When you adopt a cat, sooner or later, it will dawn on you that you have sacrificed your privacy for some furry companionship.
For some odd reason, cats are so interested in whatever is going on in the bathroom when their owner is there. When not let in, they will meow loudly at the door or even put their paws under the door, trying to claw their way in.
What is with this bathroom obsession? Well, let’s explore that, shall we?
Table of Contents
The door is closed – which means they must come in!
We all know how curious cats can be, and there’s a reason why they are so. Cats are territorial animals and they always want to know what’s happening in their domain. Since the whole house is in their eyes, theirs, they want to see everything that is happening. Every time you shut the door on them, it only heightens their curiosity.
Other than being curious, some cats don’t want to lose sight of their owners because they feel vulnerable without their guardians. If your cat is excessively clingy or needy, they may be suffering from separation anxiety. If this is the case, one of the best thing you can do for them is to stop reacting to their every demand. Teach them that if they are being too fussy and impatient behind the door, it won’t open for them.
Cats love bathrooms.
It seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Cats hate getting wet and the “wettest” part of the house is the bathroom – still they want in on whatever action takes place in there.
While cats may not like touching water, in their eyes, bathrooms are the coolest playgrounds. There’s always something to play with in there – may it be the products on your sink that they can push over and watch fall, or the tap and toilet that always has “fresh” water to drink (yeesh), the hair ties they like to collect and hide, or the loo roll that’s better than any other scratching post they ever had.
How should I discourage my cat from going into the bathroom?
If you’ve lived with a cat long enough, you’ll know that punishments just don’t work on them – that just not how they play the game.
The best way to trick your cats into doing what you want them to do is to give them a yes with the no. It simply means that for every no you say to your cat, you must exchange it with something better in their eyes. Reinforce the actions you want them to do positively.
For example, you don’t want them to go to the bathroom while you get ready in the morning – so that’s a no – what you can do for the yes part is to play with them and tire them out just before you start your day, or, much simply, feed them first in the morning so you can have the time to go into the bathroom. Soon enough, your cat will get used to the routine and will leave you alone while you’re in the bathroom.
Common questions about cats in bathrooms
Nothing is more frustrating as a cat owner than to spend so much time, money and effort buying your cats nice things only for them to completely ignore it. Take for example that really nice cat bed you just bought. For some reason, in your cat’s eyes, the sink is just a better place to sleep in. Why is that?
There are two factors: 1 is the shape of the sink. Cats like fitting into things because that’s where they feel most safe, hence the popular meme “if I fits, I sits.” This is why your rounded sink feels so nice to your cat. Reason 2 is the temperature. In warmer seasons, the cool sink keeps your cat’s body temperature low. In colder months, your cat’s body heat can warm up the sink making it nice and cozy.
While we can never know for sure, there’s a bunch of theories as to why cats love joining us as we drop logs. Here’s a few of them:
They can have you undivided attention. Maybe in their minds, there’s nothing much to do in the bathroom for you other than to admire their beauty and grace. They’re not wrong on that one.
It smells familiar in there. Cats are all about scents. They love things that are familiar to them. This is especially true if you also keep their litter box in the bathroom.
Sometimes, after they poop, cats will start running around fast around the house. This bizarre behavior is lovingly called the “zoomies”. It’s been suggested that this weirdness is one of their survival instincts from when their ancestors were still living in the wild. They’re running around after they drop their stinky poos so their predators can’t trace their scent.
Conclusion
Contrary to what may be considered logical, cats are so in-love with bathrooms and toilets – especially when the door is closed. There’s just something in there that pikes their interest. It could be because there are just so many things in there they could play with, or they just want to see everything that happens in the household.
