Why Do Kittens Knead On Blankets

Their ancestors did this with tall grass or leaves.

Why do kittens knead on blankets. 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. Cats may knead on a blanket before settling down to sleep to make themselves more comfortable and to unwind. A kitten will knead her paws against her mother s stomach when she is nursing.

Like thumb sucking in little children nursing wool is a behavior that provides a sense of comfort and safety. Why cats knead blankets and other soft objects cats start to knead as kittens while nursing from their mother. Because the pads of your cat s paws contain scent glands her kneading emits her own distinctive scent discernable by other cats or pets but not by the human nose. A nursing kitten instinctually kneads to help stimulate the mother s milk production.

The most oft repeated explanation states that kneading is a leftover behavior from kittenhood. During nursing a kitten will knead the area around its mother s teat to promote the flow of milk. One is that they are marking their tuff by kneading their scent into the blanket. A cat kneading with blanket in mouth may also be a sign that the cat is experiencing comfort and pleasure.

In a subtle manner she s signaling that this is her own spot and that other cats can just go knead somewhere else. One reason cats knead is to make a soft bed or clear a space to doze. Kneading can also signal a form of territorial marking. 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.

But why do they continue to knead past nursing age. This means that they can claim the blanket as their territory by kneading it. If your cat is sucking on the blanket while kneading it s a comforting behavior. Mother cats may knead on blankets to form them into a nest for their kittens.

A sensitive kitten may grow up into a fabric sucking cat because that behavior reminds. Sometimes it hurts. Also kittens knead their mother s nipples to release milk. They do it with your jeans.

A cat kneading and biting blanket can be for several reasons.