So tired of people saying cats knead because they were weaned too early

I keep seeing this online that cats knead blankets because they were taken from their mother too soon. My cat Mochi has done this since I got her 3 years ago from a rescue in Denver, and she was with her mom until 14 weeks. Last week she kneaded my wool sweater for a full 20 minutes while purring. I think it's just a comfort thing like a happy habit, not some sign of trauma. Has anyone else's cat kneaded even though they had a normal weaning timeline?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_reese15d ago

Have you looked into the actual science behind kneading? Most vets and animal behaviorists say it's actually an instinct that goes back to wild cats tamping down grass to make a comfy spot to sleep. My friend's cat was bottle fed from 2 days old and barely kneads at all, while my other cat was with her mom for 16 weeks and still does it every night on my stomach. So the whole "weaned too early" thing doesn't really hold up when you see cats of all backgrounds doing it.

grant13015d agoTop Commenter

Oh man, you just had to come in here with actual facts and ruin my whole "my cat is emotionally damaged" narrative! I guess I'll have to accept that Mittens isn't kneading my chest because she misses her mom but because she's basically making a tiny grass bed on my sternum. Makes sense when you think about it, wild cats probably didn't have the luxury of overthinking their cat's childhood trauma like I do.