Why Do Cats Knead Your Stomach

Sometimes it hurts.

Why do cats knead your stomach. One reason why cats knead paws stems from their kittenhood. Because kittens use this motion to satisfy a need they often associate the habit with a good thing and bring it into their adult cat life as well. Cats knead when they are feeling happy or contented. They do it with your jeans.

A nursing kitten will instinctively knead at their mother s abdomen to help stimulate milk production. They may purr stretch and knead the air while lying on their side to tell male cats that they can approach for possible mating. Kittens knead when they are nursing and it is thought it gives them the same comfort as adults. Kneading mom s teats stimulates the let down response causing the milk to flow more freely.

On occasions cats have also been seen to knead when they are under stress. It s a comfort sign from them you have happy kitties who are so glad to be around you. Kneading could be a way to alleviate stress similar to humans biting their fingernails or showing contentment. Female cats have an additional reason for kneading.

When they re little babies they do it to stimulate the flow of milk from their mother. Kittens knead at their mother s tummy when they re hungry and looking for milk. This can involve claws. It s just a sign of them pleasing the boss.

Long after they ve left their mothers sides cats continue to knead. The movements are instinctive and since they incur a reward kitty naturally transfers the behavior to other places and things in the hope of more good things to come. 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. Alternatively the behavior may be a remnant of a newborn s kneading of the mother s teat to stimulate milk secretion.

Others theorize that the habit is a carry over from their ancient feline ancestors in the wild whose kneading was actually a practical way of tramping down grass or foliage to make a bed and. Kittens must nurse their mother to get life sustaining milk. 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. You are right as kittens they knead their mom when getting milk.

Cats tend to knead on soft things like bedding or your stomach. Multiple theories exist that explain why cats knead. There are theories that cats do it because they were taken from their mothers too soon and are trying to duplicate that happy protected time in their lives. One reason cats knead is to make a soft bed or clear a space to doze.

However even cats that stay in the same homes as their moms knead. Their ancestors did this with tall grass or leaves.