Years ago I adopted a wild rescue kitty named Patches. She was only six months old, but she would not eat unless I was there to "cover her backside"
Her caregivers were from a rescue group and they may well have protected her so that she got enough food and the habit was formed.

She eventually became confident enough and realized that she had no competition so she stopped this behavior.

I think it must have come as a result of her being a tiny thing that never got enough food in the wild or her litter mates beat her out of her position.