Why Do Cats Walk Right in Front of You? Understanding Their Behavior

Well, to be honest, there are many theories as to why your cat keeps walking in front of you. Sure, you may think your cat is trying to trip you, especially when it walks right in front of you and then suddenly lays down. But that isn’t the case. Sometimes cats want you to pay attention to them or your cat wants to draw your attention to something else. But having a cat underfoot can be dangerous for both cat and cat parent. So, why do cats walk in front of you?

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Your cat is seeking attention

Let’s be honest about out little feline friends. They are attention hounds. They love it when you focus on them, especially if you have been gone all day. After you show them attention, don’t worry . . . they will soon go back to ignoring you when you call them. In the meantime, if your cat weaves in and out of your legs when you walk, they know you will stop and may be even bend down to pet, play or pick them up. You may even yell at them. Naturally, there are many reasons why your kitty wants your attention, which is what I will go over below.

Cats get lonely

Yes, cats get lonely and suffer from separation anxiety which could be why your cat is constantly under foot, especially after you’ve been away more than a few hours. Not only will you notice that your cat is zig zagging in front of you, but is being very vocal. And to be honest, what did you expect? You were most likely gone all day and now that you’re home, they are excited and they need your attention.

Your cat is welcoming you home

Dogs greet their owners. Parrots do it too. I know your cat may seem aloof most of the time. Sometimes they have that look on their face like they could take you or leave you. But in reality, they probably love you and understand that you’re the one who can scratch them behind the ears and the only one who knows how to work the can opener for the cat food, which brings me to the next reason.

Your cat is hungry

This might be the number one reason why your cat is getting in your way. Especially if it gets under foot whenever you are going to the kitchen. Think about it. Has your cat zig zagged between your legs when you went to get a sandwich? Well, the reason is very basic. They know where the food is. They know where you are going. They are just reminding you that they also eat and since you are the only one who can work the can opener, your cat will be under foot until you feed him. They knew what your purpose is. To feed them!

Your cat may also be alerting you that there is something wrong with their litter box, water bowl, or more importantly their food bowl, i.e, there is nothing in it and that needs to be fixed right this second.

Your cat wants to play

Cats love to sleep. It is how they conserve energy in the wild between hunts or fleeing predators. Now, most likely if they are a house cat, they have not had to do either of the two, and probably spent the better part of the day sleeping, grooming and staring into space or the kid across the street and the chipmunks in the tree. Sounds pretty boring, right? Another thing which is instinctual is playing, which is how they learn to hunt. So when you come home, it’s go time! They will want to play with you! And your cat zig zagging in front of you is something which can get you both hurt if you aren’t careful and put a stop to it. However, this habit does decrease as they age.

Your cat is claiming/marking you

Okay, so when you come back after being gone all day, you smell like other things. Other things which they can not see but they can smell. Remember, cats have a sense of smell which is 14 times greater than ours. So, they can smell everything except themselves on your, and that’s not good.