"Kneading" in Cats: Why Do Cats Knead with Their Paws
You and your four-legged friend are enjoying the evening on the couch and suddenly she starts kneading everything around her with her paws? Perhaps she is kneading your arm, belly, or the blanket? One thing is clear: This is completely normal and young kittens learn this behavior from their mother. What lies behind the "kneading"** - as this behavior is also called - you will find out here.
Reasons Why Cats Knead with Their Paws
Cats knead for various reasons. The underlying reason is, however, in almost all situations as simple as delightful: Your cat feels absolutely comfortable. Kneading or treading is proof that your cat feels comfortable (with you) and →she wants to show you her love.
Sounds thoughtful and sweet? It is! Time to give your cat a bit of love back. Besides petting and toys, you can occasionally treat her to a delicious snack. The absolute favorite are our →tasty cream snacks, which with their consistency can pretty much wrap any house cat around their finger.
During the →heat cycle, you can observe the kneading with the paws when →uncastrated cats want to signal mating readiness to tomcats.
It is also suspected that cats in the wild release scents through the glands in their paws and thus mark their territory. So when she happily kneads on you, she might be saying nothing other than: "This human belongs to me, we are a team!"
Where Does Kneading or Treading in Cats Come From?
The origin of kneading in cats lies in their bond with their mother cat. While nursing, the little kittens knead their mother's belly to obtain more milk and stimulate the milk flow. Thus, the kneading of the belly is also referred to as "milk treading." Later, food simply goes into the bowl and kneading is actually no longer necessary for cats.
Many cats, however, also knead in adulthood and calm themselves down this way. So if your cat is purring and relaxed next to or on you, kneading body parts or the blanket, she is mentally back in the time with her mom. For her, this means: A cozy-warm time that has a calming effect on her.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Kitten saugen an der Zitzen ihrer Mutter und kneten dabei den Bauch. Dieser "Milchtritt" soll den Milchfluss anregen und beruhigt Katzen.
Kneading in Cats: With or Without Claws
As a reflex, kittens knead their mother without claws to avoid injuring her belly. Sometimes, however, cats also extend their claws when relaxing and this leads to kneading with claws. This is not intentional, and you can hardly train your furry friend out of it, as she does not know what is wrong with it.
It is possible that your cat's claws are too long and cannot be fully retracted (anymore). Do you notice that your cat sometimes gets caught on the carpet or the sofa fabric? This could be due to long claws and in this case, you can →trim your cat's claws yourself. This requires certain know-how and if you are unsure, you should have the claws trimmed at a veterinary practice.
