Why do cats knead with their paws?
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Julia Albright, University of Tennessee  (THE CONVERSATION)  Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question youd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Scientists who study cat behavior call this distinctive paw action kneading and believe it to be a sign of a relaxed cat. My own cats knead before taking a nap near me. While they are kneading, they purr  one of them gets so relaxed, he sometimes drools. Kneading usually occurs near a favorite person. As a veterinarian, I think its important to recognize the little moments your cat is telling you shes happy to be near you. Kneading in kittens  If youre ever around newborn kittens, you will see kneading pretty quickly after birth. A kitten kneads on his mothers abdomen as a way of telling her he is hungry and ready for her milk. At the same time, the kitten usually purrs, which is a sound created by rapid vibrations of certain throat muscles. Purring is a signal for attention. Using these two behaviors, kittens are asking their moms, also known as queens, to remain still so they can continue suckling. Young kittens usually fall asleep while suckling. Kittens stop drinking their mothers milk by about two months of age. Ready to relax  Kneading seems to be more common in some cats than others. If your cat doesnt knead, it could mean he is a little stressed  or it could just be that your cat doesnt display relaxation or affection in that manner. But many cats do continue kneading into adulthood. Its pretty safe to assume a cat who is kneading is feeling calm, content and ready to settle down, just like a kitten settling in to suckle and sleep. You may already know that when your cat bunts, or butts his head and rubs his cheek, head and body against your leg or an object near you, he is putting his scent in these locations. Cats also have scent glands between their toes, prompting some people to suggest that cats are also putting a familiar, comforting scent on their sleeping area when they knead. Dont bother to look for these glands on your own cat. They are not easily visible. Subtle signals  Kneading may also be a form of communication between cats and their people. If youve been around dogs, you know most are quite obvious in letting humans know they want something or like someone. For thousands of years, people have purposely bred dogs to be fun companions, as well as to have useful behaviors such as herding, tracking or guarding. Cats and people have also lived together for thousands of years  and humans have appreciated their amazing natural mousing skills. Only recently have people tried to breed cats, but mostly for their appearance, not for specific behaviors. The result is that cats are a little more subtle than dogs in their ways of telling a person, I like you. Kneading is one of those clues. Hello, curious kids! Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live. And since curiosity has no age limit  adults, let us know what youre wondering, too. We wont be able to answer every question, but we will do our best. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/why-do-cats-knead-with-their-paws-156254.