Key Points
-
Your cat always wants to be around you, no matter what you’re doing.
-
Cats follow you into the bathroom because they are naturally curious.
-
It’s normal for your cat to follow you into the bathroom and stand guard while you’re on the toilet.
-
Many cats enjoy simply being in the bathroom.
No, you’re not alone. Ask any cat owner; they probably have also experienced their cat following them into the bathroom. The question is, why do felines feel the need to guard their humans while they pee?
Nobody is certain about the answer as to why exactly cats follow you into the bathroom, but several possible explanations exist. Sometimes your cat may just enjoy the company, other times it might be their instincts kicking in.
Cats Experience FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
Everyone knows that cats are curious creatures. They’re always looking for something they can investigate or get into.
Indoor cats are especially prone to boredom. Producer and freelance writer Val Wadas-Willingham from Fetch by WebMD explains, “Felines are natural hunters and get bored easily, so they have a tendency to be curious. That can cause some problems, like when they decide to scale your curtains to get a better view of your living room.”
Because of this natural curiosity, cats obsess over following their humans into the bathroom.
When you go to the bathroom and shut the door, your cat is sure something is happening behind that closed door. They can’t handle the mystery and must immediately know what is happening in that room. Many questions go through a feline’s mind when you head into the bathroom to do your business.
Are You Having Fun Without Them?
Cats don’t like to miss out on a good time. Whether that means following you into your bedroom for a great nap or joining you in the kitchen while you make your morning coffee, it doesn’t matter. They always want to be around their favorite human to make sure you’re not getting up to anything exciting without them.
This extends to your bathroom breaks. Your cat wants to ensure you’re not doing something in the bathroom that might interest them. Even though you might not understand why, it’s entertaining for them to watch you shower and use the toilet.
Is There Food in the Room?
Your cat may wonder if you are eating something and hiding in the forbidden room so you don’t have to share with them. This is the worst possible scenario for many food-motivated cats. They think any time you get up and move, you’re doing it to get them a snack. This is true for every room you go into, including the bathroom.
Your cat doesn’t know if you have secret food in the bathroom, so the only option is for them to tag along and find out for sure.
Are You in Danger?
Cats are naturally territorial and protective. They want to always be around you to ensure you’re safe.
It’s not unusual to have a guard cat who follows you around the house to make sure they protect you from any potential threat. You’re in your most vulnerable state in the bathroom, so it only makes sense that your cat needs to be there to ensure your safety.
Be happy that your feline guardian is looking out for you!
Felines Are Often Motivated by Revenge
Cats are vengeful little creatures, and it’s actually one of the things people love most about them. Maybe not in the moment, but as a general rule.
Here’s an example of their vindictive attitudes. When you tell your cat to stop clawing at the sofa, they stop, look you directly in the eye, and continue clawing as if it’s their sole purpose in life.
You still aren’t convinced that cats are often ruled by vengeance? Here’s another one. You might pick your kitty up and take them out of the bedroom because your partner is allergic and can’t have the cat sleeping on their pillow. The cat waits until you place them on the ground and then launches itself at your leg to give you a quick bite. They want you to know that they’re unimpressed with your choice to evict them from the bedroom.
Cats are revenge-motivated. This is a possible explanation for why they want to watch you poop. You always go and steal their poop out of their litter box. This confuses and angers them. To get revenge, they make sure that you are never allowed to poop in peace again.
Kitties Enjoy Being in the Bathroom
A bathroom is a great place that’s unlike any other room in the house. There is running water, tile, and a plethora of excellent hiding spots. This room is full of fun things for a bored cat to see and do.
This may be why your cat loves to come along when you take a bathroom break.
Drinking Out of the Bathroom Sink
Have you noticed that your cat prefers to drink from the sink rather than their water bowl? There’s actually an evolutionary reason for this. Stagnant water is more likely to harbor dangerous bacteria that make cats sick when they drink it.
Running water, on the other hand, is more likely to be clean and free from these potential dangers. For this reason, cats have evolved a preference for moving water sources. That’s why there are special fountains out there you can buy if your cat is a picky drinker.
Chasing Shadows
Everyone knows that cats love laser pointers, and shadows are kind of like the naturally occurring version of the dreaded red dot.
It’s common for bathrooms to have white tiles and tubs, and this makes shadows especially visible. Your kitty won’t be able to resist taking a swat at those nasty shadows that constantly taunt them.
They probably look forward to their daily shadow-hunting expeditions, meaning they’re ready to head into the bathroom whenever you are.
Peeking at You From Inside the Shower
Even though they are now domesticated, house cats still have instinctual behavior.
For example, they love to stalk and hunt. An excellent hiding spot for them is inside the tub because they can peek over the edge at their human while mainly staying hidden. This gives them time to choose the perfect moment to pounce.
There aren’t many spots in your house where your cat has such a perfect vantage point to watch you. As a bonus for the cat, you’re not moving around when you’re on the commode — this gives your cat the opportunity to post up and practice their stalking skills.
Lounging in the Sink
A bathroom sink just so happens to be the perfect size for a cat to curl up in and take a nap. It’s also cold to the touch. Cats that are looking for a place to cool off are going to gravitate toward the bathroom sink.
Plus, being able to comfortably lounge while spending time with their owner? That’s a cat’s dream!
Enjoying the Heated Tile
Heated bathroom flooring is much more popular these days than it used to be. This is perfect for cats who want somewhere warm and cozy to lie down. Your cat might follow you into the bathroom just so they can enjoy the heat emanating from the floor.
You can’t really blame them — you also want to be warm; that’s why you installed the heated floors in the first place.
Your Cat Just Loves You
Like Regina in Mean Girls, you may want to ask your cat, “Why are you so obsessed with me?” Your kitty loves you so much. You’re basically their entire world, and they constantly want to be around you.
Yes, this behavior may sometimes be annoying — especially when your cat follows you into the bathroom and watches you pee or poop. The thought of that intrusion probably grosses you out but try and think about it differently. Isn’t watching you while you’re taking care of your bathroom business the purest act of love?
See also
You should feel honored; your cat adores you to the level that they want to follow you everywhere just to be in your presence.
You’re a Captive Audience and Have to Pet Them
Okay, so maybe it’s not always an unselfish act for your cat to accompany you to the bathroom. They have you trapped in a confined space for at least five minutes, meaning you must pet them. It doesn’t matter what you want; those are the rules.
They Have Separation Anxiety
There are other, more serious reasons that your feline companion comes with you on all of your bathroom visits.
For instance, your cat may be experiencing separation anxiety. ISFM-certified Melina Grin from Cats explains, “Separation anxiety can be debilitating for both owner and cat. Accurate identification, treatment, and prevention of separation-related problems are important to cat welfare and quality human-cat relationships.”
Cat owners need to recognize the signs of separation-related problems (SRP) and address them. Just because your cat follows you around the house or into the bathroom doesn’t necessarily mean they have SRP. Cats who experience this problem typically exhibit other signs, such as urinating outside the litter box, excessive vocalization, and destructive behaviors.
Is Following People Into the Bathroom a Normal Behavior for Cats?
The short answer is yes. Many cat owners have the same experiences. For example:
-
You get up in the middle of the night to pee, and oh look, your cat is right under your foot, following you into the bathroom (probably tripping you in the process because it’s dark and cats are sneaky like that).
-
You go to the bathroom, sit on the toilet, and look up to see your cat’s eyes peeking at you from the edge of the tub.
-
You go into the bathroom and shut the door. Seconds later, you hear a frantic meow and scratching. This goes on until you get so fed up that you open the door and let your cat in.
This is just a small sample of experiences shared by cat owners around the globe. The prevalence of stories detailing the feline obsession with bathrooms makes it crystal clear that this behavior is totally normal.
Should You Worry if Your Cat Smells the Toilet After You Pee?
Yes, this is a gross question; however, it’s also one that many people wonder about. No, you shouldn’t worry if your cat wants to smell your pee. Cats have a strong sense of smell and rely on it to give them information.
Whenever a cat experiences something novel, they always smell it first to find out what’s going on. This is what happens when your cat goes and smells your pee. It’s interesting to them because that smell wasn’t there before you sat on the toilet. Even though that’s kind of yucky, it’s also completely harmless.
A Few Final Observations
Nobody knows for sure why cats obsess over bathrooms.
It might be because they’re bored, and the bathroom provides endless entertainment.
They could also follow you into the bathroom because they love you and want to always be with you.
It may also be as simple as your cat likes when you give them attention. If you pet them while on the toilet once, they remember that and associate the bathroom with your affection. This makes them more likely to join you for your future bathroom breaks so they can beg you for affection.
Honestly, the why doesn’t matter. People love cats because of their eccentricities, not in spite of them. A cat’s need to accompany its owner into the bathroom is just one of its many lovable quirks.
Learn more about cats and their quirks at CattitudeDaily.
Was this article helpful?
YesNo
if ( window.fbAsyncInit === undefined ) {
window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({ appId : '3509345582671581', xfbml : true, // version : 'v2.7' version : 'v9.0' }); };
(function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
}