Ever approached your sink with the intention of washing your hands only to find your cat sleeping in there?
Me too!
It’s not that uncommon.
Why does my cat sleep in the sink? I can list a few reasons why my cat and most other cats like sleeping in the sink. They find comfort, security, and privacy in sinks. Read on for a more detailed explanation.
5 Reasons Why Cats Sleep in Sinks
It Has a Comforting / Nurturing Feeling
If you’ve ever seen a litter of young kittens, puppies, or most other animals, they sleep huddled nice and snug.
Most cats continue to gain comfort from a number of things they did as kittens. Such as kneading on things like they did their mothers, and curling up somewhere snug that provides pressure over their bodies.
You may have noticed this doesn’t just apply to the bathroom sink too. This is why cats love cardboard boxes and your lap. A lot of cat beds are designed with padding that curves around like a sink too.
They Feel Secure up High
Cats love being up high. They feel more secure being off the ground as it gives them better visibility of what’s around them. It’s part of a cat’s innate instinctual behavior to find somewhere secure to sleep.
If this is the reason, a sink has it all. It’s up high, it’s secluded and difficult to get to, they can put their head down and hide, and the bathroom is one of the quieter rooms. Let’s face it, you’re not even going to be using the sink while they’re in there, are you?
Cats Love Bathrooms
Cats love bathrooms, so it should never be a surprise when they’re in there. I’ve covered in more detail why cats like bathrooms before, in summary, it’s because of a few key things;
- There are awesome places to sleep (yes, I’m talking about the sink)
- They like the sound and taste of running water
- They know they’ll get attention from you in there
- The room piques their interest as the door is often closed
A lot of cats can’t resist drinking water from running taps, even though they have their bowl of fresh water. I hate to say it, but some cats will drink toilet water too. You may just not have caught them yet!
It’s just an interesting room for a number of reasons. And, as all us cat owners know, if our cats are entering a room there’s a good chance they’re gonna take a nap while they’re in there.
They Know It’ll Get Your Attention
Cats are huge attention seekers. It may be on their terms for the most part, and often in really annoying ways. But they love attention, and we love giving it to them.
If your feline has figured out that they will cross paths with you in the bathroom, when you go in there (like every morning), or that you need the sink, there might be some crafty intentions behind their behavior.
Now it comes down to how you handle it. You can take steps to discourage their behavior and hope to change their preferred sleeping place. Or, you can give them some of the fussings they’re after and expect to see them in the same place tomorrow.
They’re After a Little Privacy
Bathrooms are quiet, tranquil places for the most part. It depends on how many spare rooms you have at home and where all the foot traffic goes. But, I know in my house our main bathroom is probably the quietest room we have.
I can certainly attribute this as being one of the reasons why my eldest cat retreats to our washroom and sleeps on the mat in there. With all our other animals and a toddler on the loose, it’s the best place for her to get a quiet nap.
How Do I Keep My Cat out of the Sink?
For the most part, seeing a cat sleeping in a sink if funny and cute. But if it’s annoying you, I understand that too. It’s kinda hard to use the sink when there is a big fur ball in there, isn’t it?
You’ve probably removed them a few times and through this would get the message across. My guess is you’ve now learned that cats are pretty stubborn when it comes to doing something they want to do.
Don’t worry, however, there’s no behavior that can’t be changed with a little patience. Getting them to stay out of the sink is one of the easier behaviors to correct too. Here are a few things to try that will get the message across:
Keep the Bathroom Door Closed (And Put a Note Up)
This is an obvious one, but closing the door to the bathroom is going to make it near impossible that you’ll find your kitty curled up in the sink next time you go to wash your hands.
The trick is to make sure they don’t get in there at all for as long as possible. So, putting up a polite notice telling other family members and guests to make sure they close the door properly after use might be necessary.
Replicate a Sleeping Spot Somewhere Else
If your cat is sleeping in the sink, there’s a good chance you can get them to sleep somewhere else that serves the same purpose. Try creating a similar shape bed, about the same height, in a quiet spot, etc.
Cat trees and condos are perfect for this. If you haven’t already got a cat tree, I highly recommend it. Find one with a bed up high or add a spot to your existing tree and keep moving your cat there if you find them in the sink.
Use a Scent They Don’t Like
One of the best ways to discourage a cat from being in a room or a certain spot is to put a smell nearby that they don’t like. Cats have a highly tuned sense of smell. Which works in their favor when they’re sniffing out tuna, but against them when it’s something they don’t like.
The best part is that most of the scents cats hate smell nice to us, and you can keep your bathroom smelling fresh at the same time. Some of the smells and scents that repel cats indoors include mint, citrus, and lavender. Give them a try and see what works.
