Internet laughs at cat who loves flushing to watch “swirly toilet water”

Cats usually avoid water like it’s going out of fashion, ready to give you a warning hiss if even a drop splashes on their coats. One cat, however, has developed an obsession with water, or rather watching it.

In a video posted to Reddit with over 32,500 views, a black cat can be seen removing a book that was covering the toilet flusher, flushing the toilet, and then jumping down to put his paws on the seat to get a closer look at the swirling water.

“She likes watching the swirly toilet water, not even hiding the flusher can stop her,” reads the caption.

Despite a known dislike of water, many cat owners report that their felines have a strange obsession with their bathroom.

“To some cats, the toilet is the equivalent of a mouth-watering, bottomless drinking fountain,” write PetHelpful, “It beckons to their incomparable ability to repurpose just about anything (drapes as trapezes, fuzz as food, and antique sofas as scratching posts). It also hones their superb aptitude for balancing on extremely smooth surfaces and contorting themselves into advanced-level yoga poses.”

The swirling water might trigger a cat’s instinct to focus on movement, “either for enjoyment or for hunting,” says PetHelpful, “They may also notice reflections in the water and, other than admiring their dazzling image in them, may perceive them as something to play with.”

It could also be a wild, instinctive obsession.

“In the wild, cats were hardwired to interpret running water as safer than stagnant or still water,” they add, “The streaming, swirling sound of toilet water may sound like a river or creek to your cat and trigger her primal side.”

Another reason cats may love coming into the bathroom with you is because when you’re in there alone, it’s a closed door the contents of which your cat is obsessed with exploring.

Similarly, once they’ve followed you in there, you’re trapped and temporarily staying in one place, so it’s the perfect time to bug you for attention.

“The cat seems to know you are ‘trapped’ in there for at least a few minutes and that it’ll be easy to get your attention,” reports The Spruce Pets, “It also may be that your cat can tell you are not distracted by the television, a book, work, or some other activity. You are there doing nothing too serious, able to return the love and attention they give you.”

“One of my cats is like this, but she hasn’t figured out the flushing handle yet. She will always follow me into the bathroom just to see the toilet flush,” commented one user. “Wouldn’t that qualify as tool use? That sounds like a really smart cat!” said another.

Newsweek has reached out to Jordens21 via Reddit for comment.

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