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Welcome, Crazy Cat People!
Does your Maine Coon cat follow you everywhere? The Maine coon is a friendly, affectionate character but what does it mean when they follow you everywhere you go, even to the bathroom?
Over the years I have not only spent time with this beautiful and quirky cat breed I have also studied their behaviour closely to find out why they do the things that they do.
Maine Coon cats do tend to follow their owners around the home. They are inquisitive and often behave just like a puppy. They may follow you around because they want your attention or to play, and very rarely it can signal a problem such as separation anxiety or pain.
There are many other reasons why your Maine coon may be following you around and some of these you need to watch out for. Later in this post, I go into the reasons why they have become your shadow and why your Maine coon sometimes sits and stares at you!
Keep reading fellow crazy cat people to learn more!
You may also want to read my full article called ‘‘Are Maine Coons friendly (The Proof and statistics)” Where I asked you the cat people if their Maine coon was friendly or not! – Click here to take a look at my post
Do Maine Coon Cats Follow You Around?
It is a very common trait for the Maine coon to follow its owners around.
Let’s take a look at the Maine coons personality for a while to get a greater understanding of why they may do the things they do.
The Maine coon is fastly becoming one of the most popular domestic breeds in the world. According to cfa.org in 2020 they won 3rd best cat breed in the WORLD!
Their personality traits are
- Very friendly
- Sociable and get along easily with the family
- Loyal to the core
- Form strong bonds with each their favourite special person
- Very intelligent
- Natural inquisitive and curious
- Wary of strangers but not nasty to them
- They act very much like a dog
- Playful
When we look at traits such as loyalty, their curious nature and the fact they act like a puppy most of the time we can probably see why they tend to follow their owners from room to room. Most of the time it’s simply because they love you, they are highly sociable and let’s not forgot that you are the centre of their little universe.
Why Does My Maine Coon Follow Me Everywhere?
Following you around the home is not always just because they love you, sometimes there are others reasons they become your shadow.
Over time you will learn to read the body language of your Maine coon but when we first start to share our lives with this breed it can often be hard to understand what they want! If only cats could talk it would make life so much easier.
Then again some coons do talk or sing! See the below video for Cuteness overload!
So let’s examine some of the reasons why your Maine coon follows you around –
They want and need something
They may want to feed, they may need their water bowl filling up or maybe the cat litter tray needs a clean!
Your cat will let you know if there is something that needs doing or changing and it’s normally by circling your feet to get your attention.
Your Maine Coon may be bored
Maine coons are very playful and if they have been indoors all day long they may just need some playtime. It’s important with indoor cats to replicate the same behaviour they would engage in if they were outdoors.
Maine coon cats are good hunters, some say they were originally used as mousers by the Vikings onboard their ships! So it’s important to replicate their need to hunt by using wand toys and other interactive play.
It’s also a good idea to set up their environment in an enriching way by providing numerous scratching stations, cat trees and ideally wall mounted cat shelves that they can jump up onto.
They want to be petted
All cats love to be petted but the Maine coon loves fuss and attention. Cuddle sessions are important with a Maine coon, they are not always the type of cat who will want to be stationery in your lap all day but they may just need a little reassurance that they are still your favourite.
The need for mental stimulation
Mental stimulation is just as important for your Maine coon as physical play! Did you know that cats can hunt in their minds?
This is where cat TV comes into play!
This can be as simple as a youtube program on your TV with birds and mice running around or opening the window for your cats so they can see the birds outside.
Some owners may also decide to get a fish tank but just make sure that your clever little Maine coon doesn’t get to the fish inside.
Your Maine Coon is hunting you like prey!
Another common reason your Maine coon may be following you around or swiping at you when you walk past is due to their need to hunt.
This is only ever in a playful way, you may see them stalking you, running for your ankles and swiping with their claws.
This is normally a sign that they need to play more, to prevent this from happening get the toys out and give them a 10-15 minute interactive play session to use up some of that stored play energy.
Help I am in pain or sick!
Very rarely following you around can be an indication of pain or sickness. This is not a common reason to follow you around the home but nevertheless, it may be the reason.
Some other signs to watch out for when a cat is in pain or sick include –
- Over-grooming
- Sleep disturbance
- Reduced eating and drinking
- Being stiff after resting and only using one leg when walking around the home
- Becoming withdrawn and hiding away more frequently
- Becoming less tolerant of people
- Vocalisation when moving or going to the toilet
(Information Courtesy of the cat’s protection)
Again this is a very rare reason to follow you around but is something you must be aware of, cats do well at hiding pain but if you spot any of those common signs then best take them to be checked out by a qualified veterinary nurse.
Insecurity / Separation anxiety
Maine coons can tend to experience separation anxiety.
They get very attached to their owners and if you spend a lot of time at home and then suddenly go away they may experience signs of stress and this may be a reason why when you get home they suddenly follow you around everywhere you go.
One of my cat’s acts disgusted with me if I have been away for a few days while my cat sitter cares for her.
It’s not that she doesn’t like my cat sitter because they get along like a house on fire but she is repulsed by my smell when I return but the day after she then becomes my shadow and becomes ultra clingy.
These are telltale signs that your cat may have experienced separation anxiety, this is because your little bundle of joy loves you and missed you.
You are their security
Let’s think about it for a minute!
You provide all their essential needs, you became their replacement mommy/daddy and mix that in with the Maine coons loving, protective and affectionate nature then this is the most common reason why they follow you around!
Cats are natural empaths
Maine coons are naturally empathic which means that they can sense your emotions, they know when something is wrong and they are generally in tune with the world around them.
I believe all cats have abilities that most humans have blocked out over time and they sense when you are not feeling your normal self.
They will want to comfort you, protect you and shower you with love until they know when you are back to your old self, to do this they will monitor your every move.
Why Does My Maine Coon Stare at me?
Your Maine Coon may stare at you for several reasons, and it is never normally anything to be concerned about. They may want to feed; they may require your attention, and occasionally your Maine coon who is naturally wary of strangers, may stare until they learn to trust them.
Are Maine Coons Clingy?
Maine coon cats may be full of love and sometimes they may demand a little more attention from you and follow you around but they are not generally clingy.
They will still want time out and to go and do their own thing, hence why a lot of Maine coons are not stereotypically lap cats who will want to remain stationary in your lap all day long.
I would say they are the perfect mix between affectionate and independent.
Can these gentle giants be any more perfect?
Key Takeaways: Why is my Maine coon following me?
- Your Maine Coon may follow you for a number of reasons and it is rarely anything to worry about!
- Cats feel you’re emotions, if your not feeling good then they will monitor you until you are better
- Play with your cat more, Maine coons need regular physical and mental stimulation and is a popular reason they may become your shadow.
- Even though they may follow you from time to time, a Miane coon should not be overly clingy
As always take care of yourself and your little fur babies!
Mark (The Crazy Cat Man)
