Is your cat a busy biscuit baker? Kneading is a common behavior in cats that simultaneously puzzles and delights cat parents. Reasons a cat kneads can range from being content to self-soothing. Kitten instincts even play a part.
Whether your cat kneads here, there, or on your lap, we’ve rounded up the reasons behind this curious cat behavior. Plus, what to do when your kitten’s claws become too much. Over-kneading is a thing!
What Is Cat Kneading?
Also known as making biscuits, kneading is when cats push their paws down on a soft surface, alternating each one—like kneading the dough before putting it into the oven. Not all cats knead. Some cats use their claws, and others don’t. Some cats knead their humans, and some stick to softer surfaces like blankets or the carpet. It all depends on your furry loaf.
Watch your cat carefully when they knead and pay attention to the context. This might give you more insight into why they’re kneading, from what they’re asking for to what they’re trying to tell you.
1. Cats Knead Out of Instinct
One explanation for kneading is your cat is in the “mommy zone,” says Mikel Delgado, a cat behavior consultant and postdoctoral fellow at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. “It’s a likely throwback to happy behavior from the days of kittenhood. Kneading is what kittens do when they are nursing to encourage the release of milk from mom,” she says.
Kittens are rewarded with food for their kneading behavior and, sometimes, grown-up kneading might be accompanied by suckling or a love bite. The reward stops once they stop nursing. But cats keep the positive association, and the behavior becomes a happy habit throughout life.
2. Your Cat Wants Attention
How do you respond when your cat climbs up on your lap to make some bread? Chances are that you’ve given them attention—either in the form of petting or moving them aside. This positive association of “make biscuits on human’s lap, get attention” has trained your cat to repeat the behavior.
3. Kneading Is How Cats Show Affection
Cats have plenty of ways they show affection—and depending on the situation, kneading could be one of them. Like nursing from their mama cat, your cat feels safe and cared for with you, Mikel says. In turn, their kitten instincts kick in and they’re baking up a storm on your lap!
4. Kneading Helps Cats Mark Their Territory
Cats have scent glands on the bottom of their paws, which they use to mark their territory. Typically, a cat will scratch surfaces with their claws, leaving behind their scent Mikel says. Whether they purposely leave behind territory-marking scents while kneading with their paws, that’s up for debate.
5. Cats Are In Relaxation Mode
If your cat’s kneading comes with soft eyes, slow blinking, and lots of purrs—that is one relaxed loaf. No worries here, your cat is uber relaxed and might settle down for a catnap.
You might have noticed your cat kneading on your belly or chest before they curl up to sleep. Take that moment in because it’s a huge sign of trust from your kitty!
6. They’re Trying to Self-Soothe
Kneading could be a comforting, self-soothing behavior. “A cat who is kneading due to stress might not fall asleep or relax during kneading,” Mikel explains. Other signs that your cat is kneading to self-soothe includes:
- Tail flicking
- Increased respiratory rate
- Pinned back eyes
- Hiding
- Dilated pupils
- Holding their tail tight against their body
- Aggression
7. A Form of Stretching
Everyone needs a good stretch every now and then—and that includes your cat. Kneading and pressing their paws against a surface is one way cats get a good stretch throughout their muscles. You could think of your cat’s biscuit making as a little yoga session. Or, should we say, meowoga session.
8. Cats Are Making Their Bed
Your happy house cat descends from wild ancestors, not unlike today’s lions and tigers. Their wild ancestors would knead the grass, making the ground more comfortable before grabbing some shut-eye. In fact, make a trip to the zoo and you might spot a much larger cat doing this same behavior. If you notice your cat kneading the blanket before they go to sleep, they may be mimicking the behavior of their great-great-grandcats.
9. Kneading Can Be a Mating Behavior
Cats in heat exhibit a lot of unusual behaviors—like yowling at night and sticking their hindquarters in the air. Another thing that happens is an increase in affection. The affection could translate to more biscuits on your lap. Or, females in heat are often seen lying on their sides making air biscuits.
Fixing your cat will put an end to the promiscuous biscuit making—and has numerous other benefits, too.
10. Ready to Go Into Labor
If your female cat showed signs of heat about 60 to 63 days ago, got really big, and is now making biscuits in her queening box—she might be in labor. One of the first stages of labor includes “making a nest” or arranging her queening box using her paws to knead.
When Kneading Could Be A Problem And What To Do
“Kneading is a natural behavior and there’s no reason to stop your cat from doing it,” Mikel says. But your cat probably isn’t the best massage therapist (claws!). So, when the kneading gets excessive or painful, Mikel has some tips.
Trim your cat’s nails to avoid injury or damage
My mom lovingly calls her grandkitties’ biscuit making “needling”—and she’s not wrong. To prevent painful kneading on your lap, keep your cat’s nails trimmed. This makes for more enjoyable cuddles with your cat. Plus, properly trimmed nails will prevent ingrown nails and keep your furniture safe from wandering paws.
If you find freshly trimmed nails still cause havoc to your lap, add a cozy blanket between yourself and your cat. Or, gently stand up and walk away so your cat can’t sit on your lap.
Redirect your cat with a toy or treats if you need them off your lap
Long periods of happy kneading aren’t anything to worry about—if they’re not accompanied by other changes in behaviors. “Cats are different in how long they like to knead. Some knead just a few times, and others really get into it,” Mikel says. There’s not really any known reason why some cats knead and knead while others promptly begin to snooze.
If the kneading on your lap becomes too much, encourage your cat to move her biscuit making to an appropriate surface like a blanket. Gently scooch her over or coax her with a treat or toy. Use positive reinforcement training by rewarding her with treats, verbal, or physical praise when she makes biscuits on the wanted surface.
Pay attention to any signs of stress
Your cat could become stressed over several things—like a new member of the household, a change in schedule, or an underlying health condition. Checking in with your vet is a good idea at the first sign of a change in behavior.
After ruling out a more serious health condition, Mikel says you can relieve your cat’s stress with these tips:
- When traveling or in a new environment, provide familiar objects like a favorite bed, blanket, or toy.
- Stick to a regular feeding, play, and bedtime schedule as much as possible.
- Provide daily interactive playtime and other forms of enrichment for your cat.
- Provide your cat with choices and let her make them. This might include giving her more than one cozy bed for napping and letting her decide when she would like to be pet or handled.
- Try a calming aid, like pheromones or catnip.
When in doubt, ask your vet or a feline behavioral specialist how you can get your kitty back to baking happy biscuits.
Takeaway: Kneading Is a Communicative Behavior
Kneading is an enduring behavior of cats, taught to them in the wee days of kittenhood. But kneading can also be a means of communication with other cats when an unfixed male or female is in heat. Making biscuits can also be a sign your cat feels stressed and is seeking comfort. Like all cat behaviors, a sudden change outside of the norm calls for a chat with your vet.
No matter the reason for all the kneading, we can all agree on one thing—cat claws can be sharp! If you find that the cost of love is too painful, keeping up on nail trims or adding a layer of blanket between your lap and your cat should do the trick. Kneading is a natural, inherent behavior and it’s important to not punish your favorite feline for all the bread baking. Instead, try rewarding your cat for kneading on surfaces other than your lap.
