Why Do Cats Like to Follow People to the Bathroom or Shower?

Nearly all cat owners have experienced this: you’ve just closed the bathroom door to use the toilet, and there’s a soft scratching at your feet; when you turn on the shower, a pair of round eyes always peek through the 门缝. This “clingy monitoring” from cats often amuses and perplexes us—they could be napping in the sun, yet they insist on squeezing into the tiny bathroom to stare at you during your most private moments. Behind this lies cats’ unique psychological logic and behavioral codes passed down through evolution.

From an evolutionary perspective, this “never leaving your side” stems from cats’ reliance on their group. While the African wildcat, ancestor of domestic cats, is a solitary animal, mother cats closely monitor their kittens’ movements when raising them, and kittens follow their mother to learn survival skills. This “following behavior” has evolved in modern domestic cats into attention to “group members”—in a cat’s eyes, its owner is a “companion in the same territory,” and your every move affects its sense of security. The bathroom is a special place for cats: small and enclosed, and once you enter, you temporarily “disappear from sight,” triggering their “protective instinct.” Just as wild cats stay alert when a companion vanishes into the bushes, house cats follow you into the bathroom to confirm “you’re not in danger.”

Another deeper reason is cats’ obsession with “controlling resources.” In the feline world, all resources in their territory—food, water, safe resting spots, and even their owner’s movements—need to be monitored. The bathroom has water (from taps or the bathtub), soft mats, and sometimes toiletries that spark cats’ curiosity, all of which count as “territory resources.” By following you in, they’re both checking “if resources are safe” and reaffirming “I have a stake here.” Some cats leave scent marks by scratching the bathroom door, declaring “I’m monitoring this area too.”

Curiosity is the direct driver of cats’ “watching.” A cat’s brain seems to be filled with countless questions—the sound of a flushing toilet, mist from the shower, or vibrations from a hair dryer all spark their desire to explore. Studies have found that cats are particularly interested in “regular, repeated behaviors”—your daily routine of entering the bathroom at fixed times, repeating actions like undressing or turning on the tap, appears to them like a “daily exclusive show.” When they squat at the door watching, they’re actually trying to understand “the logic behind this behavior,” as intently as observing the movement patterns of prey.

What’s more interesting is that the bathroom’s enclosed space makes cats feel “equal.” Usually, you might stand, walk around, or sit on high surfaces, but in the bathroom, you sit or bend down, reducing the height difference between you and your cat. This “eye-level interaction” makes them feel more relaxed. Some cats jump onto your lap when you’re seated or rub their head against your arm, using this “moment of equality” to strengthen your bond. For timid cats, the small bathroom reduces external distractions, making it a safe place to “take the initiative to get close.”

A cat’s “bathroom dependence” may also be linked to “separation anxiety.” If owners spend little time with their cats, or if a cat has had anxious experiences of being left alone, they’ll be especially afraid of “losing attention again.” Once the bathroom door closes, it means a brief “isolation,” and this uncertainty makes them anxious—scratching the door or meowing is their way of saying “I need to make sure you’re still there.” In this case, following isn’t “spying” but a clumsy way of saying “don’t leave me.”

It’s worth noting that not all cats enjoy bathroom monitoring. Some independent cats don’t care about their owner’s “private time,” which relates to their upbringing—cats accustomed to solitude from a young age have higher tolerance for “separation,” while those constantly accompanied by their owner are more likely to be “clingy.” But whether they follow or not, cats always pay attention to their owners, just in different ways.

In essence, a cat’s “bathroom obsession” is a mix of complex emotions: evolutionary vigilance, a desire to control resources, childlike curiosity, and, above all, undisguised dependence on their owner. They don’t understand the concept of “privacy”—they only know “where the important person is, I should be there too.” When you helplessly watch your cat squatting at the shower door, perhaps you can interpret it as: this is its way of saying “I’m protecting you.”

Speaking of which, all cat owners have surely been “watched” by their cats in the bathroom. Some squat on the toilet lid staring at you, some try to sneak into the shower, and others meow pitifully outside the door… What funny or frustrating antics has your cat pulled at the bathroom door? Share these amusing yet exasperating moments in the comments!