# Unusual (but welcome) behavior from my cat



## Sundown (Aug 11, 2014)

Many of you know that my cat is not the affectionate type. He doesn't like to be held or cuddled, and can be quite ornery. One thing that he does do is he will sit next to my legs when I am in my recliner. Lately he has started kneading the chair and sometimes my legs (ouch). He has done the kneading thing before, just never that close to me. This is a new behavior for him. SOmetimes he will knead and then settle down and go to sleep next to me. Other times he will kneading for a while and then just walk away. He started doing this a couple of weeks ago. I have no idea why. Also - the only time I ever hear him purr is when he is kneading.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

How old is he Sundown? Some cats seem to become more affectionate as they get older. Or maybe with the change of seasons he's seeking warmth and coziness? My cat has seasonal beds - there are some places where she never sleeps in the summer, and some where she never sleeps in the winter. 

On a less positive note, sometimes kitties knead to comfort themselves when they're in pain. But it sounds like your kitty's just discovered how nice it is to be near you.


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## eldercat (Jul 3, 2015)

I had a lovely cat who never wanted to sit in a lap. She'd sit next to me - or my daughter, or my nephew, but never on the lap. That was her sign of approval, sitting next to me. 

The kneading is a kitten behaviour that some cats have kept into adulthood, and it is a comfort and an affection clue. Yes, it can hurt. 

If your cat is indoors only, you might consider carefully clipping the front claws back just a little bit. There are instructions how to do this without hurting the cat, you must avoid cutting into the vein or pink part of the claw.


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## Sundown (Aug 11, 2014)

He's about 2.5 years old. I hope he will become more cuddly as he gets older.


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## Sundown (Aug 11, 2014)

Another interesting observation - he only does the kneading next to me when I am covered with my Disney blanket. So far he has not kneaded the bare sofa. (Which is really great since the furniture is brand new.) He will also knead before he goes to sleep on the back of the sofa, but only on my husband's Florida State blanket, never the bare sofa.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm not surprised that he only kneads the blankets. Kitties usually like to knead soft surfaces.  What material is the sofa?


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Nice to feel kneaded!


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## Sundown (Aug 11, 2014)

I'm not really sure what the sofa material is. It is soft, but not as soft as the blankets.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

bluemilk said:


> Nice to feel kneaded!


LOL!! 

Sundown, it's just as well that he doesn't like to knead the sofa - you'd probably end up with little pulls in the fabric from his claws. Celia never scratches my couch, but there are little pulls and runs in the slipcover where her claws got caught.


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