WEBVTT - Why Do Cats Knead?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, lorn bogle bam here it never fails. You

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<v Speaker 1>sit down on the couch for an evening of streaming,

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<v Speaker 1>or with a book and a cup of tea, or

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<v Speaker 1>at your desk to get some homework done, or at

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<v Speaker 1>your craft table to make progress on that project. And

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<v Speaker 1>here comes your furry feline friend with an intent look

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<v Speaker 1>on her face and a per at the ready. She

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<v Speaker 1>places her paws just so on your lap and starts

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<v Speaker 1>kneading rhythmically, pressing her little front feet into your soft flesh.

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<v Speaker 1>It's cute, even if it does kind of hurt sometimes.

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<v Speaker 1>My cat certainly makes the sharpest biscuits, but she looks

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<v Speaker 1>so dang content while she's doing it. But why does

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<v Speaker 1>she do it? Kittens are born with an instinct to need.

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<v Speaker 1>As tiny little fuzzballs, they press into their mother's belly

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<v Speaker 1>while they nurse. This action stimulates the milk to come

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<v Speaker 1>out of her nipple and feed the kitten. It's called

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<v Speaker 1>milk treading, which is more accurate, if less door bole,

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<v Speaker 1>than making biscuits or kneading bread. While they're tucked up

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<v Speaker 1>against mom, the kitten is warm and being fed and

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<v Speaker 1>feeling very content. Even after kittens are weaned, they continue

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<v Speaker 1>this little tupaw dance when they're happy, and some cats

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<v Speaker 1>really get into it and need with all four paws.

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<v Speaker 1>People used to believe that adult cats needed because they

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<v Speaker 1>were weaned too early, but that seems unlikely. Almost all

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<v Speaker 1>cats need no matter when they were weaned. Many cats

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<v Speaker 1>do it even if they stay and grow up in

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<v Speaker 1>the same house along with their mom. There are other

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<v Speaker 1>reasons why cats need, though cats have scent glands near

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<v Speaker 1>their cheeks, at the base of their tail, and in

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<v Speaker 1>the pads of their paws. Needing a blanket, a pillow,

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<v Speaker 1>or your stomach as you lie on the couch watching

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<v Speaker 1>Netflix leaves behind a trace of your cat's particular scent.

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<v Speaker 1>She's marked you and probably every soft thing in the

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<v Speaker 1>house as hers. There's another theory that this action comes

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<v Speaker 1>from ancestral cats who lived outdoors with nary a pillow

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<v Speaker 1>or lap to their name. They would need to trample

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<v Speaker 1>any grasses and rough up the ground to make it

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<v Speaker 1>soft enough for sleeping. It's similar to the theory about

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<v Speaker 1>why dogs turn around in circles before settling down to sleep.

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<v Speaker 1>When a cat uses her claws while she needs your

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<v Speaker 1>squishy flesh or your new couch. It's tempting to punish her,

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<v Speaker 1>but kneeding is a natural behavior that means she's happy,

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<v Speaker 1>so punishment isn't the best action here. Instead, see if

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<v Speaker 1>you can gently press your cat down into a laying position,

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<v Speaker 1>she'll likely go to sleep. If her kneeding is problematic

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<v Speaker 1>for your skin or upholstery, keep her claws trimmed or

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<v Speaker 1>invest in plastic claw sheets. Just don't declaw her. See

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<v Speaker 1>our episode wise Declawing cats controversial for more on that,

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<v Speaker 1>but in brief, it's not harmless, and trimmings or sheaths

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<v Speaker 1>are easy fixes. Today's episode was written by Kristen hall

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<v Speaker 1>Geisler and produced by Tyler Clang. Brain Stuff is production

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<v Speaker 1>of iHeart Radio's Has Stuff Works. For more on this

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<v Speaker 1>and lots of other curious topics, visit our home planet

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<v Speaker 1>how Stuffworks dot com and for more podcasts in my

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