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Why does my cat smell me when I sleep?

If your cat smells you when you sleep, this post will show you why and what you can do about it.

So, why does my cat smell me when I sleep? Possible reasons why your cat smells you when you sleep are that it wants to smell your breath to see how you are, it is rubbing its scent on to you, it wants something from you or that it is being affectionate.

There are a number of possible reasons why your cat smells you in your sleep and it might 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.

Why does my cat smell me when I sleep?

Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat smells you when you sleep and what would make them more likely.

It wants to smell your breath

Cats will naturally smell each other’s noses and breathe as a way of greeting each other and finding out about them. The reason why your cat smells you when you sleep is likely to be that it wants to smell your breath to find out about how you are. This would be more likely if your cat smells your nose area.

Cats have around 9-16 times better smelling abilities than humans do (source). Dogs have been shown to be able to smell disease in humans (source). While cats do not have the same smelling capabilities as dogs, some people argue that cats are also able to smell certain diseases, so a part of the reason why your cat sniffs you could be to find out how healthy you are.

It smells things naturally

Cats will naturally smell things a lot so that they can find out about what other animals have been around. The reason why your cat smells you when you sleep could just be that it is naturally smelling its environment. This would be more likely if it does not only smell you when it does it.

It is being affectionate

The reason why it does it could also be that it is being affectionate. This would be more likely if it also purrs, kneads and seems to be getting you to pet it.

It wants attention

It could also be the case that it does it in order to get extra attention from you. This wold be more likely if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention.

It wants something from you

Another possible cause is that it wants something from you such as food or to be let outside. This would be more likely if it does it more when it is not able to go outside or when it has not been fed yet.

It is rubbing its scent on to you

Cats also have sweat glands on their faces that they can use to mark their scents. It might also be doing it in order to rub its scent onto you. This would be more likely if it also rubs its face on you when it does it.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.

If your cat has always smelled you when you sleep

If your cat did not always sniff you, when you sleep, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as sleeping at a different time when your cat is hungry or sleeping in a different location causing your cat to investigate.

What else is different when your cat smells you when you sleep

If your cat does not always smell you when you sleep, it would also help to consider what is different when it does smell you. For example, if it only does it when you are sleeping during the day, it could be because your cat finds it unusual and it is seeing that you are ok.

What to do about your cat smelling you when you sleep

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

Get it to stay elsewhere

One option would be to get your cat to stay in another room when you are trying to sleep. By doing so, it will not be possible for your cat to come and smell you.

Let it do it

It is not uncommon for cats to smell you when you are sleeping. If your cat has not been behaving unusual in other ways, it would likely be normal behavior. In this case, it would be the easiest option to let your cat do it and to move it when it is bothering you.