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Why does my cat lick me at night?

If your cat licks you at night, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.

So, why does my cat lick me at night? Likely reasons why your cat licks you at night are that it is anxious, being affectionate, grooming you, it wants something from you, or it is looking for attention.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat licks you at night and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Reasons why your cat licks you at night

Below are likely reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make them more likely.

Anxiety

It could be the case that something has been causing it to be anxious at night and the licking is a soothing behavior. The reason why it might be anxious could be that it has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if it starts becoming anxious when you are about to go to bed at night and if it has to sleep in a different room to you.

Affection

A part of the cause is also likely to be that your cat is being affectionate. This would be more likely if your cat also shows signs of being happy when it is doing it such as by purring and kneading.

Attention seeking

The reason why it licks you might be that it is looking for attention. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you give it extra attention when it does it.

In this case, it would help to give it attention throughout the day by playing with it and petting it. But, it would help to avoid rewarding it with extra attention when it licks you.

Hunger or dehydration

The reason why your cat does it might also be that your cat is trying to get you to give it something. This would be more likely if your cat tends to lick you more when it has not been able to eat in a long time.

Grooming you

It is not unusual for cats to lick each other while one of them is sleeping. The most likely reason why your cat licks you when you’re sleeping could be that your cat is grooming you. This would be more likely if your cat also licks itself at the same time.

Things to consider

Below are things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.

If your cat has always done it

If your cat did not always lick you at night, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as something causing it to be anxious or because it started sleeping in the same room as you.

What is different when it does not do it

If your cat does not always lick you at night, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not lick you. For example, if it only does it when you get it to sleep with you, it would be more likely that it is being affectionate and grooming you.

What to do about your cat licking you at night

Below are some options you have to help deal with the behavior.

Get it to sleep elsewhere

If your cat licks you during the night, when it sleeps with you, one option would be to get it to sleep in another room. By doing this, it will not be possible for your cat to lick you during the night.

Ensure it has access to water

As mentioned above, it might be the case that it does it because it is thirsty or hungry. It would help to make sure that it gets access to water incase it has been doing it due to being thirsty.

Get help

If it has been licking you excessively, at night, it would help to take it to a vet for a checkup. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your specific cat and hopefully rule out medical causes.