Cats do some things that have no real explanation of why they do them. Why they watch you shower is one of those things. It is a feline mystery that still puzzles a lot of people who own cats. No one really knows why but they have several thoughts. As we all know, cats just love the bathroom, which is where the shower is. You may even wonder why they will meow at you, or purr when you are taking a shower. It is their way of saying they love you.
Why cats love the bathroom
- It is a virtual playground for them. There is a tub and/or shower to spin around in, toilet paper rolls to bat around, and they can take a nap in the sink.
- They can get some extra attention by rubbing all over you when you sit on the toilet. They feel like they have you ‘trapped’ for a few minutes of undivided attention.
- The sink is like a bed with rounded sides to cradle their body. In the warmer months, the coolness of the sink keeps them cool.
Why they like to watch you shower
- Cats hate closed doors, and if you go to take a shower you automatically close the bathroom door. It can almost drive cats nuts if you are on one side and they are on the other, so they want in on the fun, which means in the bathroom with you.
- For some oddball reason, cats like to lick you after a shower. Being in there, watching you, they are ready to do some licking as soon as you get out.
- Cats enjoy having routines, and if you take your shower at a certain time, then watching you is part of their routine.
- They love you and the bathroom has a lot of your scent in there and that is one reason why they like to be in the bathroom when you take a shower. Not so much to watch you shower but to just be in the same vicinity as you because they love you.
- Your cat may think that you are ‘grooming’ yourself and they are fascinated by the procedure since they do it a lot differently than humans do.
- They just like to follow you around.
Stress Relaxer
Your cat may not actually come into the bathroom to watch you shower but when you glance at them through the shower door you can see them watching you. It may be that you just happened to catch them watching you. A cat may like to be in the bathroom with you because the warm steam from the shower and the running water soothes its body and helps de-stress them.
Obscurity
In the wild most cats are known to be solitary creatures, so a cat may feel the bathroom is obscure so that is why they enjoy being in there with you. They love solitude so it stands to reason why they like a bathroom.
Jealousy and protection
Cats can be very jealous of their humans, so it is like a sign of them wanting to protect you while you are in the shower. And they are jealous and don’t want anyone else around their owners. They love you and do not want to let you out of their sight.
Water
As a general rule, cats do not like water and do not like to get wet. What they are obsessed with when you are in the shower is the feel, taste, and sound of running water. So, generally speaking, while you think the cat is watching you, they are actually mesmerized by the water.
Shower and feeding time
It is quite possible that to your cat, a shower equals feeding time. They could be watching you, trying to use their little minds to tell you to hurry up, that it is feeding time. They may just sit on the bathroom rug, or on the counter, or even have their faces planted almost against the door. If you have a shower curtain, they may even stick their head through the gap in the shower and just watch you.
Can you stop this behavior?
Yes, you can try to stop their behavior of watching you shower if it really freaks you out to have them doing this.
- Try feeding them—if you normally feed your cat after you get out of the shower, try reversing it and feed them before you get in the shower. If your shower is not connected with feeding time, you could give them a treat or snack. This may or may not work because they just may want to be with you.
- Shut them out of the bathroom—doing this you may have them mewing loudly to get in, scratching at the door, putting their paws under the door, or other behavior. If your cat follows you around and sees you heading for the bathroom, they may make a mad dash for the bathroom, getting in there before you. If this happens, you will have to take time to pick them up, put them out of the bathroom, and try to shut the door before they can sneak back in.
- Outsmart them—if at all possible you could change the time you shower. Wait until they are distracted or sleeping, and then sneak into the bathroom to have your shower.
Although we do not always understand why our cats do some of the things they do, we know that we love them and would miss them if they were not a part of our family. As mentioned, there are no proven scientific facts as to why they like to watch you when you shower, but there are speculations.
If it does not freak you out, let them in the bathroom while you shower and let them watch you. Many times, they will just lay down somewhere in the bathroom and take a nap while you shower and not watch you at all.