I Caught My Cat Licking an Electrical Outlet!

He was looking at something on the wall, I think he was trying to catch a bug or something and then he did that thing cats do where they briefly get distracted. Except for some reason he was distracted by the outlet and then he started smelling it and licked it a teeny tiny bit before I yelled at him. My first question: WHY? and second: Could he get electrocuted?! I feel stupid asking but I have no idea how that works.

they can get electrocuted if they stick their claw far enough in there, or get something stuck in there and then try ot pull it out. I heard of this happening once.

If you're worried I would invest insome of those child proof plug-hole covers. They're really cheap.

I have to use one of those covers by the litter boxes. The cats think they can pull the wall in and there is an outlet right there and I've seen them claw at it several times.

As for the WHY???
I live in an older house thats very poorly insulated. During the winter you feel cold air through the outlets. I am thinking the cats smelling the outside/different smelling air then its used to as your answer.

When I had curious kittens(the only ones I have had issues with the outlets I blocked all the outlets by furniture. Maybe try a no lick spray dabbed onto the child plugs while they are not in wall? some are alot more secure then others(baby sat....)