Why Do Cats Knead Your Belly

Some cats even suckle on the surface they re kneading.

Why do cats knead your belly. Cats begin kneading instinctually as kittens when they are nursing to help stimulate their mothers milk. However if they are immediately ready to mate they will not knead their paws and will instead raise their pelvis with the tail to one side. We think adult cats knead because it s connected with the soothing and comfortable practice from when they were kittens. They may purr stretch and knead the air while lying on their side to tell male cats that they can approach for possible mating.

Cats knead on beds on soft blankets and sometimes they knead their humans. Kneading may have an origin going back to cats wild ancestors who had to tread down grass or foliage to make a temporary nest in which to rest. So even as you re wincing against the needle sharp claws digging in to your flesh you don t dare interrupt such a happy bake off. One reason cats knead is to make a soft bed or clear a space to doze.

While some people speculate that cats who were separated or weaned from their mothers too early will continue to knead as adults most felines knead throughout life no matter how early they were weaned probably because the motion is comforting to them. Adding further weight to the explanation. You may be wondering. Well kittens usually knead their mother s belly while breastfeeding.

They do it with your jeans. When he confuses you for something soft and doughy it s not really because he s hinting at you to get in shape he s just very content. This can involve claws. Why do cats knead blankets and your belly.

Newborn kittens know instinctively to knead the mother s belly to stimulate a flow of milk through her nipples. When cats are young they will knead their mothers to stimulate milk production johnson told insider. It s the same reason some cats drool. Though your cat may be long past nursing age they might still enjoy the comforting sensation of being close to a protective figure they associate with kneading.

Alternatively the behavior may be a remnant of a newborn s kneading of the mother s teat to stimulate milk secretion. Sometimes it hurts. Female cats have an additional reason for kneading. Multiple theories exist that explain why cats knead.

In adulthood a cat supposedly will knead when it s feeling happy or content because it associates the motion with the comforts of nursing and its mother. Kneading is when your cat alternates their front paws in a rhythmic fashion on a soft squishy surface. Cats knead with their front paws but nobody s sure why they do it. Here are five possible reasons why your cat needs to knead.

Cats are hard wired to knead with their front paws.