If your cat sits with you, while you work, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat sit with me while I work? Likely reasons why your cat sits with you while you work are that it feels safer, it is being affectionate, it wants something from you, or that it simply likes the spot.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat sits with you when you work and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause.
Reasons why your cat sits with you when you work
Below are likely causes and what would make them more likely.
It feels safer
A possible cause is that sitting with you makes your cat feel safer. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it more when other animals are around or when there is something else that might be causing it to feel anxious.
It is being affectionate
It might also be the case that your cat does it because it is being affectionate. This would be more likely if your cat gets you to pet it, when it is sat there, and it also purrs, kneads and rubs itself against you.
It wants something from you
The cause could be that it wants food from you. This would be more likely if your cat only sits there before it has been fed or when it has not been fed for a while. It would also be more likely if it sits there when you are eating something that it likes such as fish.
Separation anxiety
The cause could also be that your cat has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if your cat only sits, where you work, when you are there and if it follows you to other places as well.
It likes the spot
It could also be the case that your cat simply likes the spot. This would be a lot more likely if your cat also sits there when you are not sat at your desk. In this case, it could help to give it another place to sit.
Things to consider
Below are some options you have to help deal with the behavior.
If your cat has always sat with you while you work
If your cat did not always sit with you, while you work, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, an event might have caused it to start. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be the case that it learned that the behavior gets rewarded, you started feeding it after you finish work, or because something caused it to be anxious without you.
What is different when your cat does not sit with you when you work
If your cat does not always sit with you when you work, it would also help to consider what is different in the timing. For example, if it does not sit there when it has already been fed, the cause would be likely to be that sits there when it is waiting for food.
What to do about your cat sitting with you when you work
Below are some options you have, if you don’t want your cat to sit with you while you work.
Give it another place to sit
One option would be to encourage your cat to sit somewhere else. One way to do so would be to put a cat bed where you want it to go and to put your cat there whenever it tries to sit with you when you work.
Reward it
It would also help to encourage your cat to sit somewhere else by rewarding it when it sits there and not rewarding your cat too much when it sits with you when you work.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious without you
It would also help to try to limit reasons why your cat might get anxious when you are not around. Ways to do so could include giving it a safe spot it can go to without you and to feed it before leaving it and to give it access to water and a litter box when you are not around.
Let it do it
If your cat has not been behaving unusually in other ways and it seems to be doing it because it is being affectionate or it just likes the spot, another option would be to allow your cat to continue doing it.