If you own a cat, you could probably list out tons of peculiar and strange tendencies that your cat has. Most of the time, there is a reason for the behavior and it is common to cats around the world. We have received many responses from our readers who have reported that their cats love being petted while in the bathroom. Therefore, we have decided to dedicate today’s article to explain this bizarre behavior, and hopefully show you that it is more normal than you think.
Why do cats like to be petted in the bathroom.
The main reasons cats like to be petted in the bathroom are fear, interest, and attention.
Fear
While cats are naturally hunters in the wild, house cats tend to be fearful and insecure. When you leave your cat all by itself, it can feel vulnerable and anxious. Therefore, if it sees you escape to a secret room and leave it all by itself, it feels an urge to follow you. Once in the bathroom with you, your cat liked to be petted because it makes your cat feel more safe and secure. Petting your cat lets it know that you are there to protect it.
Interest
You most likely know that cats are very curious creatures. When they see you escape to a mysterious room for extended periods of time, it piques their interest and they feel a need to go explore. They also might have a feeling of jealousy that this room is taking your attention away from itself. Therefore a cat will likely follow you into the bathroom in order to see why the bathroom is so important. Once the cat is with you in the bathroom, it likes to be pet to know that he/she is welcomed there.
Attention
Another main reason a cat likes to be petted in the bathroom is to get attention. Your cat most likely adores you, and when you leave it alone, it becomes bored and has a longing for attention. Therefore your cat will go with you into the bathroom to let you know that he/she still exists and wants your attention. Since your cat sees you alone on the toilet, it knows that it can get your undivided attention by getting petted. This is why your cat will sometimes brush up against your leg while you are in the bathroom in order to tell you to pet them.
How to stop your cat from following you into the bathroom
The best way to stop your cat from following you into the bathroom is to find something to distract its attention. We recommend getting a toy that your cat enjoys, so that if you escape to the bathroom, your cat is amused and unfazed. You also might want to consider getting another pet that your cat can interact with so that it doesn’t just follow you around all the time.
