stupid question

In an attempt to lighten my day, can someone please explain why do cats paddle with their paws.

Brandy gets comfy, then extends claws and paddles / kneeds me like its going out of fashion. Are cats the only animal that paddle?
I dont mean animals in water either that paddle!!!!

Kev
slowly getting sozzled (trying that rum someone said about as well as beer), tired, with an ear infection but happy as well as a little depressed. hic,... hic...

Isn't it because that's what stimulates the milk. When a kitten is "kneading" it's normally when it's sucking mummys milk and it's stimulating it, I think when they are older it's just a sign that are content and happy.

I'm pretty sure cats are the only animals that do this, I have owned alot of animals but never had any others. Gees that would hurt a full grown German Shepard coming up to me and kneading

Have a nice day Kev!

Awwww, Kev, he's feeling comfy and loved, and the paddling is just to show he's happy and has a good feeling of well-being. It's leftover behavior from when they were babies trying to get milk from mommy.

Kayla does that when she's cuddling on my chest, kneading (paddling) me REALLY HARD on my neck and face, and when she gets going, wow. A full 10-15 minutes. She also pats my cheek a lot too.

Ginza (all 15 lbs) stands on me and 'marches', I call it tenderizing, boy, is he ever heavy, and it hurts!! Then when he's 'marched' me into a comfy feeling, he'll flop on me (all 15 lbs) then knead more softly on my shoulder.

Mozart never kneaded, and Pixie hasn't yet.

LOL Sam!! We were posting at the same time, and said the same thing!

AND I also forgot to answer the second question, but I had no idea if it was just cats that exhibited this behavior!

Originally posted by WellingtonCats
Isn't it because that's what stimulates the milk. When a kitten is "kneading" it's normally when it's sucking mummys milk and it's stimulating it, I think when they are older it's just a sign that are content and happy.

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That would be an EXCELLENT answer in my opinion and an answer to a lifelong question I have had. I had no idea - not even a remote one as of why and I can see the full logic.

I guess Brandy is just happy now as he kneeds my chest all the time- then hes not getting nuttin outa me! He has extended his claws into me and drawn blood from a very personal place once. I could not put a band aid on it - it was very embarrasing. The only bit of help I got was from my brothers girlfriend who is a doctor who said she could point me in the direction of a flute player - that way I could learn how to hold it in different places to stop the blood flowing all at once.

Not my strongest day or one Carol will ever forget - she still laughs to this day.

Thanks for the response

Kev
still whincing from that memory

Originally posted by superkitty

Ginza (all 15 lbs) stands on me and 'marches', I call it tenderizing, boy, is he ever heavy, and it hurts!! Then when he's 'marched' me into a comfy feeling, he'll flop on me (all 15 lbs) then knead more softly on my shoulder.

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Can I borrow Ginza - could do with a massage on my back!

Awwwwwww! Poor Kev. Next time Brandy "kneads" you I think you will have to have a little talk with him and tell him there is no chance he is gonna get any milk from ya!

Originally posted by kev

Originally posted by superkitty
Ginza (all 15 lbs) stands on me and 'marches', I call it tenderizing, boy, is he ever heavy, and it hurts!! Then when he's 'marched' me into a comfy feeling, he'll flop on me (all 15 lbs) then knead more softly on my shoulder.

Click to expand...

Can I borrow Ginza - could do with a massage on my back!

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For you, anytime! Now you've gotta save me some of that rum.

Can I borrow Ginza - could do with a massage on my back!

Buddy stretches out, against my back and kneads. Combined with his purr, I get massage, vibration AND heat!

originally posted by katl8e
Buddy stretches out, against my back and kneads. Combined with his purr, I get massage, vibration AND heat!

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.. that is brilliant - and you think - people pay money for that kind of treatment.

good night - off to bed - too sozzled to stay up!

My girls paddle a lot, sometimes far too much!

There is no need for me to answer the first question as so many have done that, but about other animals that paddle, I know from experience of one other that does....and that is my Homo Sapien little son! while breastfeeding, he paddles with his hand and fingers, has done that since he was a tiny bug. After I realized what he was doing, I figured this was a universal breastfeeding reaction for mammals, allthough I don´t have any more infmorations about that, but it would be logical.

My little Simba does that. He even does it in the air, when I give him my "love talk". All of my cats knead, but I think it's cute how Simba will knead the air.

Originally posted by Pollyanna
My girls paddle a lot, sometimes far too much!

There is no need for me to answer the first question as so many have done that, but about other animals that paddle, I know from experience of one other that does....and that is my Homo Sapien little son! while breastfeeding, he paddles with his hand and fingers, has done that since he was a tiny bug.

After I realized what he was doing, I figured this was a universal breastfeeding reaction for mammals, allthough I don´t have any more infmorations about that, but it would be logical.

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Oh how cute about Oliver.

and Hope that's cute about Simba as well.

I noticed that my neighbour's puppies paddle. My fiancee pointed it out to me while we were spending time with them. (We were petsitting.) I didn't notice it because I'm so used to my two kitties paddling.

And when I was holding my best friend's sister's son when he was a newborn, he started to paddle at my breast. I didn't even notice until my best friend's husband pointed it out to me. I got really embarrassed and said that I didn't notice because the cats did it all the time which didn't really help things.

Roxy kneads on me all the time, she does it on my stomach or back, which ever way I am lying down, she will even do it to my leg/hip when I am lying down on my side!

it really is like a massage, and sometimes I imagine like acupucture (sp?) with those claws (only when they aren't trimmed)!

what is weird though is Roxy bites me while doing this and purrs away..she first bit my skin (hard but not peircing) and I eventually got her to use my shirt or blanket instead, but she always has to bite something while kneading, and her purring is even louder cause her mouth is open! it's cute, and strange!

any ideas why she must bite? my other two cats knead with no biting..

Is she biting with her front teeth only or is it a full mouth bite? If it is the front teeth, she is grooming you -- I call these love nibbles. One of my cats does this when content. I interpret it as a sign of affection.

Pollýanna bites me as well. She has a very distinct rutine, usually. She likes to knead on my arms, facing my fingers, and then bites between my fingers. She has done this since she was a kitten, she is 7 now. Another strange thing in her ritual is that she does something with her "behind", like she clenches the anal musles and the muscles around. Has anyone heard of this?

yeah, it is with her front teeth only, and not hard just kinda of grabbing! at least I know Roxy isn't the only funny cat with love bites!

Cats do this when they are kittens suckling on there mother's milk. I have always seen my cats do this while they are very happy and content. Lots of purring is always taking place too. I have one cat, her name is Cinnamon, who put me to sleep one morning after a long night shift at work. She walked on my back while I was in bed and started kneading. She walked by my shoulders all the way down to my lower back. I do not know how long she kept this up, but the next thing I knew, my alarm was going off 6 hours later.