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Cat who still kneads

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Leigh Bain - 28 Apr 2004 18:23 GMT
My youngest cat when we got her she was considered the runt of the litter.
They told us she was 6 weeks but we're not really sure they were telling us
the truth.  She wasn't much bigger than a newborn. Anyways my moyher
crocheted me this huge blanket which both our cats love to lay on which I
don't mind it's pretty much their's now, keeps them from laying on my feet
at night.  But I've noticed that my youngest Zoe has never gotten out of the
habit of kneading the blanket the way a newborn kneads at it's mother's tit
when it wants milk.  When we adopted her our oldest had to show her
*everything*. How to use the litter box, how to clean herself, etc. At that
young age her favorite sleeping place was in the crook of my neck and since
I sleep on my back and never move it wasn't a problem.  She took a shine to
me immediately, follows me everywhere, always has to have me in sight, and
at night she sleeps right next to me (my arm) with a paw on my arm even.
She's 4 now and I feel like she thinks I'm her mother, almost literally. She
doesn't really like my husband that much even though we are trying ways to
remedy that and it's slowly working, with strangers she runs and hides.  But
are we right in assuming that perhaps we were lied to about her age when she
was given to us? Or was she just not ready to leave her mother and I just
made a perfect substitute? Both cats get along great the only fights they
get into is which one gets to groom the other.  The rest is play figting.

Anyways back to the kneading should I worry about it? Will she ever grow out
of it or just look at it as a comfort thing?  After all she only does it to
that one blanket and is is extremely soft.
Judy - 28 Apr 2004 20:54 GMT
> My youngest cat when we got her she was considered the runt of the litter.
> They told us she was 6 weeks but we're not really sure they were telling us
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> of it or just look at it as a comfort thing?  After all she only does it to
> that one blanket and is is extremely soft.

As far as I am aware, the kneading is nothing to worry about. Seems to be
something they do when they are comfy and content . My brothers previous cat
kneaded on her favourite blanket until she passed away when she was 14.

Judy
Cathy Friedmann - 28 Apr 2004 23:32 GMT
Don't worry about the kneading; AFAIK virtually all cats do it - for their
entire lives.  They do it when they're comfortable & content.

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble")  Paul Simon

> My youngest cat when we got her she was considered the runt of the litter.
> They told us she was 6 weeks but we're not really sure they were telling us
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> of it or just look at it as a comfort thing?  After all she only does it to
> that one blanket and is is extremely soft.
DevilsPGD - 29 Apr 2004 00:56 GMT
>Don't worry about the kneading; AFAIK virtually all cats do it - for their
>entire lives.  They do it when they're comfortable & content.

Or when they want to cause pain in their humans for their own pleasure.

:)

Signature

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While handicapped people, make handicapped faces!
-- Denis Leary

rpl - 30 Apr 2004 19:33 GMT
>>Don't worry about the kneading; AFAIK virtually all cats do it - for their
>>entire lives.  They do it when they're comfortable & content.
>
> Or when they want to cause pain in their humans for their own pleasure.
>
> :)

I know you're kidding but there is the annoyance factor... though
frankly I'd prefer they knead than the other occasional terrorist
activities they engage in.

It's just the cat version of fluffing up the pillow, I'm not sure it has
anything to do with being a kitten or not.

pat
Leigh Bain - 01 May 2004 04:28 GMT
> I know you're kidding but there is the annoyance factor... though
> frankly I'd prefer they knead than the other occasional terrorist
> activities they engage in.
>
> It's just the cat version of fluffing up the pillow, I'm not sure it has
> anything to do with being a kitten or not.

actually recalling back I remember my now departed cat kneaded my old torn
up blanket (hence why my mother made a new one). I've always had one since I
was a baby and she wanted me to have something I could pass onto my
children, well my children atm are my cats and I guess the deed is done. ;)

Anyways getting back to my other cat, actually my moms cat, she would knead
at the old blanket as well. Something about the way my mom made this blanket
or something I don't know.  I'm 29 now and my husband has finally agreed he
prefers the blanket at the foot of the bed between us than our Zoe lying on
our feet (9 pound cat can put anyones feet to sleep and get annoying and
very hot in a desert town like Vegas).

I don't mind the kneading I was just wondering about if she really was the
runt of the litter, which whomever said they are the survivors, your right.
Our oldest Wylie used to pick on Zoe and well guess who can not only hold
her own but kick Wylie's butt. Yup the runt :) Or as we call her Scooby doo
because she runs like the cartoon dog ;). I also was just curious if she
would grow out of it but thinking back to my mom's old cat,  she lived 18
years and never grew out of it.

I appreciate everyones input :) Thanks :)

- Leigh
Laura R. - 01 May 2004 09:47 GMT
circa Fri, 30 Apr 2004 20:28:18 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Leigh Bain (thebains@cox.net) said,

> I don't mind the kneading I was just wondering about if she really was the
> runt of the litter, which whomever said they are the survivors, your right.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> would grow out of it but thinking back to my mom's old cat,  she lived 18
> years and never grew out of it.

My Jacob, now sixteen, was the runt of his litter, too. And he's
always been the most dominant of my cats. :-)

Laura
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I am Dyslexia of Borg,
Your a.s will be laminated.

Leigh Bain - 05 May 2004 18:43 GMT
> My Jacob, now sixteen, was the runt of his litter, too. And he's
> always been the most dominant of my cats. :-)

Zoe who was the runt of the litter (we actually spell it with two umlauts
over the e, I grew up in Germany and that's how I learned to spell Zoe),
while in a playful fight with our oldest cat Wylie is definately the
dominant cat, she's a scaredy cat whenever anyone else comes around.
Including my husband.  I joke sometimes saying that she's a right wing
feminist because Zoe just can't stand men.  She'll warm up to women, but it
takes her a long time.  When we moved out here to Vegas from Houston, we
didn't want to bring our cats with us in the car, for one thing, they hate
the car and travelling in it and it was a three day journey. We didn't want
to hear their whining the whole way out here.  We sent for them and had them
flown out here on Continental.  But the time they spent with my parents (I
had had surgery so thats why they were there in the first place) it took
almost the entire time for Zoe to warm up to my mother (course she's not a
very warm person to begin wih, but that's people ;)). She still runs and
hides when our friends come over, and when strangers come to the house. If
the movers hadn't lost the bed frame she's love to hide under the bed. I'm
kinda happy they did loose the frame because have you ever tried to get a
cat out from under a King Size mattress? Unless you fit under it yourself,
it's a losing battle.

So yes she dominants when it comes to fighting her sister (technically it's
her neice, in the line Zoe was born to Wylie's Grandmother making Zoe
Wylie's Aunt.  And Zoe is younger.  Kinda funny in my opinion.  They just
treat each other like sisters.  But back to the dominance, when it comes to
other people, the runs like a scardy cat, which is kinda funny to watch
because she runs just like Scooby Doo runs :).

Just a comment.

- Leigh
Laura R. - 29 Apr 2004 03:37 GMT
circa Wed, 28 Apr 2004 10:23:57 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Leigh Bain (thebains@cox.net) said,
> Anyways back to the kneading should I worry about it? Will she ever grow out
> of it or just look at it as a comfort thing?  After all she only does it to
> that one blanket and is is extremely soft.

Don't worry about it. Odds are good that if she's still doing it at
four years of age, she's not growing out of it. I have a sixteen year
old who still nuzzles my ear, chin and eyelashes, and an eleven-year-
old who still kneads the bedding before she lies down- and she had
her mother around well into adulthood.

Laura
Signature

I am Dyslexia of Borg,
Your a.s will be laminated.

Ryan Robbins - 29 Apr 2004 05:18 GMT
> Anyways back to the kneading should I worry about it? Will she ever grow out
> of it or just look at it as a comfort thing?  After all she only does it to
> that one blanket and is is extremely soft.

Kneading is a lifelong behavior. It's normal.
Gee - 29 Apr 2004 15:28 GMT
"Leigh Bain" <thebains@cox.net> wrote in message news:idSjc.887$

< She took a shine to
> me immediately, follows me everywhere, always has to have me in sight, and
> at night she sleeps right next to me (my arm) with a paw on my arm even.
> She's 4 now and I feel like she thinks I'm her mother, almost literally.

Awwwww..... That is so beautiful. My QT used to love me like that. It's so
wonderful being treated with so much love. She sounds like a real
sweetheart.

> She doesn't really like my husband that much even though we are trying
ways to
> remedy that and it's slowly working, with strangers she runs and hides.

You may wanna get him to feed her, so she creates a positive association
with him as well.

> are we right in assuming that perhaps we were lied to about her age when she
> was given to us?

If she was a runt of the litter, she may be smaller then others of the same
age, so perhaps they were telling the truth. Runts however often are the
survivors by all means and tend to overlive most household cats :)

> Both cats get along great the only fights they
> get into is which one gets to groom the other.  The rest is play fighting.

Awww, sounds like they really hit it off! I find nothing more beautiful then
watching cats lovingly play, run around, play- fight and groom each other.

>> Or was she just not ready to leave her mother and I just made a perfect
substitute?
> Anyways back to the kneading should I worry about it? Will she ever grow out
> of it or just look at it as a comfort thing?  After all she only does it
to that one blanket and is extremely soft.

Nothing to worry about, like others said it's a comfort and security thing,
not connected with how long they spent with mother. My Tigger was parted
from mum at 9 weeks old, he didn;t "make bread" for the first 6 months, then
started. He is still doing it now, 5 years later and I'm glad he loves me so
much he's only doing it to me (my hand). So you are lucky she is doing it to
the blanket only :) Cat nail scissors were first on the shopping list once
he started it :) Just get the vet to show you where to cut the nails it;s
not hard but cats have a blood vein running through the nail half way, so
you can only cut up to that point. But only if she starts kneading you.

And yeah, the softness probably reminds her mummy's tummy which is cool. Is
it made of fleece by any chance? My cats love fleece blankets.

Gee
Laura R. - 02 May 2004 15:43 GMT
circa Thu, 29 Apr 2004 15:28:40 +0100, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Gee (Gee@canttellya.com) said,
> And yeah, the softness probably reminds her mummy's tummy which is cool. Is
> it made of fleece by any chance? My cats love fleece blankets.

My mother makes little foam pads encased in fleece for my cats'
carriers and for me to place around the house for them to sleep on.
They LOVE them.

Laura
Signature

I am Dyslexia of Borg,
Your a.s will be laminated.

val189 - 30 Apr 2004 16:04 GMT
"Leigh Bain" <thebains@cox.net> wrote
> Anyways back to the kneading should I worry about it? Will she ever grow out
> of it or just look at it as a comfort thing?  After all she only does it to
> that one blanket and is is extremely soft.

My guy is 6 and kneads at night - I don't mind - just make sure you
are wearing old clothes.  He stops after about 3 minutes.

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