“Why Is My Cat Obsessed With Me?” 15 Likely Explanations

If you have a cat who follows you around everywhere, even to places like the bathroom, who’s next to you whenever you lounge on the sofa or go to bed at night, who’s basically your little shadow, always wanting cuddles and affection from you whenever he or she can get it – you might be wondering why your cat is obsessed with you.

I’ll have to admit, knowing cats, it feels to me there are quite a large number of reasons why this behaviour of being with obsessed with their owners might be taking place.

Some cats will be more obsessive for certain reasons, others are likely show obsessive types of behaviours for completely different ones.

So I’ve decided, instead of trying to say what the most likely situation is when it comes with your cat obsessing over you, to list absolutely every explanation I can come up with, so that hopefully in looking at a more fleshed out list, you can figure out what’s more or less likely to be the explanation behind your particular cat’s obsession with you.

I’d also like to note that if you’re looking this up because your cat is obsessed and you like it and want it to continue, you’re probably doing something right as otherwise a cat’s not likely to be so affectionate and enamored with their human.

Cats who show obsessive behaviours – whether or not they’re really the cuddling type – do feel a level of safety and security around you enough to want to follow you around all the time. So it’s definitely not a bad thing.

I have a cat in my household who’s not been the most cuddly little girl on the block, though she does have her moments sometimes.

While normally she’s not very obsessive over trying to get affection out of me, she does pretty religiously follow me around, meep at me, and get my attention in other ways – even though when I go to give her a stroke, she’s not typically the biggest fan (when she wants cuddles, she comes to me; she’s not much a fan of receiving until she’s in that cuddle mindset).

I used to be a little disappointed that her obsession with me was simply to follow and watch, but actually it does probably speak to the fact that she feels comfortable enough around me and fun enough to watch and hang out with.

Now that she’s getting into cuddle-mode more often (even though it’s the summer right now, which is crazy, since I find cats are typically cuddlier in the winter – let’s see how this winter goes!), I can see it being likely she’ll become more obsessed with me in the traditional way – the way the boys are with me in this household (and my brother‘s cat, Kalista is with me at his house!).

That way is more or less a wanting plenty of cuddles and affection, following me around, begging by rubbing against my legs until they get cuddles, flopping on the floor in front of me hoping for a chin rub all the time, that kind of thing.

If your cat being obsessive is a bit too much, and you’d like to tone behaviour down a little bit, note that some cats need more attention than others, and that your cat may be the type that needs a lot more attention than most.

But even then, there are things you can do to curb this – especially if it’s anxiety-related or boredom/stimulation related.

If you suspect your cat has an anxiety problem and is trying to stick by you because he or she is stressed when not by your side, the most likely cause of this is probably something you already acknowledge as a stressor for your cat. Like another cat in the household.

Do your best to eliminate that anxiety and you’re well on your way to helping your cat be happier, and less clingy out of fear and anxiety.

You don’t have to do this on your own. I have a number of guides on how to fix cat-related problems. Like in the example I gave where two cats aren’t getting along, try following the tips I give in this article on how I got my two cats to get along.

If you suspect your cat has issues with boredom and isn’t stimulated, try sprinkling toys cats can play with on their own around your house, like cat springs, ball track toys, & kick sticks.

You can also try following tips in this article of mine that outlines how to keep bored cats passively entertained, or this one that describe ways you can keep cats happy even in small apartments.

If you read through this article and find that certain explanations seem to resonate with you more than others, let me know which ones you suspect explain your cat’s obsessive behaviour.

Also – if you can think up any more reasons, or any stories that showcase any explanation for why your cat may be behaving obsessively toward you, let me know as well!

I’d also love to know if your cat is obsessed with any other people in your household – or houseguests or other people in general you may have come into your home.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love hearing your thoughts & stories – as many of my readers love reading through the comments as well as those who stumble across my article looking for explanations behind their own cats’ obsessive behaviours, so please do take a moment when you’re done to leave a comment!

15 Plausible Reasons Why Your Cat Is Obsessed With You

1. Your cat loves you.

Cats are usually pretty stand-offish creatures if they’re of a specific personality persuasion, or if they’re not in the perfect environment or with the perfect person to bring out an attention-seeking, loving personality.

Chances are ridiculously high if your cat acts like he or she is obsessed with you, a huge part of this has to do with the fact that your cat actually loves you, and is showing his or her affection in the obsession-like behavoiurs he or she portrays.

2. Your cat probably is of the more affectionate variety.

Some cats are just plainly more affectionate than others.

While, in my opinion, you can get every cat to become more cuddly through training, I do also believe there’s a baseline for how cuddly or cuddle-avert specific cats’ personalities are to humans.

If you have a cat that’s obsessed with you, chances are you’ve got a cat on your hands that’s more on the affectionate spectrum of kitties.

3. Your cat probably also craves attention more than many other cats.

Cats that crave attention are rarely ever spoken about outside the realm of pet parents in my experience.

There’s often plenty of talk about how cats can be standoffish and almost assholes at times, but there’s not much talk about how some cats are ridiculous attention seekers who adore their pet parents’ affection.

Sometimes, I feel like attention seeking actually does result in asshole-type behaviour. Sneaky, tricky cats do seem to thrive off negative attention sometimes.

But there are plenty of cats who have come into my life who are also incredibly attention-seeking in a cuddly, affectionate way.

If you suspect you have one of these overly-attention-seeking felines and are wondering if there’s a way you can get your cat to tone it down a bit, check out this article on cats who want way too much attention.

4. You likely make your cat feel incredibly safe.

If your cat is hanging around you obsessively, safety and security almost certainly plays a huge role in this.

Cats won’t just follow around anybody obsessively, and so if you’re the “chosen one,” so to speak, it’s likely because something about you gives your kitty a feeling of safety.

5. If your cat has issues with anxiety, the fact that you make your cat feel safe may mean he/she gets stressed leaving your side.

If your cat has issues with anxiety, stress, or you feel is quite alarmed and tense a lot of the time, following you around could be something of a safety blanket of sorts – you likely help calm your kitty’s stress levels down.

Separation anxiety, which is experiencing extremely high levels of stress and anxiousness when a particular person leaves, can happen in humans but it can also happen in pets like cats and dogs.

If you feel any of these descriptions sound like your particular cat, the best thing you can do for him or her is try to identify the cause of the problem.

Is it another cat in your house? Try these tips to help two cats get along.

Is it food related anxiety? Try a timed cat feeder so your cat gets fed at the exact right time of day without you being involved. I use the Petsafe Simply Feed, which I have drop kibble onto the floor for my four cats to share. You can check out my review of it here if you’re curious.

6. If you feed your cat often, your cat may be hoping for kibble when he/she is around you.

Speaking of food related reasons your cat might be obsessed with you – if you regularly feed your cat, whether that’s in the form of meals or treats, your cat may be obsessively following you around because he or she expects to get fed!

Some pet parents accidentally train their cats to beg for food, you’ve accidentally trained him or her to beg for food!

I know personally because I’ve done this before. How do you know you’ve accidentally trained your cat to beg for food?

If your cat’s begging or crying a lot, and seems to only stop when you give in and give him or her a little snack of kibble or some other treat.

Can you change this? Absolutely! And the trick is in training yourself first – not to give in!

Don’t give your kitty treats, and stick to giving meals, you’re plenty well along your way to solving this if it’s a problem in your home.

7. You may be the only person around for company.

Your cat may be obsessed with following you around and wanting your company because – well you might be the only person he or she has around in the house to fulfill this need.

If you live alone, and your cat’s an only cat, chances are high this has something to do with it.

Your cat may really want or crave company and you’re the only person he or she can go to in order to get that want/need fulfilled.

This could easily also be true if you have more than one cat, but your particular cat prefers the company of humans to the company of other cats (which is not uncommon at all in my experience!).

If you’re the only human around and your cat just loves hanging around with humans, this could be a reason for the obsession.

Especially if when you have company over your cat is enamored with the new human at home. He or she could just be a “people” person. Not a solo or a cat kinda feline.

8. Even if you’re not the only person around, you may be your cat’s favourite person to be around for company.

Some cats just are obsessed with one person in the household above all others, and barely give any attention.

Sometimes this changes when their “chosen” person is away, and they’ll compromise, getting their needs met by keeping the company of their second or third choice of human when their favourite is at work.

Other times, they’ll get their needs met with their one person and pretty much ignore all others.

Why does this happen? How does a cat choose a favourite?

To be honest, I don’t know exactly why, but my best guess is there’s something that person does – give cuddles in just the right way, talk to a cat, give him or her just enough space, whatever the case may be – that leads to the cat choosing this person as their favourite.

If this sounds like your cat and you’re wondering why your cat is obsessed with you, but also have some ideas, I’d love to hear what they are in the comments section!

Do you give your cat cheat treats? Do you know just how to scratch under his chin? Can’t wait to find out!

9. There’s a good chance your cat loves the way you pet him/her.

I’m spelling it out here because I think this is actually a huge part of feline obssession, at least it has been in my experience.

My brother’s cat, Kalista, adores the way I pet her, and it’s for this reason (in my opinion) that when I come over, she immediately leaves what she’s doing and comes to see me as soon as I walk through the front door for a visit over at my brother’s house.

I don’t pet her the same way anyone else does, and she really seems to love it, so I have a feeling this is a big part of why she’s obsessed with me.

10. If your cat really likes to be pet, he/she probably knows the more they hang around you, the more cuddles they get.

If you have a cuddly kitty – chances are high your cat instinctually understands that the more time he or she spends around you, the more chances are increased that cuddles are going to be given out.

If you’re sitting on the couch and your cat’s hanging out next to you and you go in to stroke him or her on the back, if your cat waltzes into the room after you and you give him or her a little pat on the head without thinking it, this is probably a good reason for the obsession on it’s own if your cat loves your cuddles enough.

11. Your cat may like following you around because he/she is curious.

Cats are curious creatures, and like to know what’s happening. In my opinion, this is a huge part of why cats sometimes follow their humans into the bathroom, which is a pretty weird place for them to be from our perspectives.

But from theirs – especially if the bathroom’s often closed, it’s a good place to satiate their curiosity.

And if the bathroom door isn’t often closed – they’re probably curious about why you’re going in there, which is why they follow you in and watch you.

12. Your cat may obsess over you because you’re interesting to watch.

Sometimes people do things that are interesting to watch for cats, like cleaning and tidying up, which I feel like cats find ridiculously engaging for some reason to watch.

In general, you could be a pretty interesting person to watch for a cat, which is why they could be obsessed with you.

Think this is a factor in your cat’s obsession? What do you find your cat likes to watch you do often? Do you find it peculiar that he or she likes watching you while you do this activity?

13. Your cat may use your company to keep boredom at bay.

Cats are often bored at home, especially when they don’t live in a particularly play-by-themselves friendly environment.

That’s why I recommend pet parents grab some of these types of toys cats can play with on their own to have all around their home. Toys like cat springs, ball track toys, & kick sticks.

Your cat may be using your company to keep boredom at bay even with these toys scattered across the house.

And it’s not crazy to think that you are likely the most interesting thing in the house. After all, you move and do some really strange things, especially from a kitty’s perspective.

14. You help fulfill your cats needs – whether those be food, shelter, safety, security, love, affection, curiosity, play, or anything else.

Your cat may hang around you because the more time he or she spends with you, the more time he or she is guaranteed to get their needs met – whether that’s with passive entertainment, watching you do things, cuddles, play, food, or anything else.

15. Your cat may see you as a mother figure & feel well taken care of when you’re around.

Your cat may see you as something of a mother or father figure due to you taking care of your pet’s needs, and for this reason my be obsessed with you.

Do you feel your cat looks at you as a sort of mom or dad? If so, what makes you feel this way? Do you have any cute stories to share?

Your Thoughts on Obsessed Cats?

If you think your cat is obsessed with you – why do you think so? What behaviours does your cat show that makes you feel like he or she is obsessed?

Of the possible reasons/explanations I gave, which do you think are most likely to be the reasons behind your cat’s obsession? Which do you think don’t fit?

Do you have any more reasons you feel could be behind your cat’s obsession?

Are there any stories you can share?

Love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and stories in the comments down below, as I’m sure would others who stumble across this article because they feel their cats are (or wish their cats were!) obsessed.