Why does our cat "knead" the bed before he goes to sleep? Do all cats do this?

Answer 1

Not all cats do, but I'd say they are a majority. It stems from kittenhood; kittens "knead" at their mother's breasts to stimulate milk flow. It seems to be a sign that kitty is happy and content when they do this. I've had cats outgrow this behavior, but many more that did it all their lives.

Answer 2

I understand your dilemma. The cat should have a place to stay that is not in the bed. It's OK for a single person to sleep with an animal, but not OK unless both of you want the cat in bed. The cat could stay in your apartment or house. Get it a kitty bed and put it in another room for the night. I would be jealous too. Tell you wife it's either you or the cat. If she chooses the cat, move to the guest bedroom (if you have one) or the couch to sleep. It would not be wise to cheat, but I would worry about my marriage if my wife loved our pets more than me. A pet should never come between the intimacy of a husband and a wife. The cat doesn't have to suffer; it just need to know its place.

Answer 3

I have always called this "makin muffins". The kneading is a learned behavior from when they nursed their Mother. In order to get more milk, they knead the breast to get more milk. It's a happy, comfort thing. Cat's do not knead or "make muffins" if they are not happy. It is normal behavior for a happy cat.

Answer 4

Kittens get milk by nursing from their mother. They press against their mother with one paw and then the other. This is called "kneading". Kneading helps the mother cat give milk to the kittens. When adult cats knead with her paws, it reminds her of her mother when she was a kitten.

Answer 5

Yes, most cats do this. When a kitten is being fed by it's mother it kneads at the mothers nipples to help get milk. It's their instinct.

Answer 6

When they're kittens, cats knead their mother's teats to get the milk to flow. As they age, many cats continue this behavior whenever they're feeling especially well-cared for and mellow; they knead pillows, blankets and even people re-living that feeling of warmth and contentment they had as kittens.

Answer 7

My cat does this too. My friend calls it "making biscuits" because it looks like the cat is kneading dough ;)

Answer 8

it's a sign that they are happy our cats do it all the time one the bed and when they are doing it they normally are purring. They normally do it on the comforter or a blanket, I even had 1 cat that also drulled when she knead.

Answer 9

Probably for the same reason dogs often turn circles before laying down: In the wild, they would do this to make a more comfortable place to sleep.

Answer 10

My cat does that too. It's called, "woogering." I think she does it because it makes her feel more secure until she feels comfortable enough to stop doing it and rest. My cat does this everynight. Sometimes I talk to her softly to help her feel more secure and relaxed and it seems to cut down on the amount of time she spends woogering.