It's common for some cats to follow their humans around everywhere they go. Cats are social butterflies and not solitary animals. Even cats thought to be wallflowers enjoy time with their family around mealtime.
Why Does My Cat Follow Me Around?
Cats enjoy playtime, and one of the reasons your feline friend follows you is to bond. Cats want to have friendly relations with their human family. Many felines may also be curious, hungry, or anxious to convey a message when they follow family members around the house.
Social Butterfly Cats Are the Center of Attention
A confident cat will greet you at the door to say hi. Felines love to share their environment with family members. There is a cat tree, a puzzle toy, or a scratching post waiting for your cat in every room. Your cat takes advantage of the time you're home and stays active so you can share every moment.
Curiosity Didn't Kill the Cat
Both bold and shy cats enjoy rooms typically off-limits to pets. Perhaps the cat sitter shut all the bedroom doors, so there wasn't any trouble while you were out for the day. Your cat wants to spread their scent around each room.
Cats Love Mealtime
"Follow the leader" is a game cats love to play at mealtime. If dinner is served in the kitchen when you arrive with a grocery bag, he'll follow you from the front door to the kitchen until the food arrives in a bowl.
Young Cats Need Playtime
When cats are sleeping, they're conserving energy to hunt and stalk prey during the day (or night). Young cats especially save energy so they can pounce and enjoy a game of chase as you move from room to room.
Separation Anxiety May Be the Issue
If your cat suffers from separation anxiety, he may be overly clingy. It's a great time to invest in a cat sitter. Some days, it is obvious your cat is following you around as you were gone for too long, and this can be debilitating for some felines. A cat sitter will help engage your feline in playtime, provide company, and even change the litter box while you're out.
Cats are known to experience a prolonged period of grief after the loss of a human companion. If your cat is dealing with the loss of a pet parent, then working with a vet behaviorist will help your cat get through this stage of prolonged sadness.
Cats That Are Not Likely to Follow You Anywhere
Some cat breeds are not social, and they prefer a cave to hang out during the day. If you live with this breed, don't worry. These cats have a reputation for being standoffish and a little lazy. Regardless of the breed, all cats have individual personalities, and some aren't keen to follow family members from room to room. How you raise kittens and the personality of the mother also impacts their sociability.
- Persian
- Russian blue
- Ragdoll
- Norwegian forest cat
- British shorthair
On the other end of the spectrum, the Siamese is known to be extremely friendly and will follow you everywhere. Active and super friendly breeds include the Devon rex, Sphynx, Burmese, and Bombay.
Why Does My Cat Follow Me Into the Bathroom?
Many pet parents place the litter box in the bathroom. So it is not all that strange that cats like to follow family members into this space as you "share" a toilet. Perhaps they're telling you it is time to change their litter box.
Cats Develop Deep Social Relationships With Humans
Humans are part of a cat's pack as long as you show them respect. Cats form intense social bonds with humans, and sometimes this may create separation anxiety. If your cat follows you everywhere, they likely want to communicate how they feel and spend quality time together. Enjoy a cat that follows you everywhere you go, as some prefer total solitude.
