If your cat has been pawing at your hair a lot, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat paw my hair? Likely reasons why your cat paws your hair are that your hair moves around like prey, your cat is playing, it is grooming you, or that it wants attention.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat does it and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are a number of 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 paws your hair
Below are likely causes and what would make them more likely.
It sees your hair like prey
The cause might be that it sees your hair as prey. This would be more likely if your cat paws at your hair when you move around and if your cat chases after your hair when it does it.
It is playing
It might also be the case that your cat does it because it is playing. This would be more likely if your cat does it when it is full of energy and if it also does things such as roll around and run around at around the same time.
It is showing you affection
Another possible cause is that your cat is actually showing you affection. This would be more likely if your cat does it when it is purring, kneading and when you are petting it yourself.
It wants attention
Another possible cause is that your cat wants attention from you and it has learned that pawing at your hair results in you giving it attention. Instead, it would help to avoid giving it extra attention when it does it and to reward it when it is behaving how you want it to instead.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always pawed at your hair
If your cat did not always paw at your hair, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. For example, if it started doing it when you started letting it sit close to your face, it could be the case that your cat started wanting to groom your hair.
The timing of when your cat paws your hair
It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that your cat tends to paw at your hair. For example, if it tends to do it after you have just washed your hair, the cause could be that your cat likes the smell, the wetness or how it looks.
What to do about your cat pawing your hair
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Avoid encouraging it
As mentioned above, it might be the case that your cat has learned that the behavior is encouraged. Instead, it would help to avoid giving your cat things such as extra attention, when it paws your hair, and to try to reward it when it is being calm.
Get your cat to sit somewhere else
Alternatively, another option would be to get your cat to sit next to you instead of on top of you, that way it will be easier to prevent it from pawing your hair.
Give it distractions
Another option would be to give it things to be distracted by such as toys, when it seems likely to start pawing at your hair.