It’s a moment that virtually all cat owners either come to love or dread: when your feline pal jumps on your lap and begins the familiar ritual of flexing and pressing its paws into you, rhythmically kneading your body as though you were the world’s biggest ball of dough.
Often, cats will purr while doing it, and maybe even drool a little or stare off into the middle distance, zoning out in that way that only cats can. If you’re lucky, it’s a momentary event and then they snuggle down for a nap. But many cats, it seems, just need to keep kneading, eventually driving their humans up the wall — especially if the kneading gets really intense, or starts involving claws.
Although feline kneading is generally a harmless action, it’s only natural to wonder why cats knead us (or blankets, furniture or other objects). And if it gets to be a bit much, there are methods to curb or redirect the behavior.
