Why Do Cats Knead And Nurse On Blankets

Have you ever noticed how a cat will knead you with their paws.

Why do cats knead and nurse on blankets. Cats have many quirky habits but among the most notable is kneading and sucking on blankets. In this animalwised video on why do. Mother cats may knead on blankets to form them into a nest for their kittens. Kneading may have an origin going back to cats wild ancestors.

A cat kneading a soft blanket. Cats knead a soft cuddly blanket as a habit from when they were kittens. The pressure from the pressing motion stimulates the flow of mom s milk through her nipples. Other theories on why cats knead similar to the theory about how dogs dig in their beds as a natural denning instinct it s believed that cats also might have used kneading in the wild to help soften dirt or pat down leaves for comfy sleeping quarters.

Kneading also colloquially known as making biscuits is an activity common to all domestic cats whereby when in a state of ease they alternately push out and pull in their front paws often alternating between right and left limbs. Also kittens knead their mother s nipples to release milk. You might find your cat kneading blankets stuffed animals or other soft objects around the house. By instinct beginning at birth kitties nurse from their mothers and use their feet to knead mommy cat s belly to get more milk.

A kitten will knead her paws against her mother s stomach when she is nursing. This means that they can claim the blanket as their territory by kneading it. Cats often perform this motion on soft surfaces including pillows blankets other animals and even people. But why do they continue to knead past nursing age.

A nursing kitten instinctually kneads to help stimulate the mother s milk production. Siamese and other oriental breed cats are more likely to nurse fabric than other cats. It is a common behavior of kittens and adult cats alike. Cats may knead on a blanket before settling down to sleep to make themselves more comfortable and to unwind.

Although there doesn t seem to be any genetic cause for this it s well known that oriental breed cats require. Felines have scent glands in their paws. There are a few ways to answer the question why does my cat knead blankets explanations for why cats knead vary but it is without doubt an instinctive trait. Cats start to knead as kittens while nursing from their mother.

Newborn kittens knead their mother s belly as they snuggle close to nurse and the motion is thought to stimulate the flow of milk through her nipples.