Why Does My Cat Push Me With His Paws?

If your cat has been pushing you with his paws, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.

So, why does my cat push me with his paws? Likely reasons why your cat pushes you with his paws are that it has learned that the behavior is rewarded, it wants you to stop touching it, it is playing or that it does it naturally.

There are actually a number of possible causes and they will depend a lot on the context that your cat does it. However, there are some things you can do about the behavior and there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause.

Why does my cat push me with his paws?

Below are likely reasons why your cat pushes you with his paws and what would make each of them more likely.

Your cat wants you to stop petting it

If your cat does it when you are petting it, the cause could be that your cat wants you to stop petting it. This would be more likely if it does it more when you pet it in a certain manner and if it also shows body language signs of wanting you to stop such as leaning away from you, moving its face away from you, or growling. In this case, it could help to try petting it in a different manner.

Your cat is playing

It might be the case that it is not actually trying to push you away. Rather, it might actually be playing with you. This would be more likely if it also shows other signs of being excited such as wagging its tail, having its tongue out and not trying to back away from you.

Your cat has learned that the behavior is rewarded

It might also be the case that your cat has learned that the behavior is rewarded. If you tend to give your cat things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it pushes you with his paws, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Your cat does it naturally

It could also be the case that your cat does it naturally because it wants more space. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it when sitting next to you on the couch or when it is in bed with you.

Your cat feels safer

Another possible cause is that your cat likes to touch you because it makes your cat feel safer. This would be more likely if your cat leaves his paws on you and it does not try to push you away. If it leaves his paws touching you when sleeping next to you, it might also be a sign of separation anxiety since it likely wants to be woken up when you leave.

It wants something from you

It might be the case that it is hitting you with its paws because it wants something from you. This would be more likely if it does it when you have something such as food in your hands. It would also be more likely if it tends to do it more when it would normally get things such as a walk or food.

Your cat wants your spot

Another possible cause is that your cat wants the spot you are sitting or sleeping in. This would be more likely if your cat pushes you away when you sit in a certain spot and if it immediately moves there when you move. It might also be a sign of possessiveness which would be more likely if it does things such as growl when you try to move it from the spot.

Things to consider

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

If your cat has always pushed you with his paws

If your cat has not always pushed you with his paws, 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 learning that the behavior gets rewarded, a change in how you interact with it, or you started sitting in its spot.

The timing of when your cat pushes you with his paws

It would also help to consider the timing of when your cat pushes you with his paws. If there is a certain time that your cat tends to push you with his paws, it might be the case that the timing has something to do with it. For example, if it does it when it is in bed with you, it would be more likely that it extends its legs naturally but it might also be the case that it is trying to get you to move.

What to do about my cat pushing me with his paws?

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

Avoid rewarding it

It could be the case that it has learned that it gets rewards for pushing you away. Instead, it would help to reward it when it does not push you away and to avoid rewarding it when it does push you away.

Training

Positive reinforcement training involves encouraging the behaviors you want to see by rewarding them and discouraging unwanted behaviors by not rewarding them. To use it to get your cat to stop pushing you away, you could reward it with a treat when it does not push you away but it normally would and stop rewarding it when it pushes you away.

Avoid intimidating it

As mentioned above, it could be the case that it has been pushing you away due to you being too forceful with it. Instead, it would help to interact with it calmly and to use training to get it to behave the way you want.

Why does my cat push me with its paw?

A likely reason why your cat pushes you with its paw are that it wants something from you such as food or attention. It could also be the case that your cat wants to touch you because it makes your cat feel safer, or because it naturally likes to extend its paw.

Why does my cat push me with its legs?

Your cat might push you with its legs because it wants to make more space for itself or because it naturally likes to extend its legs when it is lying down. It might also be the case that your cat is trying to get you to move from a spot because it likes that spot or because it wants you to get up and give it something.

Why does my cat push me with its nose?

Your cat likely pushes you with its nose because it is actually trying to smell you since it allows your cat to gather information about you. Other possible causes are that your cat is trying to get you to pet it or give it attention.

Why does my cat push me when I pet him?

Your cat might push you when you pet it because it wants you to pet it differently or because it is showing affection to you. It would help to consider the body language your cat shows when it does it. If it does things such as try to lean away from you or growl, it would be more likely that it does not like how you are petting it. Whereas, if it rests its paw on you and wags its tail, it would be more likely that it likes how you are petting it.

Why does my cat push against me?

Likely reasons why your cat pushes against you are that it wants to touch you because it makes your cat feel safer, it is trying to get you to move from a spot or because it wants you to get up and give it something. It would help to consider the timing of when your cat does it and the body language it shows. If it does it in bed and growls, it could be because it is being possessive of its spot in the bed. Whereas, if it does it in the morning, it might be because it wants you to get up and feed it.

Why does my cat push me when lying down?

If your cat pushes you when lying down, it would be likely that your cat does it naturally because it likes to extend its legs or because it is being possessive and trying to make more space for itself. It might also be the case that your cat wants you to give it something if it does it more before you have given it things such as food or exercise.