What does it mean when cats gently pounds at a bed with their front paws?

Answer 1

I have also been told it is the sign of a happy cat. So put all our responses together, and that gives a good picture of what may be happening.

Answer 2

This action is called keaning or kneading. A kitten will do this when scuckling from its mother. The kitten depresses either side of the teat in turn. This makes the milk flow through the teat. As all cats stay kittenish (they love to be stroked and petted) this is just another display of childish behaviour. A cat will kean when it is comfortable to when settling down.

Answer 3

It means your cat is trying to tell you it's time to wash your bedding, the cat is beating the dust out of your bed sheets... (lol)
Actually, your cat problably smells your scent on the bed and reacts to it in the same manner he affectionately would when he's with you.

Answer 4

Ah Ah... I can relate to Andrew

My cat only does it when he is sitting on me.

Not so bad in winter.
But when I wear light clothing in summer, those claws are just about killing me.

I have never figured out what it is all about.
I know he is happy to see me...
But milk?... Forget it! I am a wine person.

Answer 5

Cats do this in order to stimulate the milk supply. It is an instinct left over from when they were kittens feeding from their mother.

Answer 6

maybe its an age old instinct where as in the wild, they sort of stamp down leaves, grass etc to make a bed.. I know our cats have always purred while doing this.. funny huh?

Answer 7

I know that the main reason is that they are doing this from instinct , it's what they do as youngsters to gain more milk from their mothers. Personally, I also think it's something to do with treading the grass down to make themselves comfy - another instinctual thing.

Answer 8

You are lucky your cat only kneads the bed. Mine sometimes gets on my knee and then starts kneading my chest, eyes closed and claws out, which does little good to my pullover or the chest beneath.

Answer 9

Ha HA Quickly replace the bed with some dough and see if you can train your cat to make bread.

Answer 10

Normally it would scratch or pee all over your bed to mark it as its territory but seeing how it's such a sweet li'l puddy it does just that - definitely a new age domestically sensitive kind of cat.