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Why does my cat paw me at night?

Cats are known to reach out and connect with their owners, but some of them like to do it at a time when their owners are not quite awake. This post will show you what could be causing your cat to be one of those mischievous cats that wake you from your slumber and what you can do about it.

So, why does my cat paw me at night? Likely reasons why your cat paws you at night are that it is naturally more energetic at night, you move about at night, or that something is causing it to get anxious.

There are a number of possible reasons why your cat might paw you at night and it might be due to a combination of them. 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 paws at you at night

Below are a number of likely reasons why your cat paws you at night and what would make them more likely.

Nature

In the wild, cats are often nocturnal animals. This means they are most active at night, unlike humans, who are generally active during the day. Even though your kitty might spend a lot of his time sleeping or lounging around during the day, his internal “clock” tells him when to be active, and night is the prime time for him to be on the prowl. The reason why your cat paws you at night is most likely to be that it naturally has a lot more energy at that time and naturally wants to hunt things.

Something causing it to be anxious

It might be the case that it has been doing it due to something causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if your cat does it more at a certain time such as when there are noises inside or another animals around.

It sees you as prey

If your cat paws you, while you are in bed, the cause might be that it sees you as prey because you move around in the bed. In this case, it would be an option to get your cat to sleep in a different room at night.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.

If your cat always pawed on you at night

If your cat did not always paw 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 the case that there was an event that caused it to start. If it did start doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in the way you interact with it at night or because something has been causing it to be anxious.

What is different when your cat does not paws on you at night

If your cat only paws you on certain nights, it would also help to consider what is different on the nights that it paws you. For example, if it only does it when you are playing with it, the cause would be likely to be that it is playing or trying to get you to stop.

What to do about your cat pawing on you at night

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Get it to stay elsewhere

If your cat currently sleeps in the same room as you and it is lively when you are trying to sleep, one option would be to get your cat to sleep in a different room.

Wear it out during the day

Another option would be to wear your cat out during the day by playing with it, giving it toys to use and things such as a scratch pad.

Make it easier for it to sleep

It would help to make sure that the room your cat stays in, at night, is not too hot, bright, loud, and that there is a safe space for it to lie down on.