{"id":1021,"date":"2018-05-23T16:10:20","date_gmt":"2018-05-23T16:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/?p=1021"},"modified":"2018-05-23T16:10:20","modified_gmt":"2018-05-23T16:10:20","slug":"why-do-cats-knead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/why-do-cats-knead\/","title":{"rendered":"Kitty 101: Why do Cats Knead?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1022\" title=\"A stripped kitty kneads on a cat tree\" src=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/iStock-892770572_super-1500x1058.jpg\" alt=\"Cats knead because it feels good\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/iStock-892770572_super-1500x1058.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/iStock-892770572_super-768x541.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/iStock-892770572_super-1536x1083.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/iStock-892770572_super.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Part of the fun of cat ownership is observing the many \u201cuniquely feline behaviors\u201d displayed by our sweet kitties. Stalking, pouncing, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/veterinary-services\/spa-services.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fastidious grooming<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and tail twitches are just some of the many examples of behaviors we observe in cats but not other pets. Kneading (the rhythmic, alternating push and pull of the front paws against a soft surface) is another common, yet puzzling, universal cat behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, why do cats knead?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Matter of Comfort<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyone who\u2019s had the privilege of watching a cat knead can tell this is a pleasurable and comforting activity. Kittens knead their mother\u2019s belly to stimulate the flow of milk, and it\u2019s very likely this positive association has been carried over into their adult lives, regardless of when or how they were weaned. <\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It Comes With the Territory<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats are extremely territorial and use scent glands to mark their territory. Scent glands located in the paw pads are stimulated through kneading, releasing your cat\u2019s unique scent onto whatever surface they\u2019re pummeling. So, when cats knead your lap, they\u2019re not only conveying a sense of comfort and security, they\u2019re also telling the world that you\u2019re part of their territory!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats Knead, Deal With It<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although you would never want to deny your pet any pleasure, it can be a bit disruptive when kitty chooses your furniture, clothing, or lap (ouch!) as their preferred kneading location. You can mitigate the damage in the following ways:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your cat\u2019s nails trimmed. You can do this at home using a cat nail trimmer to clip the sharp, curved tips of each claw. Be careful to avoid the quick (the nail\u2019s blood supply). You can also ask us for help the next time your cat is in for a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/2018\/03\/pet-wellness\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wellness checkup<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide plenty of cat-approved scratching surfaces, and redirect kitty when possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep a pillow or towel near your favorite seat to slip between your lap and your cat\u2019s paws.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protect the corners of your furniture with towels or other barriers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have your female cat spayed, as instances of kneading (and other behaviors) often increase just before going into heat.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your cat doesn\u2019t mean to scratch you during kneading, but it can happen. Thoroughly wash any scratches with soap and water since cat claws can harbor dangerous bacteria.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quirky Cuteness<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Animal Medical Hospital<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, kneading is one of our absolute favorite feline behaviors. Please <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/#contact\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">give us a call<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with any questions or concerns about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/2017\/09\/best-transport-cat-vet\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your cat<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Part of the fun of cat ownership is observing the many \u201cuniquely feline behaviors\u201d displayed by our sweet kitties. Stalking, pouncing, fastidious grooming, and tail twitches are just some of the many examples of behaviors we observe in cats but not other pets. Kneading (the rhythmic, alternating push and pull of the front paws against [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,41,46],"tags":[113,125,738],"class_list":["post-1021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-health-wellness","category-cats-meow","category-you-your-pet","tag-cat-behavior","tag-cat-kneading","tag-why-does-my-cat-make-biscuits"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Kitty 101: Why do Cats Knead? | Animal Medical Hospital Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Stalking, pouncing, fastidious grooming, and tail twitches are just some of the many examples of behaviors we observe in cats but not other pets. Kneading (the rhythmic, alternating push and pull of the front paws against a soft surface) is another common, yet puzzling, universal cat behavior. So, why do cats knead?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/why-do-cats-knead\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kitty 101: Why do Cats Knead? | Animal Medical Hospital Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Stalking, pouncing, fastidious grooming, and tail twitches are just some of the many examples of behaviors we observe in cats but not other pets. Kneading (the rhythmic, alternating push and pull of the front paws against a soft surface) is another common, yet puzzling, universal cat behavior. 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