I have a small dog who likes to pull anything down that he can. Blankets off of the couch, towels off of the bar, sweatshirts off of the chair. He seems pretty chuffed with himself he proudly sits next to his handiwork. My wife and I think he just likes doing it because it's all he really can do. It's harmless and he seems to enjoy it.
1- They're into your smell and trying to rub themselves on something that smells like you,
2- they're trying to get your attention,
3- if the litter is also in the bathroom, they could be cleaning their paws on the towel. I've seen cats scratch everything in the room after using the litter.
From the way you phrased the question my money is on #2, but you know better. It might be time to get a higher towel bar or close the bathroom door
Does he "claw" the towel? By this I mean he reaches up to the towel and stretches, resting his front paws on the towel, then flexes his claws so that the catch into the fabric of the towel. Then, when he is done stretching, because his claws are embedded into the towel, pulls the towel down?
I had a cat that used to push things off the coffee table. Anything that rolled, like pens or batteries, would eventually find their way under the couch... to the point where I would look there first if I couldn't find something.
I remember once stacking spare coins into a pile on the table. He sat there, patiently watching me do it and looked me directly in the eye while his paw pushed them onto the floor again.
It was that moment that made me question his motives. Did he enjoy it the way that a toddler enjoys peek-a-boo? Was it about watching things fall or was the fun in knowing that I would have to clean it up again?
The way he looked at my face while he did made it seem like he enjoyed pissing me off more than anything.
Test 587: test indicates likely probability that gravity exists, like all previous tests. Conclusion: more data points needed, schedule a new round of 500 more identical tests over the next year
I'm now envisioning a car wrecking its way into a house, and then trying to make cat sounds with its engine and stuff (the meows would be kinda hard, but whining would be easy enough) at the door of the restroom, and then the tires just squeal as it zooms away as the person opens the restroom door. I'm envisioning the sheer, overwhelming perplexity on their face.
I'm completely cracking up over this image. It's amazing.