So Piper Cat is on a cushion, kneading it with his front paws and purring.
What is it about kneading that makes cats happy?
When they do it on your lap, it’s because they’re masochists.
When they do it on the sofa cushion, it’s just a left over mechanism from when they were kittens nursing from their mothers.
I vaguely remember reading an article that said something to the effect that well cared for cats never really mature (mentally). So them kneading the cushions is just a way to alleviate stress and feel secure.
ETA: Or so I’ve been told. I have no science to back any of the above up.
Same reason they purr; Behavior they used to have with their mother. They use that to push the milk out of their mother. They learn to associate purring and kneading with nice situations, especially when parent-substitutes like owners are involved.
Correction: Cats are Sadist not Masochist. (I’m always getting those two confused.)
It seems that a cat that kneads a lot was taken from its mother early. Cats that are weaned properly tend not to have kneading behaviour - or it is much reduced. As MichaelEmouse writes, kittens do this to stimulate the flow of milk. Seems the behaviours get welded into a confused mess in some domesticated cats. Something that matches the idea that domesticated cats are never fully adult - and are slightly confused about their relationship to their owners (partly you are their mother, partly you are their kitten, and all of the time their subject.)
The basis of the behavior is from stimulating milk production in the momma cat, as has been stated, but as the cat grows it becomes a self-calming behavior. Dogs also have their own self-calming behaviors, generally licking themselves. I have a friend who has a rescue dog with some mental issues* and he has a blanket that he wads up into a ball and sucks on. He was clearly taken from his mother too early because that behavior is pretty rare in adult dogs.
*His face is so adorably cute that only the hardest of hearts can resist going up to love on him, which is dangerous because he growls and snaps at strangers. He’s like a landmine. They’re working with him to correct that, but it’s a long row to hoe because these issues were established in his little brain at such a young age.
They do it because they’re needy.
Ah, mother issues. They are like little people.
Cats are Meowcists, surely?
Despite the claim cats are independent, my cats knead me.
Something to do with gluten?
They do so because they are natural born dough kneaders. Do Like I do, profit from their innate habit: put kitty and her pals to work kneading bread and sell it on the open market.
But why? Other baby animals don’t kneed and they get feed all the same.
Evidence of dogs kneading: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dog+kneading
As for why cats and dogs do it, I’m guessing it has to do with the position in which they feed. When the breast is higher than the mouth like in cows or humans, gravity gets the milk out. When the mother is laid out on her side, mouth and breast may be at the same level, requiring some force to extract the milk reliably.
Why cats and dogs lay on their side? My WAG is that when you have a large litter of babies that have difficulty standing up, you have to lay out a buffet low enough for all of them to reach it while only being able to crawl. When you have one or two offspring who can stand (like calves), you can feed them standing up, letting gravity do the work. When you have a mother that can carry the baby up to her breast and position the baby slightly down like humans, gravity can also do the work.
Other animals do knead, they just have other ways to do it. Commonly, they push into the udders with their heads. It’s possible that cats, having such short muzzles, can;t do that effectively.
I would not call gravity a primary means of milk extraction from humans. The suckling of the infant is the primary stimulus.
Oh and I call that kneading action by cats “making biscuits.”
Yeah, I tried that with my ex. All I got for the effort was a restraining order filed against me.
But, on a less flippant note, they probably knead for one of the more commonly discussed reasons: they’re reverting to kitten-hood milking methodology; simulating fluffing their bedding; demonstrating their undying affection toward you; stretching…or showing you she can knead bread so you can sell it for a profit on the open market.
Another thing to consider: Don’t cats have more dexterity and mobility with their paws than dogs or other four legged creatures do?
I mean, a cat can pick a piece of kibble up off the floor and stick it in their mouth. I don’t think a dog can do that.
So by that virtue alone, if their paws make better tools than other four legged creatures, it seems only natural that they would use them more.
Yes, my dearly departed cat, Tibby (yeah, we share the same name, so what of it), used to bottom deal all the time when we played poker…that pussy cleaned me out on a regular basis.
On a more serious note: yes, cats do have an amazing amount of digital dexterity!
Cats do it to mark their territory. They have scent glands in their paws.