Cat Weeing in Bath

[Vick7000]

We have three cats. Mini is the middle one at 5 years old, a black, neutered boy. We've just come in from work, and Mini came in the house with us, chased the youngest cat around for a bit. They chased each other into the bathroom, whereby Mini climbed into the bath. I walked over to the bath because it had gone quiet and still, and Mini was sat over the plug hole having a massive wee. I checked for blood before it drained away, but it looked a normal, healthy colour. Other than that, he's healthy and active, if a little bit bonkers... Any thoughts?

[MarySkater]

I knew someone who wouldn't have a litter tray in the house, and expected her cat to go outside to toilet. If the weather was bad, I used to see her cat pee down the bath plughole. (And scratch round in an attempt to cover it!) I think cats just figure out that this is an indoor place to get rid of pee. I've heard of a cat that taught itself to use the human toilet, but that's not a very comfortable perch for a cat.

[booktigger]

No thoughts, I have heard of cats using the bath plughole, must be the easiest place to clean after though!

[Lilith]

Lol - when a man's gotta go, a man's gotta go ...

I've known of them using baths and sinks before ... cats as we know have a powerful sense of smell; could it be he's excited, got a full bladder, gets a faint whiff of drain from the plughole and thinks, oh, right, okay to let fly here, handy hole ...

Probably a one-off - if he persists, you could always try a drop or two of lavender or citrus essential oil down the plughole to deter him - cats don't generally like those smells.

Silly boy!

[AndyMac]

My cat jet used to wee at the plug hole side of the bath - I assumed it must have been the smell of bleach or bath cleaner that attracted her to do it and of course it was easy to wash away.

[Lilith]

You've just reminded me, Andy. When I was married, my then husband once had problems with his ears and had to use drops, which had an odd chemical smell. He was sitting on the sofa one day, and my seal-point Siamese, Majdhar, was walking along the back of it. Majdhar was a rather unruly girl who could spray like a tom despite being spayed. When she got level with my husband's head, she paused and sniffed. Have to do something about that, she said. And she lifted her tail and sprayed in his ear! Poor guy!

I called her Majdhar because I just liked the name ... years later I discovered that it meant ... 'midstream' ...

I've often seen cats in the street pause over those little metal plates installed over gas connections, and wee down the ventilation holes of those.

Who knows what goes through their minds?

[Vick7000]

Thank you for all your lovely replies. They have made me chuckle. I was a bit worried that he might have an UTI, but on reflection, he is just a very silly boy. His aim is quite good. I wonder if it it was more tempting because it had just been used? Who knows! He's got a lot of quirks!