn’t invite her and she wants to know what’s going on.
For all your cat knows you could be getting up to all sorts such as mixing with other cats or hoarding food. This private space gains value as the more you deny your cat access the greater its value becomes.
Cats are also contrary creatures. If you’ve ever opened a door or window to let your cat out you’ll know what I mean. Let them out and they want back in. Put extra food in the bowl and they suddenly lose interest.
I’ve come to the conclusion many times that cats are a law unto themselves with no logic to their behavior:) Still, life wouldn’t be the same without our furry friends:)
Your cat has your undivided attention!
While you’re in the bathroom you’ve nothing to distract you and it’s highly possible your cat knows this! No tv or laptop to take your attention away, unless you have one in the bathroom! This makes you a captive audience and available for cuddles or petting!
If you have a multi-cat household expect an audience as you sit on the toilet! 3 or 4 curious kitties with large eyes fixed on you as do your business is no joke!
Your bathroom is a playground
The bathroom may be a haven of privacy to you, with the luxury of a long soak in the bath, or 5 minutes alone on the toilet, but your feisty feline has other ideas.
For some peculiar reason only known to cats, an empty bath is a great place to sit and contemplate. It’s believed however, that cats love the feel of it’s smooth shiny surface. If your kitty seems to enjoy lounging around in the tub it could be because it provides a cool refuge on a hot day.
In the winter though, a bathtub provides a cosy space to curl up in. As any pet parent knows, cats love sitting in empty cardboard boxes. Well, your bath is no different.
Apart from providing a cool refuge, it’s a great place to hide and ambush you from! In addition, an empty bath offers a wonderful space for your cat to roll around on her back!
The sink is another favourite spot for cats. Have you ever found your kitty curled up snugly in the bathroom sink? If it’s during the heat of summer, your cat may find the sink a nice place to cool off. This is because porcelain feels cool to the touch. Also, it can prove respite from an over heated house during winter.
The lure of the bathroom tap
A dripping bathroom tap is irresistible to a cat. While you may provide fresh drinking water for your feline friend, it’s more natural for a cat to drink from a running source rather than a stagnant bowl. This is why getting your cat to drink is easier with a water fountain.
A thirsty cat may also try and drink bath water, or water in the sink. Be warned though as toxic chemicals from soap or bath gel are poisonous.
If your cat insists on watching you shower or bath, provide a few toys to distract her. Be mindful of stepping on them though as you get out of the bath!
Cats are masters at working out our routines
We all have daily routines and rituals that include showering and cleaning teeth. Your cat is very observant and knows your routine and what follows.
For example, my cat knows when it’s bed time. He knows when I close down the laptop and walk into the bedroom late at night it’s bedtime. He follows me into the bathroom as I clean my teeth, then waits on the bed while I take a shower!
Your cat is highly intelligent and would have sussed you out a long time ago! She knows your morning and evening routine and I’m sure you’ve noticed the signs.
Your feline friend wants to be part of the action
Missing out on all the fun is something cats won’t tolerate. In fact they see denied access to the bathroom as quite rude! The bathroom may be a place you groom yourself, whether that’s styling your hair, applying make-up or cleaning your teeth.
Felines are also fastidious about grooming and maybe your kitty is taking notes as you brush your hair or wash your face! Though our grooming techniques are entirely different it’s still a source of fascination!
Most cats hate water so it’s highly unlikely your kitty will take a dip with you in the shower or bath. In fact an accidental splash is likely to make your cat leave the room with great haste.
In conclusion
Now you know the answer to why do cats follow you to bathroom I hope it’s helped you understand your cat’s eccentric behavior a bit better:) If you want a peaceful life I’d advise allowing your cat access at all times.
You could try putting a sign on the door “no cats allowed”, but of course, cats can’t read:)
If you’ve enjoyed this post please share. In addition if you have any questions or would like to share your experiences, please leave your comment below.
Wishing you a purrfect day:)
Kathy
One of our cats likes to follow me where ever I go, even to the bathroom. He too attached and if I move, he moves with me. However, after reading your post, I’m guessing there are a few more reasons why he’s doing this. I think he likes the environment too. All the sounds, lights, and mirrors probably seem like a cool playground to him, and I’m guessing this could be another reason why he likes the bathroom. I know why he likes kitchen though LOL. Thanks for sharing this post!
Hi Ivan, yes, he’s probably fascinated by the lights and mirrors in your bathroom. Mine often looks at himself in the reflection, and I’m sure he thinks it’s another cat lol! Yes, my cat loves the kitchen as well and closely supervises me as I prepare food! Thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoyed this post:)
Kathy,
I was laughing so hard after reading the first section that it was hard to finish the rest of the article, growing up we had a cat that did every single thing you described. From following all of us into the bathroom to climbing into small boxes and once we moved to Phoenix and she got older, we all knew if she wasn’t right there next to us she’d be in the bathroom sink. We all knew the sink was to keep cool, but never understood the rest of it.
My wife is severely allergic to cats, so we don’t get to have one, but one of our rescue dogs is sometimes more like a cat than a dog. We think she must have spent the first two years growing up with cats in the same cage. She even used to bring us “gifts” but they were things she found instead of things she killed. Thankfully we’re not finding nasty smelly wet pinecones on our bed any more.
Thanks for the laugh, the memories, and the education,
Sean
Hi Sean, thanks for sharing your story, and glad you enjoyed this post:) Shame your wife is allergic to cats. You could always consider a breed such as the Russian Blue. They produce lower levels of Fel d1, the protein that’s responsible for allergic reactions.
We also have cats at home and they follow us everywhere, not just in the bathroom. True, they always want to be part of the action, and next to us, whatever we do. I call them supervisors – because they always strictly control what and how we do.
Life with cats is really fun and without them, it wouldn’t be the same.
Nina
Thank you Nina, glad you enjoyed this post:) Yes, cats certainly like to think they’re the boss! As you rightly said, life would be dull without them:)
You got me hooked with the title already. I totally enjoyed this read, thank you!
I was always convinced cats have their own rules and they do not care about what we want or do not want.
Our late cat was the boss in the house and if she decided to go to the bathroom, she could lay into the sink, and stay as long as she wanted, with us going in and out of the bathroom, trying to use the sink to wash hands. No matter how we tried to persuade her to move, she wouldn’t. Then, out of blue, she jumped down and just walked away, holding her had really high, as if she was telling: See, I won again. Now you can have your sink, I’m not interested any more!
Perhaps she just needed to cool off 😉
Hi Kerry, so glad you enjoyed this post:) Yes, cats definitely think, or know they’re the boss!! How funny you’re late cat used to sit in the bathroom basin, defying you to move her lol! Cats always do their own thing and it’s highly likely they spend time plotting!
Kathy, we have a female Siamese cat which we adopted and she sits on Susan’s lap most of the time but follows me all over the house especially to the bathroom and just sits watching or mostly she jumps into the bath under the tap and looks at me to turn it on.
She knows how to play us both and quite amusing to watch.
Thank you for sharing
Hi Mick, Siamese cats are great pets and very affectionate. They love being with their human family and following you round the house is so typical:) Thank you for sharing your experience, and glad you enjoyed this post:)