Kneading

volgarland

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I just posted about my cat Smokey and his nocturnal behavior. My cat Nick has a thing with excessive kneading. He only does it when he gets on our bed on top of the comforter. Any thought as to why he does this? We adopted him at 8 weeks old.
 

beautifuldevian

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I've heard that cats do this if they were taken away from their mommies too early, but it is also a sign of affection and love, if they're kneading you they're showing you their affection.
 

momofmany

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Most of my cats knead, and more often than not, when they are laying on top of me covered with a blanket (either in bed or on the couch). Kneading goes along with suckling and I think they do it cause I'm their mom. I take it as a compliment!
 
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volgarland

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Thanks for the thoughts! My husband was more concerned about it than me. These are the first indoor cats he has ever been around.
 

sicycat

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All my cats have always kneaded. Zoey likes these two specific pillows that I have on the couch
We could throw one down on the floor and she'll instantly go to it and start kneading
 

vettechstudent

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Almost all of my cats do this which is very cute.I have one that does it and when he does,I don't think it's too cute.This is because he gets in my hair(Most of the time when I am trying to sleep)and kneads and kind of suckles in my hair.Getting pricked by cat claws in the top of my scalp in the middle of the night isn't my idea of cute.LOL.
Some nights he will do it worse than others.I can get him off me a hundred times and he will just keep coming back to do it again.He will go for weeks and not offer to do it,then he will decide it's time again I guess,and will aggravate me for a few nights.LOL.
Anyone else ever have a cat to do this?
 

momofmany

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Originally posted by vettechstudent
Almost all of my cats do this which is very cute.I have one that does it and when he does,I don't think it's too cute.This is because he gets in my hair(Most of the time when I am trying to sleep)and kneads and kind of suckles in my hair.Getting pricked by cat claws in the top of my scalp in the middle of the night isn't my idea of cute.LOL.
Bogart has done that consistently to me for the last 12-1/2 years. I am thankful that I have thick hair. I only find it painful when he misses and gets my neck or ear. But he's showing his love so usually I just hold his paw until he relaxes a bit.
 

superkitty

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Kayla is my tiniest, and you couldn't tell by the way she kneads - she faces me on my chest and kneads my neck REALLY HARD as I'm petting her. She gets into this closed-eyes-really-fast for 5 to 15 mins. I'm happy she's so comfortable and happy with me that she's doing it.

Ginza will march on me for a little while to get me into the right shape for him to flop on me (I'm tenderized by then by his 15lbs). He'll also march the comforter into the right shape too before settling down.

So yup! Mine and everybody else's stories definitely shows kneading is a normal thing and a fine compliment to how comfortable and happy the kitty is feeling.
 

uabassoon

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I'm heard that if a cat kneads is means they are happy and comfortable because as what was said earlier they knead when they are suckling on the mom so they associate it with being content.
 

sxzwang

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Does anyone's cat don't knead? I have a kitten adopted at 8 weeks that always kneaded when sleeping on my chest. But my 2 year old cat that I adopted when she was 1 year old only knead once or twice the first week we got her. I haven't seen her knead since then, I hope that doesn't mean that she is not happy
 

mom of 10 cats

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All of our cats knead (or "make bread"), some more than others. Jules "marches", he puts such pride in his high stepping
Pan leeeaaanns forward and closes her eyes when she kneads (when she kneads we call it making Pan-cakes). Polly lays on his back and kneads in the air when he is happy.

We say since Max is so little, and so dignified, she doesn't make bread, she makes croissants
 

krazy kat2

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Not all cats do it. If they have been weaned properly, and left with mom long enough, they may not ever do it. Some grow out of it. Fred does it all the time, Pearl does it sometimes, but Georgia almost never does it. They all seem to be happy little spoiled darlings.
 

mom of 10 cats

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Originally posted by krazy kat2
Not all cats do it. If they have been weaned properly, and left with mom long enough, they may not ever do it.
Lilith's 6 kittens all do it, and they have never left their mother! We had to rather forcibly wean them as she would have let them nurse forever! We had brought her to the vet since she was getting skinny, and they told us that it was time for the kittens to stop nursing! They were about 3 months old at the time...
 

nora

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Max also kneads at night before he goes to sleep. It is part of his ritual. First the kneading, then he goes around in circles - sticking his but in my face and finally he finds the exact spot he wants and lays down. After he lays down he expects some scrinches and kisses. His motor them begins really loud and them he sputs and spurts like an engine having problems and then quiet - Max is asleep. This is his nightly ritual.
 

tulip2454

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3 out of 4 of my cats do it - we call it 'happy paws'. One only plays 'happy paws' over the quilt in bed but he is soooooo stiff legged it gets pretty painful - also he has a tendancy to shove his rear end in your face! Another one plays 'happy paws'on her own in the air which is really cute.
tulip
 

nora

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That is so cute - "happy paws". I will have to tell that to my cat sitter. She was wondering why Max was kneading her. I will tell her that she is the recipient of happy paws.
 

stoopid

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My Oliver is another member of the happy-paws club. He does it every time we snuggle, and he usually curls right up next or on top of me and kneads my neck while I pet him. It's cute (and because he's declawed it's a decent neck-massage substitute :p ), but I'm afraid of what will happen when/if I bring a lady over and showing my affection towards another
 
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