If your cat is very affectionate, this post will show you a number of likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why is my cat so affectionate? Likely reasons why your cat is very affectionate are that it wants attention, separation anxiety, it feels safer around you, it wants food or water, or that it is just glad to see you.
Your cat might be being affectionate for a number of different reasons 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.
Why is my cat so affectionate?
Below are a number of likely causes and what would make them more likely.
Separation anxiety
The reason why your cat is very affectionate might be that it has some separation anxiety. This is where your cat does not like being left alone and being left alone causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely if your cat does it more when it seems like you are leaving and if it becomes anxious when you are leaving. It would also be more likely if your cat tends to be affectionate when you have just arrived home.
It wants attention
Another possible reason is that your cat is doing it for attention. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it when you have not been giving it much attention, if you tend to give it more attention when it starts showing you affection or if it does it more at around the same time that you would normally give it attention.
It wants food or water
The reason could be that your cat is hungry and trying to get your attention to let you know that it is hungry. This would be more likely if your cat is very affectionate and loud before you feed it, when you wake up in the morning, and it stops being affectionate after you feed it.
It’s 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 does it after being fed and it does not seem to be very anxious when you are leaving.
Things to consider about your cat being very affectionate
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always been very affectionate
If your cat has not always been very affectionate, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in the time that you feed it, you suddenly started giving it a lot more attention yourself, a change in the time that you wake up, or a change in the room that it normally stays in.
What is different when your cat is not affectionate
If your cat is not always very affectionate, it would help to consider what is different when it is. For example, if it is only affectionate before getting fed, the cause would be more likely to be due to wanting food.
What to do about your cat being affectionate
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Give it access to food and water
Since your cat could be doing it because it wants 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 to
If your cat currently has to stay in a certain room, when you are not around, it could also help to let it stay in a different area since the room might be causing it to get anxious.
Limit reasons why it might be fearful
It would also help 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.
Let it continue
If your cat has not been behaving unusually in other ways and it doesn’t seem to be doing it due to fear or hunger, it could just be the case that your cat is naturally showing affection back to you. In this case, it would be an option to just allow your cat to continue doing it.
Why is my cat affectionate in the morning?
If your cat is more affectionate in the morning, the cause is likely to be that it wants you to feed it. If your cat does not sleep with you, a part of the cause could also be that it has some separation anxiety and being around you in the morning makes it feel safer.
Why is my cat affectionate at night?
The reason why your cat is affectionate at night could be that your cat has some separation anxiety and that it wants to be able to sleep with you so that it can feel safer.
Why is my cat affectionate after I shower?
The reason why your cat is affectionate after you shower is likely to be that your cat likes the way you smell and the feeling of your skin.
Why is my cat suddenly affectionate?
If your cat has become affectionate suddenly, the cause could be that it has become more comfortable around you which would be more likely if you only recently got your cat. The cause might also be that you have been interacting with it differently yourself or that something has been causing it to follow you around so that it feels safer.
Why is my cat affectionate then aggressive?
The reason why your cat is affectionate and then aggressive is likely to be that your cat has decided that it has had enough of your attention. Usually, you will find that there will be a precursor to your cat becoming aggressive where it will start to do things such as flick its tail and stop purring.