Why Do Cats Knead Certain Blankets

But why do they continue to knead past nursing age.

Why do cats knead certain blankets. Kittens knead their mother s stomach to stimulate the flow of milk from the teat into their mouths. A kitten will knead her paws against her mother s stomach when she is nursing. Wild felines knead on soft grasses and leaves outside to mold them into a comfortable sleeping surface. Cats knead a soft cuddly blanket as a habit from when they were kittens.

You might have heard the theory but do you know what adult cats would hold on to kitten li. Why your cat kneads this habit begins when cats are young and are dependent on their mother for food. This means that they can claim the blanket as their territory by kneading it. Besides kneading this feline action is also sometimes called making biscuits or kneading dough because of how it imitates the way humans make bread.

Here are a few reasons why cats may knead blankets. The pressure from the pressing motion stimulates the flow of mom s milk through her nipples. Cats have many quirky habits but among the most notable is kneading and sucking on blankets. Cats to find comfort cats also tend to knead pillows or their beds in order to make them softer and more comfortable to sleep.

Also kittens knead their mother s nipples to release milk. Kneading can also signal a form of territorial marking. This is also why some cats dribble when they knead. As newborns kittens will often knead their mother s belly as they come in to nurse the motion is thought to stimulate flow of the milk.

Unspayed female cats often knead just before going into heat as a sign of their eagerness to mate. They expect the milk that would have come from their mum after kneading her stomach. Felines have scent glands in their paws. You might find your cat kneading blankets stuffed animals or other soft objects around the house.

Cats start to knead as kittens while nursing from their mother. Cats will usually do this on soft surfaces like blankets pillows and even particularly comfortable spots on your own clothing. This behavior is inherited by their ancestors wild cats who used their paws to soften the grass and large leaves where they found a space to rest. Mother cats may knead on blankets to form them into a nest for their kittens.

So just why do cats knead blankets. Cats may knead on a blanket before settling down to sleep to make themselves more comfortable and to unwind.