Kneading and coping with loss

Since Turvy Demeter passed on, several of the tribe have taken to being very "clingy", and wanting to sit on me and knead with their forepaws. The 3 doing this are Etcetera, Rumpleteaser and Skimbleshanks the Hobo. Rumpleteaser and Hobo are both 3, and Etcetera is 7....but these are the 3 that Turvy Demeter raised from kittens.

Is this a reaction to losing their adopted mom, or is the re-working of their social order have something to do with it? I let them knead and cuddle, give them brushings, etc etc and pretty much let them do their thing, I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced similar behavior after losing one of their clan.

It sounds as though you've become their replacement mum. Maybe they all saw Turvy as the mother figure, and now she's gone, they show their affection they showed to her toward you in the only way they know how - through snuggled and kneading.

The other option is that they're detecting your sadness and they're trying to comfort you as well by being snuggly and providing you with lots of love?

i would think its both, stress and stuff from Turvy and also the stress of dealing with who is going to be head of your clan.

and i do think that maybe they pick up your feelings. Like the other day i came home it alot ofpain with my back, all i did was feed the cats and go stright to bed, well both went, and laid down right next to me, both where purring so loud. And heyu never purrs that you can hear.

Yes, I think you're right. It seems to me that they go into some kind of light trance when they knead, and I think that's because they're remembering their kittenhood, with momcat and their siblings... the deepest bonds of their lives.

I always feel so honored by the kneading -- even though I end up with dozens of tiny little scratches afterward...

Originally Posted by theimp98

i would think its both, stress and stuff from Turvy and also the stress of dealing with who is going to be head of your clan.

and i do think that maybe they pick up your feelings. Like the other day i came home it alot ofpain with my back, all i did was feed the cats and go stright to bed, well both went, and laid down right next to me, both where purring so loud. And heyu never purrs that you can hear.

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I agree with Bruce and the other posts as well.