If your cat often stands in front of you, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat stand in front of me? Possible reasons why your cat stands in front of you are that it is waiting for food, it feels safer, separation anxiety, or that it wants attention.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat stands in front of you 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.
Why does my cat stand in front of me?
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat stands in front of you and what would make them more likely.
It is waiting for food
The reason why your cat stands in front of you could be that it is waiting for food. This would be more likely if it does it more before you have fed it and what it does not have access to food or water.
It feels safer
Another possible reason is that standing close to you makes your cat feel safer. This would be more likely if your cat does it more when other people and animals are around and if your cat does not seem to be doing it in order to get anything from you.
Related: Why is my cat so dumb?
Separation anxiety
Another possible cause is that it has some separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and being left alone causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely if it does it more when you are about to leave it and if it become anxious when you are leaving it.
It wants attention
The reason why it stands in front of you might be that it wants attention. This would be more likely if it comes and stands in front of you when you are sitting down. It would also be more likely if you tend to reward it with attention when it stands in front of you.
Lack of awareness
It could just be the case that your cat does not realize that it is blocking your path. This would be more likely if it stands there when there is not much room about and it is waiting to see what you are doing.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your cat has always stood in front of you
It would help to consider when your cat first started standing in front of you.
Things that might have happened that could have caused it to start doing it could be:
- You got another pet
- You moved home and it is anxious in its new environment
- Its schedule changed and it does not know what to expect now
What is different when your cat does not stand in front of you
The timing of when it stands in front of you could also be a helpful thing to consider.
If you notice that it stands in front of you when you are about to leave then it might be that it has some separation anxiety. Whereas, if it seems to do it at random times then it could be that it does not realize that it is in your way.
What to do about your cat standing in front of you
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Give it access to food and water
As mentioned above, it might be the case that it does it because it is hungry or thirsty. It could help to feed your cat earlier, to make sure that it has been getting access to the right amount of food and that it has access to water whenever it might want it.
Give it a safe space to go to
If your cat does not currently have a space that it can go to, it would also help to give your cat a spot where it can go and feel safe.
Avoid encouraging it
It might be the case that you have also encouraged your cat to stand in front of you by giving it things it wants when it does it. Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want it to.