The Science of Affection That Makes Cats Knead You
If kneading is a kitten behavior, why is my adult cat still doing it?
While kneading evolved to stimulate milk supply and express chemical and tactile messages between kitten and mother, it’s also a common behavior in adult cats, because of something called neoteny.
Neoteny is when an animal retains their juvenile physical or behavioral traits into adulthood. It’s likely these traits are advantageous for cats when needing to socialize with humans and other cats or animals in the household.
Kneading, in particular, may be retained into adulthood because it can help communicate messages.
Kneading on your lap is a cat’s way of saying, “we’re affiliated” or “you’re in my social group”. Or, to be very human about it, “you’re my person”.
We may also reinforce kneading by rewarding our cat with attention when they do it.
Some cats like to knead on soft or woolen blankets while also sucking on the material, as if from a teat. This may be relaxing or soothing for the cat because of this association.
