You get home from work, and your cat greets you at the door. She follows you to the bathroom and the kitchen while you prep dinner. She then proceeds to sit directly on your computer while you try to catch up on emails.
Why does my cat follow me everywhere? Let’s look at some of the possibilities.
Your Cat is an Attention Seeker
Cats are known to be independent creatures, but even the most self-sufficient personalities crave attention. Especially if you’ve been out of the house for a while, they may just want to establish a connection with you. Their persistence is sure to get your attention. Just like kids, they’ll take negative attention over none at all.
The easiest way to get attention is to get right in your face and force some interaction. They may meow, rub against your legs, or sit right on you until you fill their connection quota. Give a few minutes of chin scratches and back rubs and see if that takes care of your cat’s neediness.
Your Cat is Trying to Tell You Something
If pets could talk, life would be much easier (and interesting). Alas, they cannot, so it’s up to us to set a routine and take care of their needs on a predictable timeline.
If your cat is all up in your business, she might need something like a food refill, water, or a favorite toy. She may even be channeling her inner Lassie and trying to warn you of impending danger.
Pay attention to your cat if she’s acting strangely and following you around more than usual. Taking care of an impending need might literally get her off your back.
Your Cat May Have Separation Anxiety
Even with their reputation for being antisocial, cats can develop separation anxiety just like their dog friends. Cats that are indoor and have no other pets to interact with are most prone to this behavioral disorder. When a cat develops a solid bond with you, she misses you when you’re gone and has a primal instinct to reinforce that bond with you when you’re home.
In these cases, try giving less attention to your cat when she is overly excited to see you. Wait until the cat calms down a bit instead of rewarding their behavior with that cat-human connection they are looking for.
Suppose your cat’s separation anxiety goes beyond attention seeking and leads to destructive behavior or frequent urination outside the litter box. In that case, your vet may recommend medication to help your cat feel more calm and more secure when you’re gone.
Your Cat is a Creeper
If your cat doesn’t usually exhibit this attention-seeking behavior, she might just be messing with you. Cats are funny little characters whose actions don’t always make sense to the human brain. Like us, they get bored and try different ways to spice up their ordinary day. Unfortunately, you might be the source of entertainment at the moment.
It’s not a surprise that there is no shortage of funny cat videos online. Cats do hilarious things to get attention all the time. When your usually introverted cat invades your space in socially awkward ways, she may just be letting loose as the little kitty creeper she is.
Your Cat is Jealous
Maybe you’re working from home and spending a lot of time on your computer, or you just need a little screen time to doom scroll through the day’s developments on Twitter. Your cat thinks that she is more important than anything else you could possibly be doing and will let you know.
Your cat will sit on your computer or put herself between you and your phone to get what she wants: you. How dare you need personal space when she needs you more? It can definitely be frustrating when you have other plans on how you’d like to spend your time. But your cat may just be needy and crave your attention, even in the most inopportune times.
Your Cat is Your Sidekick
Your cat thinks you are a superhero, here to save planet Earth from the villains of the universe. You are the most exciting person alive, and your cat wants to be by your side every step of the way as you go about your daily life.
Your cat is your sidekick. You hilariously thought she would be like a casual housemate who you traded pleasantries with throughout the day. Instead, she is a barnacle. Your furry little buddy loves you more than all others and has proven that cats are not always the aloof, detached creatures they are made out to be.
Embrace the bond. It’s here to stay.
