If your cat sits far away from you, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat sit far away from me? Likely reasons why your cat sits far away from you are that it likes a particular spot, intimidation, it is naturally timid, it thinks you are annoyed with it, or that it does not want to be bothered.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat sits far away from you
Below are a number of likely causes and what would make each of them more likely.
It likes a particular spot
It could be the case that there is a particular spot that your cat likes. This would be more likely if your cat tends to sit in a particular spot and it sits there even when you are not around. It would be especially likely if your cat also shows positive body language towards you, at other times, such as by rubbing itself against you and getting you to pet it.
Intimidation
The cause could also be that something has been causing it to be intimidated. This would be more likely if your cat tends to sit far away from you when you have been shouting or doing things that could intimidate it or when other animals are near you that it might be avoiding.
Nature
It might also be the case that your cat has been doing it because it is naturally timid. This would be more likely if your cat has always sat far away from you and other people.
It thinks you’re annoyed with it
Another possible cause is that your cat thinks you are annoyed with it. This would be more likely if your cat does sit with you sometimes but it does not do it when you might be annoyed with it such as after it went into a room you don’t let it enter.
It does not want to be bothered
It might also be the case that it sits far away from you when it does not want to be bothered. This would be more likely if your cat does it when it goes to sleep and if it does come and sit with you when it is awake.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always sat far away from you
If it did not always sit far away from you, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it since an event could have occurred that caused it to start. For example, if it started doing it since rewarding it for sitting in a certain place, it might have learned to sit there for rewards.
What is different when your cat does sit near you
If it does sit with you sometimes, it would help to consider what is different when it does sit with you. For example, if it does sit with you when you sit in a certain spot, it could be the case that it doesn’t sit with you when it is not comfortable for it to sit with you.
What to do about your cat sitting far away from you
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Be calm with it
As mentioned above, your cat might have been doing it due to getting intimidated. Instead, it would help to reward your cat when it sits where you want it to and to be calm with it.
Pet it differently
It might also be the case that your cat does not like the way you have been petting it or interacting with it. Instead, it would help to make sure that you have been petting it the way it likes and to try to be aware of when its body language seems to be showing that it wants you to stop petting it.
Let it do it
If it seems like your cat sits there because it simply likes a particular spot that is far from where you normally sit, another option would be to let your cat sit there and to give it positive attention when it does come near you.