Why do cats feel the "knead"?

Question

One of my cats kneads her area before she lays down. Or if something is soft on her feet she really gets those claws out there and mushes and smooshes sometimes getting fabric hung up in her nail/grip. Lately when she lays on my chest and stretches, she tries to knead my face. She is purring so loud it sounds like a dog growling, so I know she is happy, but why my face.......and why my furniture.....why ?

Answer 1

I have 7 cats and most of them knead, we call it "makin biscuits" I read somewhere that it reminds a cat of being a kitten. Like when they used to knead the mothers nipples for milk. It's a comfort thing and they do it to you because they love you. Yes it hurts sometimes but it's cuz of love.

Answer 2

We know cats knead due to when they were kittens when they were with their mother and we know they are content and happy when they knead. But kneading your face, that is brilliant. She truely loves you 100%. Count yourself lucky

Answer 3

To make it softer, and comfortable. All cats try to knead faces, just gently brush her paw off.

Answer 4

Cat's at kittens knead to get their mother's to produce milk. I have one cat that loves to knead a blanket of mine but only when my scent is on it. And she turns so she is kneading against me, a leg, an arm, my head - something. She's always looked to me as another mother, like a hairless cat. Kneading is a way they show happiness and if it's against you, it's how a cat shows their love to you (also look for their attempts to groom you. My oldest cat tries to lick the water off my husband and I when we get out of a shower, and if our hair is dirty, she tries to lick it clean. When I was sick for a week, I couldn't take a shower, and she would try and lick my hands, arms, face, anyplace she smelled that was dirty - and it was, it'd been a week! but even if it's not dirty both cats still like to groom both me and my husband, especially as we're petting either cat).

As for why one cat does it and my other doesn't? We were told my youngest (the one that kneads) was 6 weeks old when she was given to us. She was the last to leave her mother, and sometimes kittens need more time. A few things happened, either she wasn't 6 weeks, she wasn't ready to leave yet, or she was the runt. We're not sure, because she had no idea about cleaning herself, how to use a litter box, she couldn't take care of herself, lucky for us, our older cat, taught her everything she needed to know but she's always been a needy cat - clingy. And she clung to me following me if I left the room longer than two minutes, whining if she couldn't find me or just whining if she bumped her head and wanted a pet to know she was alright, whining for me to ease her fears (I truely believe she has a fear at times of abandonment and being left alone after a surgery I had, I couldn't risk my cats jumping on the bed and pouncing on my stomach so I begged my mother to take care of them. She placed them in a small room with a litter box, food, water, and closed the door opening the shade for them to look out returning nightly for a few minutes to pet them and locking them away again all because they still had their claws and her claim was my younger cats would infect her older cats using their claws (they had never been outside in their lives, and shots were up to date). To this day we cannot have a closed door in our house). My youngest was so small as a kitten she slept in the curve of my neck for warmth at night (I don't move and I lay on my back). To this day she still sleeps by my head, or against a leg, arm or something but to get to sleep - she has to knead that blanket against me before she can settle in for the night.

Answer 5

They are happy and nestling for that perfect spot to lay down

Answer 6

It's one of the ways a cat shows affection for 'their' humans, also a way of showing their contentment. It's also called PADDY-PAWING, btw.

Answer 7

Your cat loves you a lot by doing that. :)