Do you ever feel like your cat is stalking you? Does your cat follow you around the house and sit in your spot every time you leave it?
I remember when I first got our cat, Walker, he used to sit in my mom’s cat every time she would get up. She would yell at me saying, “John, look at what your cat is doing! He’s always taking my spot!” As you could probably guess, my mom wasn’t such a huge cat person.
I was pretty curious to see why Walker was following my mom and what it could mean. My first guess was that he just wanted a warm place to sit. But then I started questioning, did it have something to do specifically with my mom? Was it something to do with that spot? My mom did sit in the same spot a lot.
So let’s get cracking! Why do cats always sit in the spot you were just in?
IT’S WARM!
Cats don’t like being cold, even in the summer. This is why they always seem to follow the sun in your house, even in the summer.
Cats will find any way to stay cozy, whether it’s sitting on a piece of paper, cuddling up next to you, or sitting in a seat you just warmed up.
It can be safely assumed that cats relate you moving from a spot to “that spot is now warm.” So add “seat warmer” to your CV! You’ve just become a professional.
If you notice that your cat is cold, or would like to provide a space for them to stay warm I would recommend checking out some of our favourite cat caves. Although cat caves won’t necessarily stop your cat from stealing your spot every so often, they will make sure that your cat always has a warm place to go if the temperature in your home drops.
THIS IS MY TERRITORY NOW
It’s not surprising that this habit or instinct is also connected to your cat’s inevitable need to mark absolutely everything in your house.
Commonly cats who are trying to mark their territories will knead the area they are about to sleep on. Cats may also bunt or circle around the area if they are claiming it as their territory.
Cats find a sense of peace and tranquillity in places that smell familiar. This is why your cat may sleep in the same place daily… when they aren’t stealing your spot!
Cats will try to spend as much time as possible in the same place to ensure that the area smells like them, even when they aren’t around.
I TRUST YOU & WANT TO SMELL LIKE YOU
Cats have a strong pack mentality and don’t just trust anyone, especially when they eat or sleep as those are the times when they feel the most vulnerable.
This is why some cats may sleep by your feet at night or why they may only eat when you are sitting next to them.
That being said, similar to the point above, cats will recognize your scent and will feel safer by it. They may also try to combine their scent with yours to signify that you are a family. Similar to how cats lick or scent each other when they are bonded.
While it is okay for you to remove your cat so you can have your seat back, it is strongly encouraged that you keep your cat close to you so they can continue to scent the area which you’re sitting in.
ATTENTION
Sometimes cats just do things for attention, especially if their owners react to them every time they do it.
Things like petting your cat after moving them from your spot or placing them elsewhere in the house will help build a habit causing them to steal your spot more often, especially if the reaction is positive.
In cases like this, it is important that you do not scold your cat or physically punish them. If you provide a negative stimulus your cat will then associate the space with negativity and may even avoid your or the space altogether.
That being said, you should never punish your cat physically as it is traumatic to the cat and will have very negative effects on the emotional wellbeing of your little one.
CONCLUSION
Although it may seem inconvenient or “annoying” when your cat ends up stealing your spot, in all circumstances you should take it as a compliment.
Whether it comes from them wanting warmth, them wanting to mark the space as their territory or as a blatant sign that they trust you and want your attention it’s usually a good sign.
Cats who are uncomfortable with their owners tend to do a lot more hiding or avoiding spaces that their owners spend the majority of their time. Though, a hiding cat does not always mean that your cat doesn’t like you, which you can read more about here.
So, pet parents, I’m curious how many of your cats steal your spot or sit in the spot where you just were. Let me know in the comments below!