Why Does My Cat Run Away From Me? Get To Know The Odd Reasons Here

Every new cat owner experiences the anxieties of having to look for their missing cat. It’s true as I have been there myself. It took me a while before I finally grasped my feline friend’s behavior. After a thorough research, consultations, and observations, I now understand as to why does my cat run away from me from time to time.

As with humans, I have learned that cats have personalities as well. This was a major surprise to me as I had initially viewed all cats to be quite asocial and initially thought that this answers my question as to why does my cat run away from me. This myth was dispelled Sharon L. Crowell-Davis, DVM, Phd., DACV, stating that cats, just like humans and dogs, are also social beings and they carry their own social patterns.

Top 3 Reasons Your Cat May Go Missing

In order to manage and raise your cats well, you need to understand the normal behavior they have. I have included here three possible reasons as to why my cat or your cat may run away from home.

Reason #01: The Homing Instinct

Cats are considered territorial by nature. However, they tend to consider their first or former homes their true territory. This is why they tend to run away when you move to a new home. They will scour every possible way to find their old home and if they don’t succeed at first, you can expect them to get even more motivated to look for it. This is now what we call the ‘Homing Instinct’.

Homing instinct generally refers to the ability of the cats to find the direction. One theory that explains an animal’s homing instinct is that they are far more sensitive to the magnetic fields of the earth due to the metal deposits in their brain. In one study, when there were magnets attached to cats, their homing ability was clearly disrupted.

Reason #02: Looming Death

In the book entitled ‘Cat World- A Feline Encyclopedia’, the author Desmond Morris noted that cats can actually know when death is coming without knowing what it is about. When they feel vulnerable and ill, they tend to go into hiding. These feline creatures are wired to hide any sign of weakness or injuries.

For the same reason, one reason that a cat may run from you is that she is bound to give birth. Pregnant cats would often isolate themselves and find a quiet place to give birth. At this point, the cat and the kittens are at a vulnerable phase. Running away and hiding keep them protected from potential dangers.

When cats are badly injured, they behave the same way. They tend to run away and prefer to be in solitary. This is why many owners of missing cats find it strange when their cats show up with signs of injuries that have already healed.

Reason #03: The Psi Trailing

Duke University’s Dr. Joseph Rhine coined the term ‘Psi Trailing’ and this phenomenon refers to the animal’s unique capability to locate their owners. It is often described as the six sense of the animals. Cats also possess this capability. If you happen to have just adopted a cat, he or she still has the tendency to run away to search for their previous or original owners.

This Psi Trailing is also known to be the primary reason as to why cats can immediately know whether their owners are about to come home. For this reason, it is imperative to take some measures on how you can introduce a new home or a new community. Knowing what to do on their first 30 days would be immensely helpful.

How Far Can Your Cat Travel?

If you are wondering as to how far can your cat go when they run away, this video feature from the National Geographics can give you a hint. Cat –tracking projects were documented to know the range of distance that a cat can travel. One of the project reveals that an adult car can travel around 6000 acres of land.

Final Thoughts

When your dear pets run away and go missing for a long period of time, this can cause a lot of stress on your part. If you have just moved into a new place or if you have just adopted an adult cat, you can expect a bit of hiding-and-seeking. You may also check the possibility of whether your cat is ill, pregnant, or too old.

If you want to avoid the stress of having to deal with the unending search for your missing cats, you may want to invest in an animal tracker. You can instantly monitor your cat’s location, behavior, and activities. Knowing such information can make you certain that your cat is in good condition at all times, and you need not ask the question ‘why does my cat run away from me?’ ever again.