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Why Does My Cat Follow Me Around Everywhere?
As a proud feline parent, you probably have once wondered ‘why does my cat follow me around everywhere? If I go to the kitchen shes there, if I go to the toilet she’s there, even I move to get the TV remote she is there! If you have a great bond with your cat, your cat follows you everywhere; to the kitchen, bathroom and your bedroom.
Given that cats are thought of being independent animals, it might be strange to notice this happen. But contrary to popular belief, cats do love the company of humans. And there is a whole bunch of explanations why this is so.
In this piece, we will answer, ‘why does my cat follow me everywhere?’
Contents
- They Consider You Their Safe Base
- Do Cats Imprint on People?
- You are Entertaining
- It is Patrolling its Territory
- Hunger
- Kitty Needs Help
- They are Playing
- Your Cat Needs to Be With You
- Bottom Line
They Consider You Their Safe Base
Of course cats have no clue what safe base is. But whether they know what it is or not, they consider you as such nonetheless. As a kitten, your cat followed its mother everywhere it goes. This happens with all newborns, of humans and animals as well. As they follow their mothers, they learn everything there is to being a cat. At the same time, they get a feeling of safety.
Most cat parents, even when their cats have grown into healthy adults still maintain the mother-child relationship with their cats. They fully embrace the role of being their mother by feeding and taking care of them, cleaning their box, motivating them in play and providing them with a lot of love and affection.
For this very reason, it should not come as a shock that your cat follows you everywhere you go. When your cat is away from its siblings and mother, it needs a safe base, a strong pillar to lean on – you are this safe base. With you, your cat knows that it will be protected and all its needs will be met. In return, your cat will reward you with its company and unconditional love.
Another way this happens is if you are the first person a kitten sees. It is called imprinting.
Speaking of which, do cats imprint on people?
Do Cats Imprint on People?
Imprinting as mentioned above is simply getting attached to the first thing or person a cat sees when it is born. This mostly happens with one rescues new born kittens. If you are the first person a kitten sees, they get bonded to you as they would their cat mum.
The bond created during an imprint is strong and creates the basis of a strong and solid friendship between a parent and its cat.
You are Entertaining
Indoor cats get bored easily. After all, there is only so much they can do for fun. If your cat is not running on the exercise wheel you got it, or playing with the cute toys you bought for it, or sniffing on the catnip, there is nothing to do other than sleep.
When a cat is bored, it tries to entertain itself with objects that are around it or with persons around it. If you are around when it if feeling bored, you will be its source of entertainment.
Also, if you are the kind of person who spends a lot of time away from home, it is likely that the moment you get back home, your cat will want nothing else than to be with you. If it means following you everywhere you go, so be it. If you think your cat is too bored, then by all means you should not hesitate to spend more time with your cat.
It is Patrolling its Territory
When the question first popped into my head, ‘why does my cat follow me everywhere?’ the very first explanation I got from a friend was that it was part of my cat being territorial. It is the nature of cats to pace severally in areas they deem to be their territory. They do this to spread their distinct scent and to keep away intruder cats. If your cat is constantly rubbing against the furniture in the house and your feet, interpret this as your cat doing rounds to protect and mark its territory.
But assuming your cat stays indoors, it cannot possibly continue with the same habit as it would in the wild. Your coming and going frequently may give your cat the notion that you are into protecting and surveying your territory. As such, it may decide to accompany you as you mark your territory. Making matters worse, cats are routine animals. So in the event it gets used to follow you around, you just might just have to get used to it. So the best way to ensure that your cat follows you safely is getting a safety harness or a GPS collar to ensure that it is safe at all times.
Hunger
At times, your cat following you has got nothing to do with you but rather what it can get from you. Yes, your cat might be following you around just because it is hungry and needs to be fed. You might notice this happening especially when you get caught up in your daily chores and forget to feed your cat. Even the most dedicated cat parents have their moments.
Kitty Needs Help
There are some cats that prefer hiding when they are in pain or feeling some form of discomfort. They adopt a hostile and silent attitude in the event you try to get close to it. Luckily, my cat does the opposite. Your cat may be similar to my cat. Instead of going away, it comes close and makes insistent meows because it knows you can be of help.
The same thing happens with street cats (not sure if you have noticed or experienced this before). One time a street cat followed me to the bus stop. Probably it smelt the scent of my cat on me and thought to itself it would be safe with me. Or maybe it just needed water, food or a caress – who knows? Anyway, the point is, cats follow its owners or parents when they are in need.
They are Playing
Playtime is crucial for all cats especially if the play involves chasing or catching prey. Outdoor cats can hunt several preys on a daily basis. Not because they need to eat, but because it is fun. This is directed by the hunter instinct in the cats.
This situation changes all the more when your cat does not have access to the great outdoors. But lack of access does not mean that the cat loses its hunting and playing instinct or that it does not need the stimulation.
As such, to dispense the pent up energy, your cat may chase birds on the behind the window or, like it is doing now, follow you everywhere you go in the hope that you will turn around and play with it. To facilitate play with your cat, you can make use of some cat toys available online.
Your Cat Needs to Be With You
As we started by stating, cats love spending time with their owners. This is because they get pampered, love and affection. Over the years, cats have grown to more social creatures than they were. As such, your cat will love to be with you everywhere you go. This will include following you around the house watching everything you do and hopefully this should answer your question ‘why does my cat follow me around everywhere?’.
Bottom Line
At this point, when your friend asks, ‘why does my cat follow me around everywhere?’ you will have a bunch of answers to present him/her with. Other than that, you now understand that you do not have anything to worry about. If anything, you should be flattered by it.
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About me – Rebecca Welters
Yes, I am that weird cat lady with 200 cats and live in the darkest corner of the city where no one dares to go! Joking! But I am a cat lover and have 2 Taby cats called Toby, he’s 8 years old and Dory, she’s 3 years old.