Some cats may seem like the aloof “loner” type – but there are plenty of cats out there who love to follow their owners around. And not just any regular follow-you-into-the-loo situation, we’re talking stalker-level tracking. The kind of stalking that gets your kitty right up close to you with their big, intense, black-marbled eyes, which makes you wonder…
“Why does my cat follow me everywhere?”
Cats usually have specific reasons for doing certain things. In this article, we’re going to be exploring some of the main reasons why your cat has constantly been on your tail like a hired private detective or a second shadow.
Cats (sometimes) want Human Companionship
Contrary to popular belief, cats love being with their human caregivers. As feline domestication has progressed throughout the years, cats today have become more socialized and intimate with their human companions. In today’s day and age, cats are mainly kept as companions and not as pest control anymore. This means they’ve grown to be much more attached and love hanging out with us as all good companions do.
This may be why your cat covertly follows your trail as you move from the kitchen to the couch to the bathroom to the desk to the bed. Most of the time they won’t even pester you for attention. A cat fond of companionship will often follow you around, meowing and rubbing on your legs, and quietly curl up near you. They can be really affectionate and loving provided they’re well socialized when young, and always treated with respect and affection.
Many of them will accompany you to the toilet and sit on the bathroom floor or the sink. Many cats do this because they love tagging along with you, while others like to watch whatever gets flushed away down the spiral thingy. In all cases, they're not there to make sure you wash your hands!
Protect Hooman At All Cost!
Cats may also follow their owners to protect them since they think you’re a part of their pack now. Cats have often been seen to meow or scratch bathroom doors when their owners take too long. It's because they worry when you’re out of her sight for too long. For this reason, a lot of cats don’t even let their owners close their bathroom doors while using them.
Cats Get Hungry (why of course!)
Does your cat ever act like a stalker when you’re eating? You're just chilling and enjoying your meal and suddenly you notice there's a fluffy creature nearby eyeballing you without a blink. This may be because your kitty is hungry.
Hunger is probably the most obvious reason when it comes to being stalked by felines, particularly if it’s accompanied by loud meows. If your cat’s been on your tail during specific times of the day, such as during mealtimes, it’s probably because they want to grab a bite. This is also the case if you’ve been receiving undivided attention from your cat while in the kitchen.
Moreover, it might even be your fault if you’ve ever fed your cat some of your own food after having followed you around. You might have accidentally trained your cat to think her stalking behaviour will result in treats!
Cats are Naturally Curios
You probably already know what curiosity did to the cat, but what you probably don’t know is that curiosity turned the cat into an obsessive stalker!
Cats are by nature curious and love to check things out, especially hoomans. Adult humans lead lives that are vastly different from theirs. Cats may find us extremely fascinating due to the huge contrast in lifestyle making us a constant target of their uninterrupted surveillance. Some cats are more inquisitive and like to know what their owners are up to. Yes, that includes when you’re in the bathroom. Some cats are particularly fascinated when they see us heading into rooms in which they aren’t normally allowed. This arouses their curiosity even more causing some to accompany their owners whenever they make a trip to the bathroom.
And in case you think cats are exclusively fascinated by adult humans, you should see them around human babies. Some cats tend to lock their eyeballs on human babies for long periods of time. They’re probably thinking to themselves “This tiny human is defective! All it does is eat and sleep, I thought that was my job !”.
Give me attention, hooman!
Your cat may simply be craving some attention. Often times they just want to feel acknowledged. They might want you to call out their name or give them a nice rub and a cuddle. You’ll see many cats whisper a meow as they follow you around as a way to say “hey hooman, notice me!”. This usually happens if you haven't been engaging with your feline lately. Leading your cat to get sad and follow you around for reassurance that you haven't forgotten about them. So you should regularly spend a healthy amount of time interacting with your cat. And since cats are not as expressive as dogs, most people often make the mistake of assuming that cats like to be left alone.
However, cats can be deeply affectionate creatures who tend to crave their owner’s love and adoration. If your cat follows you everywhere, sits where you sit or lies where you lie, this is because they want to spend time with their most favourite person in the world. It’s just that they have different ways of expressing it. Cats may not engage with you frequently or drool over you the moment they see you, but they always want you around them.
Cats may Follow You for Other Viable Reasons
In case you’ve been away from your catto for a long period of time, chances are she’s suffering separation anxiety. If your cat’s been following you around once you show up it’s highly likely that this is the case. It may also be likely that your cat is feeling sick or something might be bothering them. In case you spot some irregular behaviours, make sure to contact your veterinarian for help.
And finally, unconditional love. Cats know you feed them, clean their litter trey, take care of them, protect them, and ensure all their needs are met. Therefore, they may often reciprocate by rewarding you with love, comfort, and intense attention!
Final Thoughts
Feline stalking is very normal behaviour. It is indeed the sign of a healthy cat. They follow us because they know we are an integral part of their life and survival. In case you want them to spend some time on their own, you can provide them with engaging materials such as toys and scratching posts to keep themselves busy. This may change as they get older, but there's a good chance it won't. And that is great news for most of us cat lovers. We wouldn't want it from our fur-babies any other way!