Hot take: cats knead on soft blankets because they were taken from mom too early, not because they love you
A vet tech in Reno mentioned this to me about 4 months ago when my cat Biscuit was going to town on my fleece throw, and she explained that kittens who left their litter before 8 weeks often knead way more as adults since they never fully got that comfort phase. I always figured the kneading was just a happy cat thing, but now I'm noticing Biscuit only does it on super soft stuff and purrs the whole time, which makes me think she's kind of redoing something she missed. Has anyone else noticed their cat kneading way more than normal, and did you ever find out how old they were when they got separated from their mom?