Toilet, shower, and tail obsession...is that "normal"?

courtneykp

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To begin with, my name is Courtney. Here is a picture of my little love bug.

She has always been a bit of an odd bird. When we first adopted her, she always liked to climb my daughter's bunk bed ladder. She would then sit at the second step from the top and chase her tail around and around until she fell off, but then she would just try again. We ended up adding some extra grip to the steps for her and my little one's benefit.

Recently, she has decided that the shower is her new adventure area. She tries to get in while it is occupied, but the mysterious water always startles her. She LOVES an empty shower when it still has little puddles to splash in.
She has also decided that the toilets look interesting. She will disappear for a few minutes, which is unusual for her in the first place, and she will wander back in shaking water off of her paws. We tried closing bathroom doors to keep her out of the toilet and showers, but doors are no challenge for this sneaky booger. All we can do now is hope she doesn't figure out how to open the toilet lids next.

Any tips on what to do with this cunning girl? I am worried that she may hurt herself accidentally...
 
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courtneykp

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Oh! And it might be relevant for me to mention that this is my first live-in cat. Don't get me wrong, I lived on a farm as a child, but barn cats and indoor cats are vastly different. I've always had dogs until recently, but dog training methods don't seem to work with cats in my experience. I'll take all the help i can get. :)
 

GemsGem

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Yep this is all completely normal. One of mine chases his tail, he doesn't chase it as much as he did when he was young but sometimes the idea comes to him.

I've got maine coons and this breed is well known for loving water. Mine are always in the sink or bath and they love it if you leave the tap slowly running for them, they will play for hours like that.

If your kitty is one of those that's seems to like water. Why don't you get her one of them cat water fountains. All my cats love theirs they play for ages with the running water.
The one I have got is called - Pioneer Pet Big Max Pet Fountain. You won't regret it its brilliant :D
 

lokimonster

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Both of my cats do the exact same thing, its so weird! When one of them was a kitten I woke up one night to a loud 'splosh' because he managed to fall into the toilet! After that I always keep the toilet lid down, but he still likes getting around the shower when its occupied and when it's not. My other cat loves chasing her tail, and she chases my boy cats tail too.

I don't think you should worry too much about her getting hurt, unless there's a way she could get trapped or completely get submerged in water. I'm sure once she gets completely soaked one time she'll be done for a while.

Also, I love that you recognize that barn cats/outdoor only cats are a little different than indoor cats. My boyfriend is always saying "I grew up with 15 cats, so I know how to deal with them" but they were all barn cats and he's pretty clueless with our indoor cats now lol. He never believes me when I say there's a difference between taking care of barn kitties and indoor only kitties, so I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees this!
 
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courtneykp

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Well in my experience, barn cats are pretty independent. Make sure they are spayed/neutered and that they have food, and they are good to go. They give and receive affection on their terms. Lol this is my first indoor cat, so I have no other reference point, but she is much more needy. She wants to be center of attention allllll the time. She even sleeps with us. I was a bit shell shocked at first over such a big difference lol
Thanks guys! I was a little worried that she could fall off the ladder and hurt herself, or fall in the toilet...but I feel better knowing I'm not the only one with a crazy furbaby. Lol
 
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courtneykp

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Thanks for the recommendation gemsgem. I should definitely look into that! Ms. Kitty makes washing dishes a hassle. Lol i think she is trying to help, though.
 
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