Ask any cat parent and they will tell you they are yet to figure their kitty out. When you least expect it, your little furball bumps her head on the wall just for fun.
How about the time she bounced off walls for 10 minutes straight? Or the time you caught her napping in a very tight area?
Perhaps what tops the list for most parents is having a cat that insists on watching them as they poop.
Since humans are wired to view pooping as a rather embarrassing call of nature, having the cat stare at them during the act can be very concerning.
Why does your cat watch you poop? We’ll find out shortly…
The Feline Poop Process Explained
If you are keen, you already know that your feline friend has a fascinating poop ritual.
For one, cats love eliminating in highly private areas. If you have a large yard with bushes, she will probably choose the area behind where no one will walk in on her doing her thing.
The actual pooping is also rather interesting. After finding her spot, the cat will look around to see if anyone is watching.
If she’s sure she’s safe, she will eliminate quickly. Once she’s done, she will cover her feces and go about her day. Watching her will always make you smile.
Related Post: How to Know When a Cat Needs To Go To the Bathroom
Reasons Your Cat Is Staring At You When You Poop
1. She’s Trying To Keep You Safe
This might come as a shock to you but your kitty stares at you when eliminating just to keep you safe.
See, in the feline wilderness, the act of pooping is one of the most vulnerable for any kitty.
As they squat down to do their business, an intruder can attack. This is actually why cats love their privacy.
Don’t for once imagine that your cat is trying to hide from you by choosing a hideaway for his bathroom.
We, humans, are wired to hide because of privacy. The very act of pooping is a private matter that needs to happen away from the stares of anything with a beating heart.
That’s why we close the door behind us and concentrate on doing the deed.
Cats, on the other hand, hide away for their own safety.
As you head over to the bathroom, the cat is aware that anything can happen to you there. They watch you to ensure that you are pooping for sure.
Once your kitty sees you seated on the toilet seat, her protection instinct will kick in and she will feel the need to protect you.
Who knows, someone can catch you with pants down!
2. She Feels Safe Around You
This is in contrast to the above point but they kind of tie into one.
Cats are mainly seen as predators out in the wild. However, in the home setting, the little pets can see themselves as prey.
People, dogs, horses, and most pets at home are physically way bigger than them.
Since your cat trusts you to keep her safe, she won’t let you off her sight. This is especially true if you are the only one at home.
Your kitty will hang on to you including staring at you as you poop.
If you disappear, she will feel afraid and intimidated. On the other hand, if she has you in her grasp at all times, she will be fearless.
3. Curiosity
The phrase “curiosity killed the cat” is true for any cat. No doubt, your little kitty is as curious as they come.
As a hunter, she’s always aware of what is going on around her.
To a cat, being one step ahead of everyone helps her survive in the wild.
You are among the many things in her surroundings. Naturally, she wants to keep tabs on you including watching you peep or poo.
Many cat owners with cats claim that their feline friends do not like it when they close their bathroom door. They will scratch, meow, act restless until you open the thing.
Remember, your kitty doesn’t find the act embarrassing at all. So, she doesn’t understand why you are locking her out and letting her miss out on the action.
To make sure she knows everything that’s going on, she has to watch you like a hawk.
4. Peace, At Last
When you are pooping, you are quiet, calm, and focused. Your cat knows that too.
What better way to catch your attention than staring right at your eyeballs as you enjoy your peace and quiet in the bathroom?
Perhaps you haven’t been giving her enough attention lately. Maybe she is trying to make the most of the small window of peace by spending time with you as you poop.
Either way, there’s a very high chance that your kitty watches you poop because she knows there is nothing else that takes your focus apart from the cat and pooping, of course.
5. She Wants To Play With Bathroom Toys
Under normal circumstances, cats stare at their owners because they want something from them.
Since they cannot put it in words, they will stare at you hoping you will get the message.
The bathroom has all sorts of toys that your cat would love to play with. These include toilet paper, water, cleaning sponges, you name it.
Your poor feline friend doesn’t get access to them on a normal day. As soon as you head over to the bathroom, she will follow you to see if you will let her play in there.
6. Bonding Experience
Cats are affectionate creatures. They love spending as much time bonding with their owners as possible.
This is primarily because they are pack animals. Instinctively, they consider you a member of the pack and must try to bond with you under any circumstance.
When your cat stares at you in the bathroom, she just wants to bond with you.
Eye contact between you and her releases a hormone called oxytocin in the cat.
This is what enhances the interaction between the two of you. More oxytocin means deeper bonds between you and your furball.
Related Post: 12 Least Affectionate Cat Breeds
Can You Stop The Behavior?
Pet owners who do not understand the way cats work are freaked out when their cats watch them poop.
However, if you know that cats are pack animals that live as a community, you will have less concern when your kitty follows you to the bathroom.
Plus, cats do not think that pooping is a shameful act like you do.
However, if you just cannot wrap the whole idea of your kitty staring at you as you poop, you might want to find ways of discouraging the behavior once and for all.
The most effective strategy is to give your cat a distraction as you head over to the bathroom.
Offer her some of the yummiest snacks she cannot say no to and slip to the bathroom.
If you have enrichment toys, those would be great as they take time to figure out.
You can also consider letting your cat go outside or teaching them to stay back as you head to the bathroom.
Parting Thoughts
It’s nothing bizarre to have a cat that wants to stare at you as you poop.
Most of the time, she’s looking to protect you, guard her own back, bond with you, ask for bathroom toys, or fulfill her curiosity.
Image sources: 1, 2, 3
Hi! I am Eleanor Price. I started this website after my cat, Louie, almost died from a case of botulism (a type of food poisoning often caused by bacteria that grow on food items). Turned out that my cat’s diet was the problem. I have made it my duty to provide the best information and recommendations about everything cat lovers need to know about their felines’ health and wellbeing. My goal is to find the most informative content on anything feline-related and share it with fellow hardworking kitty lovers.