Two Reasons Why Cats Knead Paws
You've probably witnessed the behavior hundreds of times. You might even have been the recipient of it. Kitty picks out a likely spot, and begins working those paws like she's stomping grapes with Lucy and Ethel. Sometimes it's just soft pawing, sometimes the claws spring into action, but while she's into it, she's totally focused on the job at hand, er... paw.
Cats just seem to have a deep seated need to knead, and they are not particularly concerned whether they are kneading their own comfy cat bed, your couch cushions, or better yet, your lap.
The question seems to be not so much whether they enjoy this activity, but what inspires them to do it. Let's examine two of the strongest reasons.
Emotional Security
One reason why cats knead paws stems from their kittenhood. Kittens must nurse their mother to get life-sustaining milk. Kneading mom, stimulates the let-down response, causing the milk to flow more freely. 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.
Territorial Marking
While kitty generally kneads its paws to make sure its chosen spot is as comfy as possible, there is another reason for this behavior.
Cats have scent glands located in the pads of their feet near the base of their claws, and each feline produces its own unique scent. While humans don't generally notice this scent, other cats and animals can, so the scent serves as a marker to show where your cat has been.
When kitty wants to mark out the boundaries of its territory, it will paw and perhaps even run its claws across the item, leaving those signature scratches and a bit of personal eau de feline in the bargain.
I read this on the internet and it touch me today.
While at work this afternoon, my doctor ask me to get a cute Torti cat out of her cage and prep her for an ultrasound. Her name was Tabitha. Right away I could tell she was in much discomfort. I am always one to take special care of all the cats, but especially Torti's, because I have one at home. Well, the Ultrasound revealed cancerous growths in her stomach and liver, and really all through her abdomen. The call was made to her owner and the decision was made to put her to sleep. It was the right decision since she couldn't eat anymore. We gave her some pain medication, and waited for the owner to come down to the hospital to say her goodbyes.
While waiting, I decided to just talk to the kitty and pet her myself. For 10 minutes, I pet her and found her favorite spot, along the bridge of her nose, and around her eyes. She also favored her chin. Minutes went by and slowly she started purring. Then I saw her toes start moving. For several minutes this kitty was lost in the time of her kittenhood, purring and kneading. Within the hour her owner had come and said her goodbyes. 17 year old Domestic Tortoise hair cat, named Tabitha.
