Why do cats knead on their owners?
You are sitting comfortably on the sofa watching TV or
reading a book when your cat jumps up on to your lap to join you. He’s soft and
purring and clearly in the mood for affection, but instead of sitting down
comfortably he starts rhythmically treading up and down with his front paws,
almost like he is trying to dig a hole in your lap. At first you find it quite
interesting to watch but after several minutes you start to feel a certain
amount of discomfort as his claws dig little holes through your clothing and he
doesn’t seem to want to settle. If you are a cat owner I am pretty sure you
will be able to relate to this scene.
The question is – what on earth is it all about and why does
your cat do it?
The motion is called kneading. It starts when a cat is a very young kitten
feeding from his mother. The kitten kneads against the soft surface of his
mother’s breast to stimulate milk production. For the rest of his life your cat
will associate the motion of kneading a soft surface as a pleasurable and
rewarding experience. Some animal behaviour experts believe cats who were
weaned too soon as kittens show more of a tendency to knead, whereas others
think only those who were weaned too late knead more. I am not sure who is
right here – but one thing I do know is that kneading is always a sign of
affection, and your cat should certainly never be punished for doing it.
Another theory as to why cats knead relates back to the
behaviour of their wild ancestors, who liked to lay down on soft comfortable
surfaces in just the same way as our domestic cats do. Because all cats are
territorial creatures, the wild cats would use the scent glands in their paws
to mark out their territory by kneading on it prior to lying down. Your cat
could well be doing the same.
Some cats knead with their claws out which can be pretty
painful for you, whereas others keep their claws tucked away, but if you try to
stop your cat from kneading, you are in effect spurning his affection. A simple
remedy is to place a soft cushion, towel or blanket on your knee so your cat
can still tread away to his heart’s content without hurting you. If the cat is
turned to face you whilst he is kneading on your knee another trick that I have
found to be successful (90% of the time!) is to stroke the cat from his head
down his back then gently push down on his back to encourage him to give his legs
a rest and lay down.
One point to remember is that the cat’s kneading doesn’t go
on for the entire time he is sat on your lap – it’s usually only for a minute
or two. Once he has finished making himself a little bed, he will curl up
contentedly on your lap and just enjoy being close to you.
It isn’t just your knee that takes a pounding from your
cat’s kneading either. It is pretty much any soft surface where your cat
decides to make himself comfortable. In my lounge I have a soft sheepskin rug
in front of my fire, which is a favourite sleeping place for my cat Cleopatra, especially
in the winter. Every time I take the rug outside to get the dust off it I see
lots of little shredded pieces of wool coming away from the rug in the very
places where Cleopatra has kneaded prior to settling down for a snooze.
A former work colleague of mine recently adopted her
daughter’s cat after her daughter moved away. “I love having the cat around
“she told me, “but how on earth can I stop him from treading up and down when
he sits on my knee?” My advice to her was to view the cat’s kneading as a
compliment rather than an annoyance – and to appreciate the fact that by
kneading her, the cat was in fact telling her how much he liked her.
My cat Tom always kneads my legs and arms when hes on my lap, I always try to let him at least until I just cant stand it any more.. Tom likes it when Itap on his back ever so gentaly right above his tail .Wonder why?
ReplyDeleteMy kitty who is 4-5 months knead my breasts all the time. She has to do it to both side before she lays down on them. She also lick my shirt while she's doing it. She only does it with me and I feel special with it. It's a great way to bond with your fur baby too.
ReplyDeleteMine does the same. Then when she is finished she curls up in a ball and sleeps.
DeleteI have a question about cats... What is FIP and why did my first kitten pass at 5 months because of it?
ReplyDeleteReally sorry to hear that you lost your kitten to this virus. I do not know a great deal about Feline Infectious Peritonitis
ReplyDeletebut found an interesting document written by someone who has an in depth knowledge about the disease. http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ccah/local-assets/pdfs/PedersenFIPinterview9-10-08.pdf
I hope your kitten did not suffer too much.
My kitty kneads my belly..then comfortable lays herself on my chest after that..
ReplyDeleteMy kitty kneads my belly..then comfortable lays herself on my chest after that..
ReplyDeleteEver since i found out i am pregunant my grany cat waits till im on my back jumpa on me n kneads my breast takes his paws n touches my face i has to lock my room door just to keep him out he follows me every where..in the road in the bathroom ..toilets ..its annoying
ReplyDelete