Going to the toilet may generally be a private affair, but cat owners know that doesn't hold true when you have a feline friend at home.
Cats, despite valuing their alone time, are inherently social creatures who dislike being left alone for extensive periods. While they’re quick to signal their need for isolation, be it through finding a quiet corner or delivering a soft nip in protest to being petted, they don't like being shut out from any room, and that includes the bathroom.
Shedding light on why your cat insists on accompanying you even during the most private of moments, Clinical Feline Behaviourist Amanda Campion has taken her insights to social media to demystify your cat’s clingy bathroom behaviour.
“Have you ever wondered why your cat follows you to the bathroom?” Amanda asked her viewers at the start of her video. “Privacy? Not when you have a cat. And this is why they do it.”
She went on to share her list of three reasons why your cat might want to join you in the bathroom.
Amanda proceeded to detail the various reasons, commencing with: “Cats are curious creatures, and they see a door as a barrier to something they may be missing out on. So if you're closing the door when you go to the bathroom, this could be one reason why.”
Nevertheless, there are times when your kitty simply seeks uninterrupted companionship with you, without the usual distractions of daily life encroaching on your special bonding time.
“And a bathroom trip is time for that one on one time spent together. And they see that you're there, no distractions, you're just a sitting duck – well, sitting human,” Amanda explained.
She then went on to note that your cat might just like to be in the bathroom because they're interested in the different and unusual smells in there.
“Bathrooms have interesting smells as well. And I don't just mean the obvious,” Amanda said. “It could be smells from the plug hole as well. So interesting smells, perfumes, deodorants, things like that. And then again, they're curious.”
“And of course, they have warm sinks,” Amanda added. “I don't mean when there's water in them, but a lot of cats have, I've actually seen videos and photos and they actually like to sit in the sink because it's a cocooning safe place, and it's elevated too.”
However, she went on to say that even though you might find it inconvenient or even annoying that your cat wants to join you in the bathroom, you should see it as a compliment.
“Following you is a sign of attachment. It's quite endearing really, isn't it?” she said. “So make the most of the time. Give them an extra few minutes.”
Taking to the comment section of the video, several cat owners shared the daily habits they endure with their pets. One person wrote: “Hammy knows the sound of the bathroom light and diligently follows suit. rewarded of course by lots of pats and strokes :)”
“One of mine follows me everywhere! & soon as I start my stretching exercises she appears out of nowhere to join me,” another cat owner wrote, while a third person shared: “My two sit outside the door… i like to think guarding me.”
