My cat hit 14 years old and started a new weird habit

My tabby just turned 14 and now she sits in the bathroom sink at 3 AM staring at the faucet. She never did this before, not even once in all those years. Anyone else have a senior cat suddenly pick up a random routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

leelewis14d ago

My 15 year old cat started doing the exact same thing last spring and I actually looked into it with my vet. The vet said it's way more likely just a learned habit or boredom than anything medical. Cats that age get set in small routines and a sink is a nice contained space that feels safe. The cool porcelain thing sounds good but honestly my cat does it in winter too when the house is cold, so that doesn't hold up. I tried putting a heating pad in her bed instead and she still went to the sink at 3 AM. It's probably just them finding a new spot they like. If she's eating and drinking fine and using the litter box normally, I wouldn't stress about it too much.

david_adams15d ago

My 16 year old did the same thing last year. I read somewhere that cats sometimes do this because the porcelain feels cool on their joints, especially if they have arthritis. The sink might be soothing for achy paws. Plus the faucet dripping could be like a water feature to them, maybe theyre getting a bit of hearing loss and the sound is comforting. Worth asking your vet about at her next checkup just to rule out anything kidney related.