Why Do Cats Knead?

Kneading is quite a common behaviour for cats. Age, breed or gender tend to have no impact on how much or if they do it so any cat, any age is just as likely to resort to kneading behaviour.

They will tend to knead when they are about to get comfortable and rest, often on their owner’s lap just before they settle down. The behaviour consists of them performing a back-and-forth motion with their paws, one by one. It’s given the nickname making biscuits because it very closely resembles the motion we make when kneading dough.

As cats knead, they will often purr and dribble at the same time while they get comfortable. Some cats will have their claws out while they knead, while others will do it with their claws drawn in. Most cats will just use their two forelimbs to knead while some will use all four to get in all the extra kneading they can.

When a cat kneads, it generally means they’re happy. The kneading behaviour is thought to start when they’re newborns and they must feed from their mother. The kneading motion helps to release milk as they’re feeding from her. This behaviour then continues as they get older in times when they are feeling comfortable and settling down. Kittens would often feed from their mother before taking a nice long, milk drunk nap.

As they’re getting ready to take a nap as adults they may resort to similar behaviour as a means of comforting themselves, like when humans suck their thumbs when they feel comfortable or cuddle a stuffed animal. It’s a self-soothing behaviour they perform when they’re feeling good.

Cats will knead their owners when they settle down to relax. They will only perform the behaviour when they feel entirely comfortable so you should be flattered if your feline friend chooses you to make some biscuits on.

Some cats will knead their owners when they are being stroked so in a way, it’s like they’re returning the affectionate gesture. Unfortunately for those whose cats have their claws out while they knead, it can be quite uncomfortable. You may want to adopt the habit of sitting with a nice thick blanket on your lap. It will add extra comfort for your moggy but also protect your legs from those claws.

The motion of kneading can become something that simply comforts a cat and becomes a habit that they perform as they’re settling down to rest. Through nursing as kittens, they would have been fed by performing this action which delivered a feeling of comfort. The act itself becomes so linked to feelings to comfort that it then makes them feel comforted even if they don’t get milk from it. It becomes rewarding to perform and they therefore continue to knead whenever they settle down onto soft furnishings and places of comfort.

Any comforting behaviour that stimulated the brain to release endorphins can become excessive when a cat relies on it to self soothe. When our beloved pets are stressed, they can resort to behaviours they know to bring them comfort like kneading. By performing this behaviour, they can make themselves feel better and so it is successful at providing them with the comfort they need.

During extended periods of stress, they may come to rely on the behaviour too much. It’s a bit like building up a tolerance to a medication. After doing it so much it will become less effective, so they repeat the behaviour more and more until it may not even be soothing to them anymore, it just becomes a habit they perform without really fulfilling anything for them. The behaviour can then be considered out of context when it doesn’t fulfil the role or help them perform the task, they previously used it for.

They may just be using it a lot while they’re stressed so it’s down to you to figure out the source of the stress to reduce the behaviour. It isn’t something to cause immediate concern but providing extra anxiety relief for a period may help.

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