Why Cats Like to Join Us for Dinner—It's About More Than the Food

Recently, I've been making an effort to eat at the table for dinner, rather than balancing my plate on my lap as I binge-watch "Mad Men" (yes, I'm almost two decades late to this show, and yes, it holds up!). True confession: This is less because I'm trying to behave like a civilized member of society, and more because I got tired of my cats constantly flicking their tails in my food as they curled up on either side of me. Of course, I love their company, but when I'm trying to eat, I'd appreciate just a little bit of personal space — a concept they don't seem to understand, unless it applies to their own personal space.

Turns out, though, that my cats still want to hang out with me when I eat, even if I'm sitting up in a proper dining chair and not sprawled on the sofa. Sometimes they come into the kitchen and eat their own food, which apparently wasn't interesting to them until I sat down to eat. Other times, they hop up in a chair next to me, as if they're joining me for dinner. How lovely! Also, how weird! Or at least, that's what I thought until I poked around on Reddit and found that, in fact, lots of cat parents have experienced this same phenomenon. 

Get 20% off 
PrettyLitter, just for our kin

Save on the litter with color-changing tech that helps you better care for your cat.

Get Your Coupon

"My cat, Mrs. Eleanor Denzel Washington, sits between mother and I on the bench at dinner, every night," one user shares. "She even talks. Sometimes just likes to lay between us, but often sits up and looks at other family members." Another describes their cat's reserved but consistent presence: "He's not really interested in people food, so he doesn't beg or anything. He just wants to be with his family."

Why do cats do this? Are they being polite, not wanting us to eat alone? Frankly, that seems out of character. Is this pack behavior, wanting to stick together during mealtimes? Or maybe it’s just their natural love of routine? To get to the bottom of this mystery, I asked the experts — two veterinarians and a cat behaviorist — to help me understand why cats seem so drawn to joining us at the table.

It's a bonding thing, not a pack thing

Dr. Julie Hunt, a veterinary consultant for Embrace Pet Insurance, dispels my pack theory right off the bat. She explains that while cats can be happy living on their own or in groups, they prefer to hunt and eat alone. “Evolutionarily and in the wild, dining together isn’t something that cats typically do.”

“Cats are not true pack animals like dogs,” veterinarian Dr. Ezra J. Ameis, founder of Paw Priority, agrees. However, he says cats “are social in their own way, and they often treat their favorite humans as part of their family group.” He says that my presence signals safety and calm for my cats, which may explain them showing up at mealtime. “Eating together becomes a bonding ritual… their way of feeling secure, connected, and part of the household rhythm.”

Routine and company play roles, too

Cats are creatures of habit, Dr. Ameis notes. "Cats thrive on predictable patterns,” he says. So if dinner happens at roughly the same time each evening, my cats may have it marked on their internal calendars, whether it’s happening in front of the television (slovenly) or at the kitchen table (civilized!).

Dr. Hunt offers the theory that my cats are eager for companionship, and have realized that the dinner hour is prime time for socializing. “Once you begin eating, you are unlikely to get up from the table and move around," she says. In other words, dinner is one of the rare times when we restless humans actually sit still (OK, dinnertime and Netflix binging time). For cats in need of quality time with their people, it’s a perfect opportunity.

Why some cats eat when we eat

Then there's the other dinnertime behavior I've noticed: my cats suddenly taking an interest in their own food bowls the moment I sit down to eat. It's as if they forgot they had food until I started eating mine. Dr. Hunt suggests this might be exactly what's happening. “Perhaps you sitting down to dinner reminds them to eat their own meal,” she says. But there's likely more to it than feline forgetfulness. 

“Some cats are social eaters, meaning they prefer having humans nearby when they eat,” says Joey Lusvardi, a cat behaviorist and founder of Class Act Cats. In the wild, eating is a vulnerable moment for a cat; they're distracted, head down, focused on their food. So it makes sense that having a trusted companion close by can make mealtime feel safer. “It may be due to past experiences with needing to guard food or general anxiety,” Lusvardi says, with a caveat: “In many cases, it’s just a personality quirk.”

Cats are curious

Of course, there’s the curiosity factor as well. Cats spend much of their days napping, so when dishes start clinking and interesting smells emanate from another room, they’re likely to come around and investigate, whether they’re hungry or not. Honestly, it’s pretty sweet. They could be throwing up on a rug, knocking my things off shelves, or scratching up the furniture — but instead, they’re hanging out with me while I eat. 

The bottom line? If your cat hops up in a dining chair next time you sit down to a meal, they’re probably not just angling for a piece of chicken (though they won't say no if you're offering). More likely, they're doing what cats do with the people they trust: showing up, being present, and claiming their spot in the household rhythm. It's one of the quieter ways our cats remind us that, despite their reputation for independence, they actually do want to be part of the family.

As for my own cats, I've accepted that dinner will always be a group activity in our house—whether I'm at the table or on the couch. At least now I understand why.