# Why does a cat stop kneading?



## cpr34 (Jun 1, 2015)

Hi everyone,

I am just curious...is it normal for a cat to stop kneading?
Snowy used to knead me almost everyday. But ever since a couple of months ago when I would take him to the vet back and forth because of his constipation problem, he rarely does it anymore.

And now with his ear problem, he kinda stopped kneading me (he absolutely hates it every time I squirt the medication into his ears) 
I think the last time he kneaded me was like a month ago...

I read that when a cat kneads you, it means he is happy and content and shows that he loves you. So now that Snowy stopped kneading me, does that mean he is not as happy and content anymore? 
It kinda saddens me when I think that his affection for me is not as much as before because of all the vet visits and medications he had to be put through...


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Awwww Christine, 
Snowy is more than likely just going through a phase...he has been through a lot!
Spend extra cuddle time with him, thats just for cuddles, no medicine, eardrops, etc...

When I had to give Charlie his Doxycycline every night, for three months, I always sat in the same chair, that way he didn't associate every place with being 'not so fun'...
I always cuddled him right after, by sitting somewhere else with him, I think it really helped him to know 'medicine' time was over, and he never grew afraid of me picking him up....

There are also some kitties, that grow out of 'kneading' so much...Snowy could possibly be one of those!
Hope Snowy is doing better health wise now!
(((HUGS)))
Sharon


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## dseag2 (Nov 28, 2013)

I don't think it answers your question, but I read that when a cat kneads you it is actually transferring scent from the glands in its paws onto the surface it is kneading. Maybe the scent is there now!


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

Snowy is such a beautiful boy! i hope he gets back to kneading you soon. i'll bet it probably IS just cuz he's going through a lot right now with the vet visits, etc...
once all that's over, it may still take him a while to realize things are going to be normal again and hopefully he'll start that kneading again.
but yeah, just give him some extra love so he knows you empathize with him.


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## eldercat (Jul 3, 2015)

I always associated kneading with early weaning, and that cats who nursed long enough (whatever that is) didn't do that. We had a cat that kneaded and would "nurse" on any bit of fluff or wooly thing, so the nursing bit made sense to me. A habit left from babyhood....


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## cpr34 (Jun 1, 2015)

Thank you to everyone who has replied!
It has been a while but Snowy kneaded me last night! It was very brief but it made me so happy 
Never thought I'd say this but I really miss him slurping on my neck now haha
Just 3 more days before I can stop giving him the ear drops (vet said to do it for 21 days). Hopefully he will go back to his old self soon


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi Christine!, 
Just checking in to see how Snowy is doing...
I hope he's doing much better now!
Sending Healing Prayers, and (((HUGS))) for you!
Sharon


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## cpr34 (Jun 1, 2015)

Hi Sharon,
Thank you for asking about Snowy. 
He hasn't knead me again since I last posted here 
And he hasn't been eating his dry food at all these past one week (I always put out a bit for him to snack on in between meal times and he used to love them). But even though he hasn't been eating the dry food, the amount of wet food he eats is still the same (I would have thought that he would want to eat more of the wet food but that is not the case).
Ever since I gave him lactulose, he has been pooping once every 2 days but now that he stopped eating the dry food, it became more like once in every 3 days.
But unlike the time when he was badly constipated, he doesn't seem lethargic or weak at all. He is walking about as usual and doesn't seem sick. So I am really hoping it is just because his food intake went down. I am also really hoping he will poop today - his last poop was on Friday morning


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