I’ve written about cats and bathrooms before in my article about why cats follow us into the bathroom. Many cats seem to have an obsession with bathrooms.
Seems like the kind of thing that would be unusual, but nope, the more cats you know and the more you get to know cats within the realm of being in a home, the more you realize, this is just another cat thing.
A lot of times, however, a cat’s obsession with bathrooms doesn’t seem to stop when we are not in the bathroom at all. Like, cats do love following their humans all the time, but even when we’re not in a bathroom it still seems to hold fascination for them.
Here’s some reasons why I think mine are like this, and there are a slew more that I’m sure I could get nowhere near covering, so if you have thoughts on why this is, do leave them in the comments so others can read about your theories!
Now let’s get into some of the reasons that could explain why your cats are obsessed with bathrooms, many of which that explain my three cats’ behaviours, too!
Reasons That Might Explain Why Your Cat Is Obsessed With Bathrooms
1. Your Cat May Be Attracted to Smooth Texture Surfaces: Tile Floors and Porcelain Bathtubs
There’s a lot to be said about the way certain textures feel on skin, and my guess is that it’s the very same for cats and how specific textures feel on their paws.
Pretty darn sure cats love the feel of tile floors and especially the feel of porcelain bathtubs. Might be enough to say that’s the only reason they like hanging out on them.
In most homes, there’s not many rooms that have these kind of textures. Kitchens and bathrooms are the most likely to have tiles, and nothing’s got the feel of porcelain in terms of smoothness.
Careful with this one, though! Cause if your cat’s doing things like peeing or pooing on the tile floors or in the bathtub, they need to be checked for UTIs (the smooth surface helps with relieving some of the pain).
You’ll also need to make sure they like their litter boxes, the litter itself, and that that these spaces are clean and free from anxiety.
Often cats will chase away other cats from litter boxes, causing them to go someplace else to, well, go.
2. It’s Probably Way Cooler Temperature-Wise in the Bathroom
When a cat’s hot and bothered in the summer heat and just trying to get cool for the summer, this is probably the easiest and most quick way to cool themselves down.
I have a feeling most bathrooms are cooler in temperature on the whole than other areas of most homes, probably exclusively because of all the tiles.
But even if the ambient room temperature is the same as the rest of the house, the cool-to-touch tiles and porcelain bathtubs are likely helping cool kitty down anyways.
3. Cats Like Small Spaces, the Bathroom Is Usually the Smallest Room in the House
Yes, cats like sitting in boxes and squeeze themselves into all sorts of tight spaces for the fun of it.
That’s why cat beds that are enclosed like the Trixie Minou are such a hit in my home.
I have two of this in particular, and so many other types of cat beds! I have a shark cat bed, for instance, that’s one of my favourites, but it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the Trixie Minou cause that one’s so much more enclosed!
The whole loves-small-spaces thing seems to also be applicable to room size, at least in my opinion.
It’s why my cat’s also obsessed with closets, though these days I have to keep him out cause we live in a country where I’ll probably get moths if I get cat hair all over my clothes in there!
4. Cats Are Sometimes Attracted to the Strange Smells in Bathrooms
TMI? Probably, but whatever I’ll share. One of my cats, Athos, has got to smell the toilet every so often. Like, I could scold him but he’s just gotta finish taking that whiff.
It’s usually always cause he’s curious about a smell. Just cleaned the toilet? The bleach smells cool. Just had some bad luck in the loo? He’s like a man on a mission trying to figure out what went wrong.
These odd smells might also be coming from the bathroom garbage bin, in my opinion. So I grabbed a covered one, and that helps a lot.
Except when I had cat food in there and my cats decided it was high time for a snack like 10 minutes before I fed them, but that only happened a couple times, so we’re good now!
It’s a strange obsession they have with smells, often potent, off-putting smells to us humans, but it’s definitely an overall smell thing and not just a bathroom-related smells thing!
Which is why many cats are obsessed with the smell of feet or socks or shoes, in my opinion. I think it ties together.
5. Cats Love Spaces They’re Not Normally Allowed Into
Most cats are obsessed with spaces they’re not normally allowed into, and usually the bathroom door is closed, or they’re not allowed to do whatever they please in the bathroom because they get shooed away.
Maybe it’s the avid explorer in them? Maybe they’re like humans and love what’s off limits? Maybe they’re just so curious they can’t help it?
Who knows why, but if there’s a space that’s off limits to a cat, you’d better bet he or she’s gonna want in. Immediately.
Don’t believe me? Close a door.
I give it 2 minutes before you’re cat’s on the other side meowing to be let in. They could’ve been having a nap half way across the house. Doesn’t matter. They have a sixth sense about these things.
And if you let that cat in and close that door again? It’ll be tops 5 minutes before they’re meowing at that door again to be let out.
Just cat things.
6. Cats Can Be Obsessed With Sitting on Toilets, Bathroom Counters, or Sinks
There are plenty of interesting things to sit on in the bathroom. There are smooth counter tops, there are porcelain sinks, and even (hopefully not, but it happens!) the toilet!
Now this sucks if it happens, but I’ve got a lot of cats who are obsessed with chairs and unless you train them, how are they supposed to know the toilet’s not a chair they’re supposed to be allowed to sit on?
And yeah, it has a lid, but they’re probably not paying attention to whether the lid is on or off.
So maybe they just happened to jump on thinking they’d fit and then, whoops, into the water.
This happens with bidets, too, by the way. My brother’s cats used to be fascinated by those. He keeps the door to the bathrooms closed now.
If you can’t keep the door closed to a bathroom, however, it’s okay though, if I can train my cats to keep on counters (they do, all counters, all tables totally off limits, and they adhere to these rules 99% of the time), you can train your cats to keep off the toilet. Just gotta keep at it.
7. Cats Are Probably Obsessed With How You React to Them in the Bathroom
I’ve spoken about this in my article about why cats follow their humans into bathrooms, but you probably behave differently around your at when you go into a bathroom.
I mean think about it, you’re not doing much, so kitty get’s all the attention. Whether that’s because you’re scolding him (negative attention’s better than no attention sometimes!) or cause you’re confused, watching them and wondering what on earth they’re doing.
Or if you’re talking to them or even petting them because you’ve got nothing else to do but wait. Yes, I know some of you do this. Yes, I’ll admit to doing it too sometimes.
8. Your Cat Might Be Attracted to Something in the Bathroom.
Like shampoo – or soap.
One of my cats, Bjorn, loved literally licking the soap in the bathroom (it’s lovely stuff, made of olive oil so it kind of makes sense?).
A couple times caught him literally licking it until it fell into a damp sink and then going ham on the watery soapy bits when it mixed with the water.
Needless to say I scolded him for doing this, but he was having some issues with vomiting back then that caused him to be hungry enough to do this I’m guessing because he no longer does this now that those vomiting issues are sorted now.
For those who are curious, he had a grain allergy that I uncovered and thus now he no longer eats food with grains in them and he’s golden.
Maybe your cat’s after something along those lines? Soap, shampoo, face cream, face wash, or something else that’s oddly tasty to them?
8. Your Cat May Have Been in the Bathroom for a Drink or to Use the Litter Box and Stayed.
Cats are lazy.
If they’re in the bathroom to eat, drink, or use the litter box because you’ve got one or more of those resources in there, chances are your cat’s probably gonna spend more time in the bathroom out of sheer lack of effort in going elsewhere.
Cause who needs to move when you can be comfortable where you are?
Your Thoughts on Cats Being Bathroom-Obsessed?
Why do you think cats in general are bathroom-obsessed? Can you think of any more explanations than the ones I’ve listed?
Do you think there are particular reasons that are more true for some of your own cats? What do you think the most likely reasons are overall?
Does your cat ever do weird things in the bathroom like try to sit on toilets, sleep in the bathtub, or sniff at smelly things?
Love to hear your thoughts and stories related to this topic in the comments down below!
Elise, my 2 cents.
My Eddie nearly always meows at the door when he knows I am in there. He loves for me to turn on the water real low, and he drinks directly from the faucet. Also, usually when he first jumps up on the sink, I give him a nice neck and shoulder massage. He closes his eyes and purrs while I do this, then he proceeds to get a drink. So it is a moment of affection for the two of us. At other times he is not keen to be petted, other than a quick top of the head rub.
Sometimes he plays with the stream of water, and even wets his paw and licks it. Sometimes he wants me to put my hand under the running water and he laps the water as it runs across my palm.
Usually when I flush the toilet, he rushes to lean on the rim and watch the water go around and away.
So I think for Eddie it is a combination of meeting his drink needs, getting some physical attention, and fascination with moving water.
Incidentally, we got him a cat fountain, and he did use it for a while, but now seems to get all his water from his bathroom visits. We still keep a water bowl next to his food, just to make sure he gets what he needs.
This is way too cute! Yes it sound like he’s getting many needs met all at once, what a sweet interaction!