If your cat has been following you around a lot, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat follow me? Likely reasons why your cat follows you are that it feels safer, it is waiting to get something from you, it wants access to a certain part of the house or separation anxiety.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat follows you and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my cat follow me?
Below are likely causes and what would make them more likely.
It feels safer
A possible reason why your cat follows you is that you make it feel safer. This would be more likely if your cat tends to follow you more at a time when it might be feeling fearful such as when other animals are around or when there are loud noises outside.
It wants something from you
The cause could be that your cat is waiting to get something from you. This would be more likely if your cat does it more before you have given it things such as food in the morning.
Separation anxiety
Another likely cause is that your cat has some separation anxiety. This is where your cat does not like being left alone and being left alone causes your cat to become anxious. This would be more likely if your cat seems to get anxious when you are not around, it follows you around just before you normally leave it alone, and if it tends to hide when you are not around. It would also be more likely if it does things such as cry when you do not let it stay in the same room as you.
A problem with its environment
Another possible cause is that there is a problem with its environment. This would be more likely if your cat tends to follow you around when it is in a certain part of the house, when there are certain pets or people around or when there are loud noises inside.
Medical causes
There are some health issues that can cause cats to become hungry a lot. If your cat has started following you around a lot suddenly and it has been doing things such as get hungry a lot, it could be the case that there is a medical cause. This would be more likely if your cat has been behaving unusually in other ways as well. In this case, the best option would be to take your cat to a vet.
It wants access to a certain room
Another possible cause is that your cat wants access to a certain part of the house. This would be more likely if your cat does it more when it cannot access a certain room that it tends to stay in.
It wants attention
The reason why your cat has been following you everywhere could be that it is looking for attention. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
How old your cat is
Kittens will follow their mothers around a lot naturally in order to be safer, to get food, and to learn things such as how to hunt. If your cat is a kitten and it has been following you around, it could be the case that it is doing it naturally because it is trying to learn from you and to feel safer.
If your cat is an adult, it would also still be likely that it is following you around because it feels safer, but it could also be due to one of the other reasons mentioned above.
If your cat started following you around suddenly
If your cat did not always follow you around, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior is rewarded, something causing it to become anxious or illness.
What else is different when your cat follows you around
It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that your cat tends to follow you around. If your cat tends to follow you around more at a certain time, it might be the case that the timing has something to do with it. For example, if your cat does it more at bed time, it could be the case that your cat does it because it wants to sleep with you.
What to do about your cat following you around
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Ensure it is getting enough food
If your cat seems to be doing it due to hunger, it would help to make sure that your cat has been getting the right amount of food and that it has been getting the right diet. It would also help to make sure that your cat has access to water throughout the day.
Get help
If your cat has been being very anxious or it seems like it might have medical issues, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out medical causes.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
If your cat seems to be doing it due to anxiety, it would help to limit reasons why it might get anxious without you. Ways to do so could include letting it stay in a quiet room where there is a safe space for it to sleep when you are not with it.
Let it do it
If your cat seems to be doing it just because it feels safer around you but it has not been behaving unusually in other ways, another option would be to just let your cat continue following you.
Why does my cat follow me to bed?
If your cat follows you to bed, it is likely that your cat wants to be able to sleep in the bedroom with you and that it has some separation anxiety.
Why does my cat follow me everywhere?
Your cat might follow you everywhere because it makes your cat feel safer, it has some separation anxiety, it is waiting to get something from you or that there is something in the house that causes it to feel nervous on its own. It would help to consider if there is a certain time that your cat tends to follow you around.
Why does my cat follow me to the bathroom?
Your cat might follow you to the bathroom because it likes being in the bathroom or because it has some separation anxiety. It could also be the case that your cat follows you to other places as well but you happen to notice it more when your cat follows you to the bathroom.
Why does my cat follow me in the morning?
If your cat follow you around in the morning, it is likely that your cat is waiting for you to feed it. If it follows you around after you have fed it, the cause is likely to be that it feels safer around you.
Why does my cat follow me around the house?
Your cat might follow you around the house because it is waiting to get something from you, separation anxiety, or something causing it to be anxious around the house. It would help to consider if there is a certain time that your cat tends to follow you around the house the most.
Why does my cat follow me to the toilet?
Your cat might follow you to the toilet because it likes being in the bathroom or because it has some separation anxiety. It could also be the case that your cat follows you to other places as well but you happen to notice it more when your cat follows you to the toilet.
Why does my cat follow me around?
Your cat likely follows you around because it is waiting to get something from you or because it feels safer around you.
Why does my cat follow me on walks?
Your cat might follow you on walks because it wants to see where you are going or because it is worried that you are leaving it.
Why does my cat follow me to the kitchen?
A likely reason why your cat follows you to the kitchen is that it wants to see if you are going to feed it. This would be especially likely if your cat does it more before you have fed it in the morning.
Why does my cat follow me when I leave the room?
If your cat follows you when you leave the room before you have fed it, the cause is likely to be that it is hoping that you will feed it. If your cat follows you at other times, the cause is more likely to be due to feeling safer when it is around you.
Why does my cat follow me when I arrive home?
One reason why your cat might follow you when you arrive home is that it is trying to see what you have brought back from the hunt. Another possible reason is that it was anxious when it was not around you while you were away.
Why does my cat follow me when I wake up?
The reason why your cat follows you when you wake up is most likely to be that it is waiting to see if you are going to feed it.