Why Do Cats Knead?

By jamie

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Domestic cats are quite loveable animals that are full of personality. They are known for their playfulness, especially when young, and can also be very affectionate toward their owners. They also often display characteristics that are a clear throwback to their wild heritage, and many will still hunt when given the opportunity.

Cats are also known for their quirky habits and sometimes quite odd behavior. One of the habits is the process of pawing and clawing at soft objects such as pillows, or even their owner’s legs. This behavior is known as preaching, and here’s a look at why they do it.

1. Stimulate Milk Production

Cats are mammals, just like we are, and this means that young kittens will drink milk directly from their mother’s breasts. As such, cats have mammary glands (breasts) just as people do. When it comes to feeding time, kittens will knead their mother’s breasts in order to help stimulate the breasts into making more milk. This is not painful for the mother, after all, kittens are very small and only have the strength to knead very lightly. This is not always the case when they get older, though, and some cats can cause considerable pain to people when kneading.

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