When my cat kneads her paws on me....

[terrya]

When I'm laying on the couch or on my bed, and my cat (Chess) gets up and lays on my stomach and starts kneading her paws on my neck...

What does that mean, exactly? Is it a form of affection? Is she just wanting attention? I've heard that's a remenant of when she was a kitten...when she was bonding with her mother.

I don't THINK my cat is crazy...I've heard this is somewhat common behavior for cats.

Just wanting to understand my kitty. :-)

[librechik]

1. she's looking for the chichis

but not very hard--it's just a show of affection in an adult cat.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. It can be interperated that way by many...

in reality, we don't know for sure. It appears the cat is preparing its bed for sleep.
They do the same thing in the wild.

[TrogL]

3. Standard operating procedure

Cats are insane by our standards. You cannot read anything in to a cat's behaviour without going insane in the process.

Cats knead because they do.

Cats steal the plug out of the bathroom sink and leave in the same damn place in front of the TV three days in a row because they do.

:crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

[LEW]

5. Your cat

steals the bathroom plug too.....I thought my weird cat was the only one who did that. Drives me crazy!!!!!!!

[ironflange]

34. Ever thought of using a chain?

[Cush]

20. Lol

Our youngest use too play with the door stoppers until the rubber knobs came off.

Late at night we used to hear this "booooooing, boooooing, boooing"

[AlienGirl]

4. It's affection and bonding

She's relating to you as though you were Mama Cat, because you--by lying down with your stomach exposed--have "said" "I am Mama and I'm ready to nurse you." Cats send many of their social signals posturally, and lying with your belly exposed means, "Come nurse!" So she comes and "nurses," kneasing just as she'd knead her mother's belly to stimulate the milk-flow.

It's really very pleasurable and sweet, isn't it? Such a nice way to convey love.

Tucker

[flamingyouth]

12. You're absolutely right

I think it's sweet too, even when the claws are sharp (ouch!)

[Hawkeye-X]

19. Yikes

Years ago, while I was undergoing speech therapy, my therapists had two cats, and Puffy had claws, and he would knead me, and I was wearing shorts. OUCH!

Hawkeye-X

[Khephra]

22. Hey AG!

I haven't seen you around lately!

:hi:

[AlienGirl]

25. I've had this job thing

I'm OK, just exhausted most of the time--pushing myself really hard trying to make money to afford a visit to the kids.

I'm also going into business with you-know-who, who has taken up painting again. I'm gonna help him sell miniatures on Ebay for a commission.

I hear you're doing well, hanging out with celebs! :hi:

Tucker

[displacedtexan]

6. i asked the vet about that

he says it's perfectly normal... that my himalayan is softening her bed, just like cats in the wild do.
i call it 'happy feet' dancing.

[jus_the_facts]

8. I call it *makin' biscuits*

...sweeeeeet!! :loveya:

[Runesong]

7. That is how cats tenderize meat :)

[XanaDUer]

9. My cat does that and drools....

too. Yuck.

[CatWoman]

14. Male does too!!!!!!

she's always kneading and drooling.

I call it cat juice.

[XanaDUer]

23. LOL! Cat juice.

n/t.

[Nlighten1]

10. I call it "making buscuits"

I think it is hilarious.

[Nlighten1]

11. I call it "making buscuits"

I think it is hilarious.

[girl gone mad]

13. I believe..

cats have scent pads on their paws. She is marking her territory, just like she does when she brushes up against your leg.

[madddog]

18. every time

my cat sees me after I've been out, or he's been out, if he doesn't get at least 10 minutes of head butting, kneading, and generalized attention and affection, he makes BOTH of our lives miserable. This is normal behaviour, although I think this guy takes it a *little* too far hehehe.

[oneighty]

15. It means

if you think this is irritating you just wait till I lay across your neck tonight and PURRRR!

[Padraig18]

16. My big, macho male cat...

... nurses on my earlobe and kneads my neck while he does. This, from the 'terror of the neighborhood'... I'm so embarrassed. :P

[madddog]

24. Mine

is the neighborhood terror as well.

BTW, great sig line.

Here's one of my favorites:

"The fierce pulsation of resurgent pride that disclaims servitude may one day cease to throb in the heart of Ireland - but the heart of Ireland will that day be dead. While Ireland lives, the brain and the brawn of her manhood will strive to destroy the last vestige of British rule in her territory" --Thomas MacDonagh

and don't forget:

"Believe that we too love freedom and desire it. To us it is more desirable than anything in the world. If you strike us down now, we shall rise again and renew the fight. You cannot conquer Ireland; you cannot extinguish the Irish passion for freedom; if our deed has not been sufficient to win freedom then our children will win it with a better deed." --Padraig Pearse

Is cuma a mhairimse ach ló 'gus oíche, ach clú 'gus cáil ar m'éachtaí.

We should talk lol.

[Padraig18]

26. Aye!

Wonderful quotes, as well! :hi:

Slainte! :toast:

[madddog]

30. slainte...

Slainte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mna go deo!

Make mine Murphy's amber hehehe.

[Eileen]

35. Ceartúchán....

Sláinte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mná go deo!


Ceapaim an beannacht sin sé chuig - na mná álainn amháin - nach ea?

Éilín

[Maccagirl]

17. My Maddie does it too

But only when I'm laying down on the couch or in bed. She hates to be held or picked up-but at night she must be touching me or she won't go to sleep. My Spencer is just the opposite-won't leave me alone during waking hours but never kneads and just folds his little paws underneath himself at bedtime, hangs his head and goes to sleep on the dresser. I have finally given up trying to understand either of them.

[corarose]

21. She wants to make bread so she is needing DOUGH

Just kidding!

All Cat's make dough when they are babies to express their Mothers milk when they are hooked up at the milk bar.

[Philostopher]

28. There are vets (and animal behaviorists) who call it

'milk treading,' which would tend to lend weight to that theory. I think it's probably a reflex that they indulge when they're in a situation where they feel safe -- sort of a 'kinetic memory' of doing exactly what you say.

Turning around before they lie down, which many of them do, is a 'mashing down the grass' reflex, from what I understand. Both cats and dogs -- and perhaps other animals, I don't know -- do this even when there's no grass.

It occurs to me there may be also something to another poster's theory about them marking with the glands in their feet -- I haven't been in a position to watch nursing kittens since I found out about the scent glands in their paws, does anybody know if they 'reserve' a teat? Maybe that's part of it, too, I don't know.

(edited typo)

[corarose]

31. My Sister said her Cat made dough when she was dying on Friday

They make dough when they are sick and dying also.

[Philostopher]

32. Maybe it's like purring.

I've heard they also do that when they're in pain or know they're going to die, as much as we as humans tend to associate purring with their pleasure. The treading may also be something they do to comfort themselves when they know they're in bad shape.

[corarose]

33. I heard it has something to do with their memories as a Kitty

The comfort and the warmth of Mama Cat.

[AlienGirl]

37. I'm of a mystical bent about that

The first death I ever watched close-up was that of a baby starling. Right before he died, he gaped three times, the way baby birds do when they're asking their mother to feed them. It gave me chills; I had the impression that he was asking for--and receiving--something from some supernatural Source. I remember thinking that whatever was comforting him in that last moment was too big and deep for me to understand. I was four years old. The hairs on my arms still stand up when I think about it.

I suspect that's why dying cats knead, too. During dying, every living thing regresses...

Tucker

[jonoboy]

27. don't EVER believe your cat..they always want something

[Padraig18]

29. LOL!

:P

[Demonaut]

36. She wants to breast feed

so whip it out