This post will show you likely reasons why your cat licks your nose in the morning and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat lick my nose in the morning? Likely reasons why your cat licks your nose in the morning are that it wants you to give it something, it is showing you affection, separation anxiety, or that it is naturally finding out about you.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat licks your nose in the morning and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat licks your nose in the morning
Below are a number of likely reasons why your cat licks your nose in the morning and what would make each of them more likely.
It wants you to give it something
The cause is likely to be that your cat wants you to get up and give it something. This would be more likely if it comes and licks your nose, while you are in bed, before you have fed it. This would also be more likely if it normally does it on the weekend when you feed it later than usual.
It is showing you affection
The cause might also be that it is just showing you affection. This would be more likely if it does it more after you have fed it and if it also does things such as knead and purr while doing it.
Separation anxiety
The cause might also be that it has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if it does not sleep in the same room as you and if it licks you after you have opened the door to your room.
In this case, it would help to limit reasons why it might be anxious without you by letting it stay in a safe spot away from other pets that is not too loud or bright at night.
Nature
The reason your cat licks your nose in the morning is not for your benefit, but for its own. You see, cats use the scent of their owner’s body as a sort of guide to figure out who they are and how they are. In the wild, cats use their sense of smell to hunt down prey, so it’s only natural that they would do the same in the home with you.
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 always licked your nose in the morning
If your cat did not always lick your nose in the morning, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, an event might have caused it to start. For example, if it started doing it when you started getting out of bed later, the cause would be likely that it is trying to get you to feed it.
What is different when your cat does not lick your nose in the morning
If your cat does not always lick your nose, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not do it. For example, if it normally does it on the weekend, the cause would be likely to be that it is expecting you to get up and feed it at the same time you do during the week.
What to do about your cat licking your nose in the morning
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Give it food and water
If it seems like your cat might be licking your nose because it is trying to get you to get up and feed it, it would likely help to feed it and give it access to water as soon as you get up instead of making it wait.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
Another thing to do would be to limit reasons why it might get fearful when you are not around. Ways to do so could include letting your cat stay in a different room than your dog if you have one or letting your cat stay in a quieter room.
Give it distractions
Another option would be to give it things to be distracted by such as toys. This would be more appropriate if your cat tends to have a lot of energy in the morning.
Let it do it
If your cat only seems to be licking your nose because it is being affectionate in the morning, another option would be to just give it some attention in the morning but to redirect its focus when it seems like it is about to lick your nose.