All cats are different, but for most cats, especially kittens, cuddling with their human companions in the morning is essential to start their day on a positive note. Why? This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat walk on me in the morning? Likely reasons why your cat walks on you in the morning are that it has some separation anxiety or that it is waiting to get something from you.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat walks on you in the morning and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can do about it and there are things you can consider to help in figuring out the main cause.
Why does my cat want to walk on me in the morning?
Below are likely causes and what would make them more likely.
Separation anxiety
The reason might be that your cat some separation anxiety and it walks on you because it wants to be around you. This would be more likely if your cat does not sleep with you at night, it gets anxious when you are going to bed and if it still wants to cuddle you after you have already fed it. In this case, it could help to give it access to a different spot where it can sleep at night.
It is waiting to get something from you
Another likely cause is that your cat is trying to get you to get up and give it something. This would be more likely if your cat tends to walk on you before you have fed it, in the morning, and it stops following you after. In this case, it might help to feed it earlier than you are at the moment.
It is glad to see you
It might also be the case that your cat is just glad to see you. This would be more likely if it still doesn’t leave you alone after being fed and it does not seem to be very anxious when you are leaving.
It is rubbing its scent onto you
The cause could also be that it is rubbing its scent onto you so that other animals are less likely to enter its territory. This would be more likely if your cat rubs itself against you when it walks on you and if it does it after being fed.
It expects you to wake up at a certain time
A part of the cause might also be that it expects you to wake up at a certain time and feed it. This would be more likely if it walks on you, when you are in bed, and it does it at around the same time that you normally feed it. It would also be a lot more likely if it does it more on the weekend when you get up later than usual.
Things to consider
Here are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always walked on you in the morning
If your cat has not always walked on you in the morning, 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 if you started waking up at a later time or you feeding it later than usual.
What is different when your cat does not walk on you in the morning
It would also help to consider what is different when your cat does not walk on you in the morning. For example, if it does not walk on you when it can sleep with you during the night, the cause would be more likely to be due to separation anxiety.
What to do about your cat walking on you in the morning
Here are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Give it food and water
Since your cat might be doing walking on you because it wants you to get up and give it food or water, it would help to make sure that your cat has access to food and water when it might need it.
Let it stay where it wants
If your cat currently has to stay in a certain room, when you are not around, it might also help to let it stay in a different area because the room might be causing it to get anxious.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
It would also help to limit reasons why your cat might become 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 where there is a safe spot for it to sleep away from other pets.
Let it continue
If your cat only seems to be walking on you, in the morning, because it is being affectionate, another option would be to just give it some attention in the morning. Afterward, you could give it things such as toys to be distracted with.