1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey, 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:10,319 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, lorn bogle bam here it never fails. You 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: sit down on the couch for an evening of streaming, 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: or with a book and a cup of tea, or 5 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: at your desk to get some homework done, or at 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 1: your craft table to make progress on that project. And 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: here comes your furry feline friend with an intent look 8 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,959 Speaker 1: on her face and a per at the ready. She 9 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: places her paws just so on your lap and starts 10 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: kneading rhythmically, pressing her little front feet into your soft flesh. 11 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: It's cute, even if it does kind of hurt sometimes. 12 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: My cat certainly makes the sharpest biscuits, but she looks 13 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 1: so dang content while she's doing it. But why does 14 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: she do it? Kittens are born with an instinct to need. 15 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: As tiny little fuzzballs, they press into their mother's belly 16 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: while they nurse. This action stimulates the milk to come 17 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: out of her nipple and feed the kitten. It's called 18 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: milk treading, which is more accurate, if less door bole, 19 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: than making biscuits or kneading bread. While they're tucked up 20 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: against mom, the kitten is warm and being fed and 21 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: feeling very content. Even after kittens are weaned, they continue 22 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: this little tupaw dance when they're happy, and some cats 23 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: really get into it and need with all four paws. 24 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: People used to believe that adult cats needed because they 25 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: were weaned too early, but that seems unlikely. Almost all 26 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 1: cats need no matter when they were weaned. Many cats 27 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: do it even if they stay and grow up in 28 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: the same house along with their mom. There are other 29 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: reasons why cats need, though cats have scent glands near 30 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: their cheeks, at the base of their tail, and in 31 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: the pads of their paws. Needing a blanket, a pillow, 32 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: or your stomach as you lie on the couch watching 33 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: Netflix leaves behind a trace of your cat's particular scent. 34 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: She's marked you and probably every soft thing in the 35 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: house as hers. There's another theory that this action comes 36 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: from ancestral cats who lived outdoors with nary a pillow 37 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: or lap to their name. They would need to trample 38 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: any grasses and rough up the ground to make it 39 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: soft enough for sleeping. It's similar to the theory about 40 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: why dogs turn around in circles before settling down to sleep. 41 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: When a cat uses her claws while she needs your 42 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: squishy flesh or your new couch. It's tempting to punish her, 43 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: but kneeding is a natural behavior that means she's happy, 44 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: so punishment isn't the best action here. Instead, see if 45 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: you can gently press your cat down into a laying position, 46 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: she'll likely go to sleep. If her kneeding is problematic 47 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: for your skin or upholstery, keep her claws trimmed or 48 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,839 Speaker 1: invest in plastic claw sheets. Just don't declaw her. See 49 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: our episode wise Declawing cats controversial for more on that, 50 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: but in brief, it's not harmless, and trimmings or sheaths 51 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: are easy fixes. Today's episode was written by Kristen hall 52 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: Geisler and produced by Tyler Clang. Brain Stuff is production 53 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: of iHeart Radio's Has Stuff Works. For more on this 54 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: and lots of other curious topics, visit our home planet 55 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: how Stuffworks dot com and for more podcasts in my 56 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: heart Radio is the heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 57 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.