Every cat owner knows the struggle of trying to use the bathroom in private. More often than not, their furry friend tries to get in on whatever action is going on in there. But why? What is so exciting about us using the bathroom? One vet weighed in on the mystery surrounding our nosy AF feline family members and the reason is pretty hilarious.
We all know that cats aren’t our pets — it’s actually the other way around. We serve them (in their minds, anyway). Dr. Katheryn Primm, via IHeartCats.com, says that this cat mentality is the reasoning behind the bathroom break-ins.
“Your home is your cat’s territory and the bathroom is within the boundary of his sphere of influence,” Dr. Primm writes. “How dare you shut him away from his own territory? You might be hoarding resources or making friends with other cats. He can only know if he checks.”
Like the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Once you shut that door, they must know what the heck is going on in there.
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Dr. Primm notes that this behavior has everything to do with a cat’s instincts. They rely heavily on resources and the value of a resource increases when competition is involved. So when you close the door of your bathroom, your cat sees that as you increasing the value of that space by trying to make it yours and yours alone.
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Alternatively, cats may feel as though you are abandoning your post as protector when you dodge into the restroom. Although they’re hunters, they realize their size can also cause them to be prey. Therefore, they need to make sure they’re with you at all times in case a large wolf or bear breaks into the house.
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But Dr. Primm concludes with this: “Vulnerability, curiosity and resource value can all be explanations, but really, everyone with a cat knows the real answer. Cats are contrarians. It is in their DNA to want what they cannot have.”
Cats are fickle creatures and the only thing we can really do to prevent them from scratching at our bathroom door is to just let them in.
