Of all the curious behaviors my cat’s display, watching me pee and generally observing my bathroom behavior is one the strangest.
There is always a reason behind everything cats do, however. So, it made me ask the question, why does my cat watch me pee?
Should I be dissuading this behavior? Is there really anything more to this than just a cat wondering what these strange human activities are?
Here’s everything I’ve been able to find out about why cats like following us into the bathroom, and how you can stop them if it’s creeping you out.
1. Cats Are Fascinated by Running Water
It’s no secret that cats love running water. If your cat doesn’t go to great lengths to drink from a running tap you can consider yourself lucky.
All my cats have always been fascinated by running water. I’ve read some cat behavioral experts say this isn’t such a strange phenomenon. It’s their natural instinctual behavior to drink running water as it would be the safest water in the wild.
Around the home, running water is a lot less accessible than in the wild. So, it becomes even more desirable to our feline friends. Using a cat fountain is even a good solution for cats that are not drinking enough from their bowls. It works.
So, while the thought of your cat being interested by your pee is a bit gross. This does go a long way to explaining why they want to watch you and see and hear your urine hitting the toilet bowl.
2. Cats Are Curious About Bathrooms
Another well-known fact is that most cats love bathrooms. There’s a number of reasons for this, namely:
The curiosity – The bathroom is that one room in the house where the door is often closed, and people don’t hang out in there. This piques the curiosity of cats. They need to know what goes on behind those doors.
The smooth surfaces – A lot of cats love the smooth surfaces of floor tiles, sinks, baths, and so on in the bathroom. This is one of the reasons why cats sleep in sinks.
It’s a quiet haven – Jokes aside, bathrooms are often the quietest room in the house. There isn’t a lot of foot traffic to disturb them, so it’s a great place to get some quality sleep.
The smells and sounds – The smells and sounds of a bathroom might not appeal to us, but we’re not cats. Cats have highly tuned senses are interested in all sorts of things we’re not. They even drink out of toilets, here’s why and what to do about that!
With all of this in mind, if your cat is in the bathroom and happens to see you using the toilet, there’s a good chance they’re going to watch you. They also have a habit of climbing on laps someone is sitting on the toilet – has this ever happened to you?
3. They Want Your Attention – and You Notice It More While Peeing
There’s a good chance that your cat has decided to follow you into the bathroom because they want some attention. Just as they would if you were going to the kitchen, your bedroom, and so on.
It’s just that you’re noticing it more when you’re doing your bathroom business and you look down to see those big eyes staring at you. If you think about it, I bet your cat follows you all over the house, right? They probably also stare at you a lot too.
But it’s when you’re using the bathroom that it bothers you or sticks in your mind. Let’s be honest, even though it’s a cat starting, it still feels really weird, doesn’t it? I don’t know about you, but I don’t like having any eyes staring at me while I’m in the bathroom.
How to Stop Your Cat Watching You Pee and Invading Your Time in the Bathroom
If it’s freaking you out a bit and you want to stop your cat harassing you while you’re doing your bathroom business, there are a few things I can recommend:
Close the Door!
The most obvious one is to close the door. This means both when no one is in the bathroom so they aren’t spending a lot of time in there. And, when you enter the room before your crafty cat can sneak in with you.
Remove Them from the Bathroom
Cats are pretty stubborn and persistent when it comes to doing something they want. But, in my experience, they all get the hint eventually. If you pick them up and remove them from the bathroom often enough they will stop going in there.
Outsmart Them
How hard can it be to outsmart your cat? Very, right? Cats are very crafty, but their kryptonite is and always has been their appetite for treats.
If you can’t close the door or keep them out of the bathroom for any reason, you need to outsmart them. The best way to do this is to put some treats or food out
Related Bathroom Questions
Why Does My Cat Watch Me Shower?
This is also a common behavior that creeps out some cat owners. It’s funny you should ask, I wrote a post explaining why cats watch people shower here.
My Cat Guards Me When I Poop – What Does It Mean?
A lot of cat owners report that their cats seem to guard them while they are pooping. This is either through laying in the doorway or rubbing against their owner’s legs while they’re on the bathroom throne.
The reasons behind this behavior are the same as I’ve listed above for watching their owners pee.
My Cat Likes to Sit on My Lap While I Pee
If you sit while you pee then you can’t blame your cat for taking advantage of this opportunity to get some fussing on your lap. It’s not ideal, and not comfortable for you. But their motivation is clear – they want attention.
Whenever I’m doing my bathroom business I can be sure I’ll have one if not both of my cats watching me.
Whenever I scoop their litterbox’s one of them always has to use the litterbox while I’m scooping it or uses it immediately after I finish.
My cat taught himself to use the human toilet within one week of living with me. He just started doing it one day, and he preferred the human toilet to his litterbox until he got older and developed arthritis.
He followed me into the bathroom not because he was curious about the running water, but because he was curious about me. Then he learned how to behave like me, just like a kitten would do with its mother.