If you just came home from a long day of work, you may have seen that your cat comes up to you and stands on your foot, and sometimes even rubs its face against your leg. If it is a one or two thing, you probably do not think much of it, but when it becomes a regular habit, it becomes a bit worrisome. Cats have many weird behaviors, but this? Why does your cat stand on your foot?
In this article, we will see exactly why your cat stands on your foot, if you should be worried about it, and what you can do to stop this behavior. Let’s dive in.
Should I be worried if my cat constantly stands on my foot?
As strange as it sounds, your cat is probably trying to communicate with you through this behavior. Cat behaviors are weird to us, but for them, it’s one of their strongest methods of communication.
So if it starts to stand on your foot too often, is there something to be worried about?
Well, not really. But if you see that your cat is getting violent, like scratching your feet and trying to purposely jump on them, there may be an issue.
Some cats even have an angry attitude, and since your feet are the closest thing to their height, they have access to them and may stand on them and scratch simultaneously.
This can be classified as a behavioral problem, and if you see your cat behaving in this manner, then you should take it to the vet at once.
Rest assured, your cat usually stands on your foot because of affectionate reasons. Let’s look into this further.
Reasons why your cat stands on your foot
If your cat stands on your feet often, especially after being away from you for a long while, it just indicates that your cat feels comfortable around you.
But that is not always why it does this, there may be other reasons involved which we will discuss below.
It is an attention-seeking move
If your cat wants attention, you may find it a common habit for it to come and place itself on your foot.
This could indicate a lot of things. Either she wants you to pick it up and pet it for a while, or it just wants to play with you.
Furthermore, if you are wearing shoes that have dangling shoelaces, then it may try to stand on your foot and grab them so you can get the hint that it wants to play with you.
It is smelling your foot or trying to lick them
Why would a cat want to smell your feet? The answer is your scent. Your cat will get a much better view of your feet and try to smell them to make sure it’s you.
Every person has their scent and cats use that to recognize their owner. They may also try to lick your feet. This has a whole other science behind this.
But generally, if you have sweaty feet, then it is more likely that your cat will be attracted to them and try to stand on them.
The saltiness from the sweat is attractive to cats, so this is another reason it may stand on your feet to try to lick or smell them.
Cat may be showing its affection for you
Cats may not be very affectionate creatures, but they have their ways. You may think that your cat is trying to disrupt you from your tasks by coming and standing on your feet, but it may be trying to show its love for you.
How so, you might say? What does standing on my foot have to do with showing love?
Well, that depends on the type of relationship you have with your cat. If your cat is not comfortable with you, then standing on your foot may mean something else in its language.
However, if it is comfy with you, then it could be signaling you to pick it up and maybe give it belly rubs or just some attention.
Bottom line is, you can decipher what your cat is trying to say to you depending on what kind of relationship you have with your kitty.
It may be looking for warmth
Winter seasons can be harsh, even for animals with lots of fur.
In rough weather, especially the snow season, cats look for any kind of warmth they can get.
So if you find it constantly trying to stand on your feet looking for extra warmth, you can let it stay there for a while or get it a small blanket or something to keep warm.
You can also install indoor heating inside your home for future winters, your cat will silently be thanking you.
Your cat may want to spend some time with you
There could be another reason why your cat may stand on your foot, it may want you to stay in the same place.
This could either be because it wants attention or to play with you as we mentioned above, or it could mean that the cat is trying to stop you from going to another room.
It could also be an indication of danger hence your cat is trying to stand on your foot to stop you, it may also meow constantly.
It may be feeling stressed out about something
Cats have weird ways of stressing out, and if you have ruled all the above reasons we have mentioned for it standing on your foot, then it could just be stressed out.
If it is keeping its head low and gently pawing at your foot with its paws, then you can conclude that it must either be anxious, stressed, or maybe even scared.
Once you find out what is bothering it and fix it, then it should most likely stop this habit.
It could be hungry
Perhaps you have forgotten about your cat’s dinner time. If your cat gets hungry, it will try to inform you about this!
Some cats will stand on your foot and even bring their empty food bowl along with them to give you a hint!
It is a very common way for cats to ask for food from their owners, so there is nothing to worry about!
How to stop your cat from standing on your foot
Now that you know the different reasons your cat may come and stand on your foot, let’s look at ways you can stop them from doing so.
If your cat comes to you every time you come back home after a long time, it is obvious that it misses your company and wants to spend time with you. So if you have the time, go play with it! That should make your cat satisfied and get off your foot until next time!
You can also get your cat to stop standing on your foot by training it not to do so. This is not as easy as it seems as a habit is hard to let go of once established.
But if you continue to gently teach your cat to not stand on your foot, then it will learn.
Also, if it has a habit of standing on your foot and rubbing its face against your legs, you can get some toys for it so it can let go of its habit a little easier.
However, standing on your foot is just a method of communication for your cat. If you are okay with it, then let it be. It is a sign of a strong bond of the cat and owner and many cat owners envy this!
Conclusion
In conclusion, why does your cat stand on your foot?
By now, you probably know very well about cats and their unusual behaviors. If your cat is standing on your foot, it is most likely trying to communicate something to you.
Your feline friend might be trying to capture your attention so it can get you to spend more time with it, or it might be showing you its affection in its own language.
Cats also smell your feet sometimes to make sure it is you, their owner. It is also the saltiness from the sweat that can attract them to your feet, so they may stand on them more often if your feet are sweaty.
Stress and hunger are also common reasons cats stand on their owners foot.
So how do you stop your cat from this habit if you do not like it?
Well, you can train your cat to let go of standing on your foot. Also, if your cat is constantly trying to get attention from you, it is probably best if you can spend some time with it.
If you do not, your cat may continue standing on your feet and eventually feel like it is not important, which will ruin your relationship.
Lastly, if your cat stands on your foot to scratch or hurt you, it may have behavioural issues. You should seek medical attention in cases like this.
Cats show strange behaviour such as sleeping between legs, moving its kittens, scratching mirrors, tail hitting, bedroom door waiting, eye sniffing, chin biting, black boogers, foot standing, back jumping, sighing, peeing in the bathtub and toe licking may actually have solid reasons behind. Its important we educate ourselves about possible reasons and then act timely for any fix.