Instinctively, kneading in cats is a motion in which feline pushes front paws alternatively in and out between left and right limbs on a soft fabric or surface such as a blanket. In some cases, they may extend their claws before settling down. It is a repetitive habit and is instinctive in nature.
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Why Do Cats Knead?
Contrary to the widespread belief that kneading is a sign of a cat weaned too early, kneading can be due to several reasons. Kneading is commonly referred to as ‘making biscuits’ and is usually accompanied by purring and later a nap. Some cats do not use all their paws while some use all claws.
Milking
The first reason why cats knead is the need for milk or lactate. Nursing kittens instinctually knead the mammary glands of the mother. This is an essential movement for facilitating milk flow thus stimulating milk production. Milk production generates nourishment for the kittens. This juvenile behavior is carried to adulthood. Past the nursing stage, it is noticeable that cats continue to knead. The cats during adulthood knead due to relating the act with the comfort they received while nursing.
Joy And Stress Alleviation
The other reason for kneading is showing a sense of happiness or delight, contentment and alleviation of stress. It is a technique cats use to show gratitude or excitement about something. The method of kneading also relaxes a cat off from stressing situations or environments. Cats also knead as a show of affection to their owners or their friends. It may press on your face or lap or on your warm clothes. This should not bother you as it indicates to you that the cat likes you and very likely trusts you. While kneading on you, your cat may get very excited and may dig on you, and this may be painful. It is advisable to clip their nails to keep them trimmed, or one may place a thick fabric to spare the clothes you wearing from the tear.
Relaxation
Another reason why cats knead is to stretch the muscle. Cats are yoga masters, and they stretch to relieve soreness that comes about as a result of them having a nap. They knead just immediately after waking up. It is a soothing motion at the moment like this, by typically extending and flexing their paws. The cat needs to stay loose, take a break then stay limber at least until her next scheduled snooze.
Nesting
Nesting also explains why cats knead. Kneading can be traced back to a time before the domestication of animals like cats. Wildcats supposedly padded foliage around them to make a soft surface for sleeping or a place to give birth. Kneading the foliage made the area more comfortable just like people adjust pillows or blankets during bedtime. Cats kneading gave them the ability to check on unwanted visitors. In recent times, you’ll find cats kneading a blanket maybe to clear a space to doze off.
Ownership
Ownership purposes also perpetuate cats to knead. Cats are territorial animals. They want to mark their territories by claiming an area or even a person. You’ll find that there is a specific place that a cat likes to sleep or an area where it prefers to have its meals. It may also be a special blanket it loves to lay on. By kneading, they activate scent glands located inside the soft pads on the bottom of their paws thus marking specific items or persons as their own. It is a way to safeguard their goods and marks them as their own.
Expressing Need
Cats may also knead on a person expressing their need for something. One may be preoccupied with something example working on a computer. A cat may knead on you to capture your attention so that you may tend to its needs. Paying attention to your pet cat is essential then.
Going To Estrus
Female cats also knead before going into estrus. Going into estrus is what is commonly known to people as going into heat. Kneading, therefore, indicates to male cats that she wants to mate and is able to mate. Male cats, on the other hand, knead as a mating ritual. They may knead aggressively, and it is advisable to stay away from them at this time. Kneading at this time is an indicator that the cats are sexually active.
Habitual
Cats also knead as a lifelong habit. Everyone wants to remember or reminisce about that moment when you were young and happy, getting cuddly with your mother and having a sense of security. Cats also want to duplicate those happier times when they felt protected in their lives. They generally remember a lively kittenhood.
A cat may also have excessive or obsessive kneading. This is something that needs to be stopped as it can be painful. As cat pet owner you can discourage this in some ways. One way is trying to gently pull the cat into a lying position just as she starts kneading. It is a method that helps stop the kneading enabling the cat to settle down.
It also helps her get comfortable in a position she is very likely to sleep. Another way is covering the paws of the cat with your hands. This should be done carefully to protect your self from any scratching of the cat. Covering the claws makes the kneading harder for the cat to carry out.
A well effective method is the distraction of the cat’s attention by another activity. You can distract it with a toy or more preferably with a treat when the action starts. This divides the attention of the cat drawing it away from further kneading. There are many theories people have come up with about why cats knead, and most of them are wrong.
Conclusion
The above reasons, in summary being that cats knead as a lifelong habit, like a milking technique, to show affection, joy or content, nesting, marking territories and the need of going into heat. These are natural behaviors of a cat, and they should not be a cause of punishment in case of annoyances caused. Kneading is natural to cats and appreciation and understanding showed by owners is such a formidable act.
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