Ollie and Ally are doing weird stuff

Ollie likes licking the toilet bowl after I've flushed and likes drinking out of the toilet. I keep the lid closed now.

Ally likes licking the sing after I've washed my hands, so I have to be careful that there is no handsoap left.

Those two would suggest to me that it's time to get a cat drinking fountain. OK.... but explain this:

I caught Ollie licking and curled up with the toilet plunger.... and I'm not talking about the dowel that we hold on to... I'm talking the icky disgusting bulb covered in whatever is left including I'm sure plenty of E-coli and more.

The plunger now stays in the shower with the shower door closed and I close the bathroom and take it out when I take a shower (but then they can't use the litter box until I get out).

The first two things to me scream "time to get a cat fountain" but what's up with Ollie licking and cuddling up with the toilet plunger bulb?

Many kittens are attracted to different water sources such as tubs, sinks, toilets, and recently cleaned surfaces, as well as attentive to what you do and where you go. It is absolutely necessary for you to keep your bathroom clean and safe for them. Keep all surfaces bacterial free and in the process free of any cleansers.
Sorry to say, you should never leave a recently used plunger out without cleaning it, especially around your kitties. As well as you should always close your toilet seat after every use, before flushing. That's common health care 101! Sounds to me that your kittens are looking out for you by pointing out these issues.
It's a habit of some to look for other drinking sources besides their water bowl. Maia has a couple drinking glasses in the apartment because she would much rather drink from something that I am.

Yeah, I would say (from my scant experience of being a 2 month cat owner) that behavior like that is normal for cats. Beau does a lot of weird stuff that something like curling up with the toilet plunger would be deemed normal now.

I kept our toilet seats covered ever since we got him, even before he discovered the toilet-- he loves to jump on top of it to get to the sink. One time the toilet was just used and flushed but he came into the bathroom before it could be covered, and he jumped right on up and fell in. The look on his kitty face was priceless, but cleaning him up was not fun.

Beau also likes to lick the sink after I use it so I always rinse it out after I wash my hands to make sure it's clean.

Originally Posted by Cat.Ling

Yeah, I would say (from my scant experience of being a 2 month cat owner) that behavior like that is normal for cats. Beau does a lot of weird stuff that something like curling up with the toilet plunger would be deemed normal now.

I kept our toilet seats covered ever since we got him, even before he discovered the toilet-- he loves to jump on top of it to get to the sink. One time the toilet was just used and flushed but he came into the bathroom before it could be covered, and he jumped right on up and fell in.

The look on his kitty face was priceless, but cleaning him up was not fun.

Beau also likes to lick the sink after I use it so I always rinse it out after I wash my hands to make sure it's clean.

Click to expand...

This is right on! When Maia is in one of her hyper run around moods, she often jumps up on the toilet then into the sink! I have always been a stickler about bathroom etiquette, but Eric and most of our friends, not so much! More often then not I have a sign on the bathroom wall "Close toilet seat please!!!!". This is one of the many reasons Eric and I could never live together!

When I got my cats, I also got incredibly cleaner and neater around the house - toilet seats down, all trash immediately in a basket safely behind a cabinet door they can't get into, never leave floss, ribbon, yarn, anything out where they can get at it , no knives on counter when I'm not using them, immediate clean ups of anything spilled, head checks before using washer/dryer, etc. - my mom would be so proud of them for shaping me up! I also started using only pet-friendly cleaners, etc. Actually, I feel better now myself.

For Poppy, there's a cat drinking fountain in the basement, a water bowl by his food in the kitchen and a water bowl in the bedroom...but hw still wants to lick the sink after I've run the water and claws at the fabric covered toilet lid after I've flushed the toilet. I guess running water is very fasinating to cats.

When you have a kitten(s), you should be more aware of everything in the house, where you put it, what you leave out, etc. I have kitten-proofed my place like crazy. I don't leave anything out that I don't want him playing with. On one hand, my place is very clean but on the other hand it looks all messy with the cardboard cutouts blocking things, blankets all over the furniture, a plastic tablecloth with double-sticky tape on the dining room table. The things we do to have kittens!

Keep the lid closed!

Yup, we had to change a lot of our behaviors too. Most of the kitties love drinking out of the shower when we're done, so we have to keep it ultra clean - no soap, no chemicals, but no bacteria either.

One we learned the hard way - NO BAGS WITH HANDLES or no plastic bags EVER left anywhere they can get at them. EVER.

BTW - they sell plungers that have covers that close around them.

Laurie

Originally Posted by cheylink

Many kittens are attracted to different water sources such as tubs, sinks, toilets, and recently cleaned surfaces, as well as attentive to what you do and where you go. It is absolutely necessary for you to keep your bathroom clean and safe for them. Keep all surfaces bacterial free and in the process free of any cleansers.
Sorry to say, you should never leave a recently used plunger out without cleaning it, especially around your kitties. As well as you should always close your toilet seat after every use, before flushing. That's common health care 101! Sounds to me that your kittens are looking out for you by pointing out these issues.

It's a habit of some to look for other drinking sources besides their water bowl. Maia has a couple drinking glasses in the apartment because she would much rather drink from something that I am.

Click to expand...

I NEVER kept my toilet lid closed until I got Jake...What's the human reason for doing that again ???
Plungers are gross but I'm sure Ollie is fine- cats stomachs are not like human- they can handle bacteria. But yea don't let it happen again...

My boyfriend suggested taking a gallon milk jug and cutting the top off of it and sticking the plunger's business end into as a stand/cover.

I have no idea why Ollie would like that bulb so much, just needs to NOT be licking it!

And yes, a fountain may very well be a good idea.

Originally Posted by LDG

Yup, we had to change a lot of our behaviors too. Most of the kitties love drinking out of the shower when we're done, so we have to keep it ultra clean - no soap, no chemicals, but no bacteria either.

Click to expand...

Good luck with that one. Everything is covered in bacteria, you cannot get rid of it. In fact, we actually need some bacteria to remain healthy. And one of the few things that does kill some of the more dangerous bacterias is bleach - a chemical.
(Those that think otherwise, well I suppose wouldn't use your bathrooms then for risk of giving you one of those more dangerous harder to kill bacterias)

As for cats tolerating bacteria while humans can't - false. Again we need bacterias. Kill too much of them in your intestinal tract and you'll end up fairly ill. Tolerance depends on previous exposure and general health. One may be surprised by the potentially deadly bacterias that lurk on their skin, that if healthy cause us no serious problems.

If the plunger had come in contact with a bleach cleaner that could explain Ollie's fascination with it. Some cats seem to really love the smell of bleach.

Well, I meant 'dangerous bacteria', I should have specified but I thought it was obvious from the context.. But cats actually can handle bacteria that humans cannot. That's what enables to eat raw food without getting sick while us humans are more likely to get stomach infections.

Originally Posted by ut0pia

Well, I meant 'dangerous bacteria', I should have specified. But cats actually can handle bacteria that humans cannot. That's what enables to eat raw food without getting sick while us humans are more likely to get stomach infections.

Click to expand...

To some extent. Even humans can become more resistant to certain strains of salmonella, for example. I'm probably resistant to the common ones reptiles carry to where someone who has never kept reptiles would not be.

And it's not the stomach that gets infected, it's the intestinal tract - the colon usually. Depending on the bacteria and length of infection that can turn into colitis, sometimes only lasting till the infection is under control... sometimes permanent if enough damage is done. (O/T - but I've been there, done that)

Originally Posted by strange_wings

To some extent. Even humans can become more resistant to certain strains of salmonella, for example. I'm probably resistant to the common ones reptiles carry to where someone who has never kept reptiles would not be.

And it'd not the stomach that gets infected, it's the intestinal tract - the colon usually.

Click to expand...

I am sure that's true this may be gross but my dad used to always eat raw ground beef on a sandwich!! He never got sick LOL, I thought it was soo disgusting!!

Originally Posted by ut0pia

I am sure that's true

this may be gross but my dad used to always eat raw ground beef on a sandwich!! He never got sick LOL, I thought it was soo disgusting!!

Click to expand...

Yuck! That would probably put most of us (and maybe even our pets considering how store bought ground beef isn't always the freshest) in the hospital.

Back on topic, a little, even we can carry bacteria that can make our cats sick. It's one reason why I clean surfaces (especially in the bathrooms) with bleach, and rinse after of course. I don't want to risk anyone, not even my cats, catching what I'm a carrier for. And yes, the toilet lids are always kept down in my house!
If this can't be done in anyone's homes, then just keep the door shut. Bathrooms are usually small enough that it's not going to be a space that a cat misses.