Have you ever noticed that your Persian cat always seems to follow you around your home, even when you visit the bathroom?! As bizarre as this might sound to those not familiar with the Persian cat breed, it is actually a relatively common occurrence that Persian cats reserve for the owners they share a close bond with. So, should owners be worried? and why does my Persian cat follow me everywhere, anyhow?!
Persian cats adore human company and like to follow their owners around the home. 12 reasons why a Persian cats follows their owners everywhere include: hunger, thirsty, attention, lonely, feeling sick, company, safety, curious, sixth sense, learned behaviour, treats, and separation anxiety.
Reasons Why Your Persian Cat Follows You
Whilst being followed around your home might sound somewhat irritating, having a little animal ‘stalker’ is actually a very endearing character trait of the Persian cat breed. I personally love seeing my little best friend by my side, and truly believe this is a Persian cats way of showing their owners how much they love them.
Owners quickly become accustomed to their Persian cat sleeping next to them, whichever room they are in. However, it goes without saying that you must be careful not to step on them! Persian cats might be a super intelligent cat breed, but they still have a risky habit of resting in the most awkward of places, e.g. in the doorway, where the warm water pipe runs! Or, just behind your office chair!
When you spend so much time with a Persian cat, you tend to notice their daily behaviour patterns i.e. when they eat, when they sleep etc. Owners are therefore best placed to notice when their Persian cats personality and behaviour changes. Therefore, if you spot a difference and are wondering why does my Persian cat follow me more than usual, pay particular attention to their behaviour. Although there might not be anything wrong, these intelligent cats might also be trying to tell you something.
The table below shows 12 factors to consider, if you are wondering: ‘Why does my Persian cat follow me?’
| Reason | Description |
|---|---|
| Food | Persian Cat is hungry |
| Water | Persian Cat is thirsty |
| Attention | Looking for attention |
| Lonely | Doesn’t want to be on their own |
| Sickness | Feeling sick |
| Company | Enjoys human company |
| Curious | Curious to see what owner doing |
| Learned Behaviour | Persian Cats adapt their behaviour, according to owner |
| Anxiety | Persian Cats can suffer separation anxiety |
| Safety | Feel safe when around you |
| Sixth Sense | Persian Cat senses something is wrong |
| Treats | Your Persian wants treats! |
Why Does My Persian cat Follow Me Everywhere?
Let’s look more closely at the 10 key reasons why your Persian cat follows you everywhere:
1.Food
One of the most basic reasons why a cat will follow their owner, is because they are hungry. Therefore, if you feel your Persian cat is following you more than usual, check to see that they have plenty of dry food available.A Persian cats diet should be high in protein, and low in carbohydrates.
An easy way for owners to make sure that their Persian cat never goes hungry, is to use an automatic cat food dispenser. This dry cat food dispenser has made feeding our Persian cat a total breeze. You can literally set it to dispense food at certain times during the day, so your Persian is never hungry. I also love the functionality enabling the owner to record their voice message into the machine, so that the cat hears the owners reassuring voice at every meal time.
If you are worried that another cat might be stealing your Persian cats food, take a look at this clever microchip pet feeder. It is ideal for keeping a cats wet or dry food fresh.
2.Water
Owners must ensure their Persian cat is always fully hydrated. This is imperative because dehydration in cats causes serious health complications, that are easily avoided. Therefore, if your Persian cat is following you around your home, check their water bowl hasn’t run dry.
Persian cats are fascinated with water, so if you are worried they may pat and splash all the water out of their bowl whilst you are out at work, consider using a cat water fountain like this one. This particular model is effective, since it has a 2 litre water capacity and a 3 year guarantee.
3.Attention
The Persian cat breed is known for being extremely sociable, craving higher levels of attention than the standard cat breeds, whom are characteristically more aloof. They adore human company, and may just want some attention! Therefore, if your Persian cat seems more needy than usual, give them some 1-2-1 attention by getting down to their level, and giving them lots of attention and love.
4.Lonely
Although Persian cats can be left alone, they prefer being around their human family. The more the merrier, in their opinion! Therefore, embrace their love and presence, since a lonely Persian cat might suffer unwanted mental health conditions.
The Persian cat breed are ideally suited to families, especially those with young children. This is because they love being around people, and are not phased or frightened by noisy children running around them.
5.Sickness
One of the saddest reasons which causes a Persian cat to follow their owner around everywhere, is because they are poorly. Although you might not be able to see an issue, your Persian might have an underlying health issue that they are trying to tell you about.
Whilst the Persian cat is well known for being a very chatty cat breed, they are unable to tell you what the issue is. Therefore, owners must be vigilant to changes in their Persian cats behaviour, and seek professional veterinary advice if they believe their cat might be sick.
Here are 7 common health issues that Persian cats are prone to suffering from:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Stomatitis
- Periodontal Disease
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Obesity
6.Company
As I alluded to earlier in this article, Persian cats are well known for being extremely sociable creatures. Therefore, they are likely following you around because they are happiest when in your company. Companionship is important to Persian cats, and vital for their health and wellbeing.
Some people misunderstand their Persian cats behaviour, and assume their Persian cat is clingy. This is not the case at all.
7.Curious
We’ve all heard of the expression ‘curiosity killed the cat’. Well, Persian cats cats are the perfect example of a curious cat breed. They want to know what their owners are up to, at all times. Therefore, expect to see your Persian cat following you around the home since they are interested in what you are up to.
If you have some free time to play with your Persian cat, why not hold onto a piece of string or rope in your hand, and walk around the home with it trailing on the floor behind you. Your Persian cats super curious, so will not be able to resist following and catching the string/rope in their paws or mouth.
8.Learned Behaviour
One of the key characteristics of the Persian cat breed, is that they are highly intelligent. These intelligent cats will therefore develop certain behaviours as a response to their owners actions, for instance, following their owner around chirping and trilling.
Examples of learned behaviour include:
- Owners that feed their Persian cat everytime they chirp or trill, are teaching a Persian cat to make Persian cat sounds every time they want are hungry.
- Persian cats love to talk. If an owner responds to every Persian cat chatter, the cat will likely follow their owner around endlessly, knowing their owner will give them what they want when they make a noise.
- These clever cats know when cat treats are usually available, therefore will follow their owners around non-stop at treat time.
- Owning a Persian cat can often feel like owning a dog. If you usually sit down and watch TV each nighttime, with your Persian cat beside you, it would not be uncommon for your Persian cat to nag you incessantly (via Persian cat sounds) to sit down with them.
9.Separation Anxiety
Whilst Persian cats are very independent, they do require higher levels of interaction with their owners, than other cat breeds. There’s nothing a Persian cat loves more than playing with their owner, or just spending time with their human family. These highly sociable cats crave attention, therefore, if you’ve spent more time away from home than usual, and notice your Persian cat suddenly starts following you everywhere, it may simply mean that they have missed you.
In general, individuals that spend large amounts of time away from home (i.e. due to work) are not best suited to owning a Persian cat. This is because Persian cats are prone to suffering from separation anxiety.
10.Safety
Persian cats are well known for being an extremely hardy cat breed, with very impressive hunting skills. They survived for many years in the wilderness, before being domesticated in Maine, where they originate. Despite these qualities however, the Persian cat may still follow their owner around because they feel safer and more comfortable in an owners company.
11.Sixth Sense
Do you ever get the feeling that your Persian knows something, that you don’t? In some cases, their sixth sense might be real, since cats have an amazing ability to sense when something is wrong with their owner.
I’ve personally experienced a sixth sense with my Persian cat (Pippin). When he was a couple of years old, I experienced strong pains in my stomach and was unable to get up from the floor. No one else was in the house. Our Persian cat immediately came over to me and sat very close to me, not demanding any attention (like he normally does). He simply sat very close to where the pain was, and occasionally licked my face and hands. Pippin stayed next to me until the pain subsided. Although this may have been a coincidence, I don’t think it was because his behaviour was completely different to normal.
12.Treats
Your Persian cat may follow you around the home, because they are after their yummy cat treats.It is important that owners do not overfeed their cat on treats, since treats are quite addictive and may lead to obesity is given too often.
Why Do Cats Follow You To The Bathroom?
Many cats follow their owners to the bathroom. They do this for a number of reasons:
- Safety
- Comfort
- Affection
- Curiosity
- Companionship
- Routine
Conclusion
There are many factors to consider when determining ‘why does my Persian cat follow me?’. Owners should therefore pay particular attention to the points raised in this article.
If your Persian cat has recently started following you and you cannot put this behaviour down to the 12 reasons stated, seek advice from a veterinary professional. Vets are equipped with in depth knowledge of the Persian cat breed, and can run tests to identify if there are any underlying health issues that require treatment.
I personally love that my Persian cat follows me around the home. He’s always loved spending time around us, and happily rests wherever we settle, even if we go out into the garden to play football with the kids. Our cat has to attend the event, and has even been known to join in a little by pushing the ball along with his big paws!
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