Why does a cat paddle

Think about it—if you have sore shoulders, it feels good to grab onto a surface and pull against it. Kneading their paws is one of the many ways cats keep themselves limber until the next nap. Cats are territorial creatures , and one of the ways they safeguard their turf is to scent-mark their belongings. Female cats have an additional reason for kneading. They may purr, stretch, and knead the air while lying on their side to tell male cats that they can approach for possible mating.

However, if they are immediately ready to mate, they will not knead their paws and will instead raise their pelvis with the tail to one side. Whether your cat is making biscuits to show you affection or to claim you as their own, kneading is a natural, instinctual, and common cat behavior.

Home Cat Care Center. Why Do Cats Knead? Written by: PetMD Editorial. Another hypothesis proposes that kneading harks back to a time before domestication, when wild cats supposedly patted down foliage to make a soft surface for sleeping or giving birth. The behavior may now be an instinctual part of settling down. On the other hand, kneading may just be another way for cats to scent and claim an area — cats have scent glands in the pads of their paws.

Live Science. Well, it's because they are returning to that ecstatic state of kittenhood, when they were conditioned to knead their mother's belly to stimulate the flow of milk - and the drool is the anticipation of the food to come.

Kittens learn very quickly that the movement of their paws on either side of the nipple stimulates and increases the milk flow. It's best, then, not to get too upset when he gives you a good going over on the lap department - he just sees you as 'mum'! Blog Post Find the perfect present for your feline friend 10 November