weird/almost embarrassing behavior

My cat, Mamba, was found as a newborn in a box with her siblings in the rain.

I heard about her and adopted her when she was a little over one month old. We bonded right away.

Within a few days of our meeting, a strange thing happened. I took a shower and then sat on my bed before getting dressed. Mamba crawled on me and actually made an attempt to nurse. That was over one year ago. It has not happened since. Still, Mamba is obsessed with me.

Is it possible that Mamba thinks I am her real mother? If so, does that mean that she thinks I am a cat? She knew her siblings briefly and there is another cat in the house. She does know what a real cat looks like.

I think she was taken frtom her mom too soon - that is a bahavious exhibited sometimes by orphans and bottle babies.

If she no longer does it, it is hardly a problem and actually kittens who knead and suckle are kind of cute imho.

My Sluggo STILL tries to suckle from me and is always kneading my neck. I got him when he was 10 weeks old, so I know it wasn't because he left his momma too early. Maybe it's comforting to them?

What is the significance of kneading? Mamba does that every now and then.

10 weeks is too young for many kittens to leave mama and the fact she was kneading is one example of it. The otimum time is 12 weeks tho some breeders will even wait longer. All the CFA members here use 12 weeks as their guideline.

Baby kittens knead and obviously suckle their mama cat and when they are taken away before they are ready, they still look for her. Some babies will continue the behaviour of kneading or as some call it (Making biscuits) most of their life at times of stress or just as a behaviour - it all depends on the cicumstance and melieu the kitty is in. I do not think it means they are insecure as some ppl think but certainly they are looking for comfort.

I do know the behaviour goes back to when they were tiny kittens and were nursing from their mama. When a kitten suckles, it will knead its mother's stomach with its tiny paws to stimulate the milk flow. Sometimes kittens will salivate a little in anticipation (and sometimes adult cats will do a little drooling while they knead us). This "milk-kneading" is called) is done at a slow pace of about 1 stroke every 2 seconds. And the little kitten purrs loudly while kneading. I think cats see us relaxed and take it as a signal to knead. So I do think cats that knead are happy and contented and that should be a compliment to you!

My Rosie does it now an again on her blankie and she's 3 year old

As for kneading. Many grown up cats do it still, even when taken away at 12 weeks or more. Our Muskis does it, and he was taken away at 15 weeks - as he had a little injury in one eye. (no delivery before they completely healthy).

As for Mambitas question. Yes, the key to understand cats is to see them as social animals, and they see us as a sort of a little peculiar very big cats.

Both Usva and Milla knead. Usva, now six years old, was abandoned with her siblings as a baby, just like Mamba, and she is still obsessed about me, so that really does sound normal for an ex-rescue kitten. Milla was with her mother and brother 'till 15 weeks, so kneading seems to be just what some cats like to do.

I've had Gracie since she was 6 weeks old, right after she was taken away from her mother, which I know now was too young. Of my three, she's definitely the most attached and has never bonded to another person. She grooms me A LOT! I know I'm mom to her and that's fine with me.

Ellie suckles and kneads on me at every opportunity and she is over a year old now.

Both of mine do too, and they were 10 weeks old when I got them. They see me as momcat, and that's fine by me!