# Kneading: leads to 'odd' behavior.



## Baron Von Moggy (Nov 20, 2013)

Our Moggy has been with us for two weeks now and is doing really well. He has settled in and made himself at home 

I'm noticing that he has a few places/things that he loves to have a kneading session on. He is very focused on his thing (one is a blanket, one is a bath mat and the other is his bed on my desk) when he has a kneading session: lots of loud purring, head held low etc.

The bed on my desk seems to be his favorite, but he does spend a lot of time on it. He nibbles on the cat bed when kneading it and he also appears to be humping it a little :| and seems to get aroused?!?

So, what's happening now is that he very slightly gets protective when kneading. If I get close to him or move he'll meow loudly and bat me (no claws out) and will make like he's about to bite me, he has butted my hand with his mouth open but did not actually bite, I just felt his teeth. He seems very slightly crazed when he's in the zone. It's impossible to not be close to him when he's on my desk as his 'spot' is right beside where I work, about 10" from my mouse pad (I work from home 4 days a week).

I'm wondering if this will escalate to where I do get bitten and scratched, I'm not sure if he is trying to give me gentle warnings and will eventually have to be more forceful to get his message across? Or this is all perfectly normal. Is he marking territory? Is he sexually frustrated? 

He is scheduled to be neutered on Dec 5th. 

Thanks in advance for any insight!!


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

Neutering will probably provide relief for you both!


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

In the meantime, I would move his bed so 'his' spot is not right next to your hand. I think it sounds pretty normal for an unneutered male though.


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## Baron Von Moggy (Nov 20, 2013)

Thank you so much for the replies!

I will move the bed on the desk and see if that makes him happier. So long as this is all normal I'm fine, I just didn't want it to escalate into something or for Moggy to start claiming my work space as his space.


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

Ummmm marshall is neutered...but does a small humping motion


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Yeah, my neutered male did too. I think the difference might be in the higher level of aggression surrounding the whole thing due to being intact, at least that's what I'm thinking.


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

My Newton was neutered at a very early age (basically, as soon as the vet said it was ok to do so), so I haven't noticed any extra-curricular activities during his kneading (which he loves to do). He looks so peaceful and content, it relaxes me just watching him.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

MowMow kneads like that on his bed.. head low, drooling, and gets cranky if I touch him... but I don't think he's humping the bed. In his case it looks more like he's trying to NURSE on the fabric. The humping is reserved for his brother.. 8-O

Personally, I say live and let live. If he's not hurting anything I'd leave him to it and just be aware you can't touch him when he's in that...zone.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Yep, agree with MowMow. Neutering may calm this down a bit, but if it continues let him have his , um, fun.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Blacky gets in a bit of a zone when there's soft blankets... she's female... no humping from her, but just because she's female doesn't mean it couldn't happen. *shrugs* Some animals don't stop stuff like that when they get spayed/neutered. I'd just move the bed.


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## dt8thd (Jan 7, 2013)

Yeah, my cat Dante has always done this. Certain fluffy blankets and one of the plush cat beds seem to get him pretty "excited" when he's kneading. He was neutered well before he was sexually mature, but some neutered male cats, for whatever reason, seem to retain behaviours that are much more typical of tom cats. Dante has a number of these sorts of behaviours, unfortunately. There was an unspayed female cat that I was feeding in our front bushes for a while, and you could always tell when she'd been around at any point during the day because Dante would be really nasty and short-tempered with everyone on those days, cat or human. He began spraying in the house as well, which was especially lovely. I had to throw out my purse because of it. He's stopped now that the female doesn't come by anymore.

And, in case anyone's wondering, the reason the female cat doesn't come by anymore is because I trapped her and had her spayed. Her name's Luna. I've got her at the recovery centre and am trying to find her a home.  So, it's a happy ending... for everyone other than me, at any rate; I have to go buy a new purse.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

dt8thd said:


> I have to go buy a new purse.


I think that sounds like a VERY happy ending... I love purse shopping... and shoe shopping... well you get the picture.

I'm pretty possitive that MowMow's behavior there isn't anything sexual. He's not a subtle old gentleman. His just seems to be a comfort/mommy thing.


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## dt8thd (Jan 7, 2013)

MowMow said:


> I think that sounds like a VERY happy ending... I love purse shopping... and shoe shopping... well you get the picture.
> 
> I'm pretty possitive that MowMow's behavior there isn't anything sexual. He's not a subtle old gentleman. His just seems to be a comfort/mommy thing.


Lol, yes, I suppose I could look at it that way; I myself quite enjoy shopping.  I just really liked that purse--it can be hard to find a bag that I really like and want to use on a daily basis.

When it comes to kneading, my other cats are all in it for the comfort/mommy love, like MowMow; Dante's the only "deviant" kneader.


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## Baron Von Moggy (Nov 20, 2013)

Moggy's kneading behavior is not getting any worse, but he still does it. I moved the bed from my desk to the floor and he insists on still coming up on my desk and has turned his attention to my mouse pad :| I have built a 'wall' between him and the mouse pad with tissue boxes lol, he just pushes things out of his way. He is one determined little bugger when he wants to be.

Should I just set him down on the floor every time he jumps up on my desk? I actually love having him on the desk when he sleeps there and he has a window to look out on the back yard, it's just when he kneads that he feels the need to 'run me off', that is not a pleasant experience. Once he settles down to sleep he becomes all normal again.


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## pkbshrew (Feb 13, 2013)

One of mine insists on sleeping on the counter so I've put a box with a bed in it up there so at least we have some 'separation' from the food prep area. I wonder if you could put his bed into a box up on your desk so that the 'wall' is there and his 'activities' are more contained hehe.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

I still think that the dominant part of the behavior may very well get better after he is neutered. Until then, do what works for you as far as having him on the desk or not. After that, he probably will still do the behavior but hopefully won't feel the need to 'run you off'. If so, then him being on the desk won't be an issue - if not, you'll have to decide. How often does he do this kneading behavior? If it's just a short time once in a while you might want to go get a cup of coffee then and give him his privacy lol.


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## TrudiRose (Oct 5, 2013)

My JoJo is neutered, but he also sometimes seems "aroused" when kneading! I thought he was just weird! Sometimes he'll be lying down kneading and being very calm, but other times he stands up to knead, and is back is semi-arched and he's really REALLY into it, and his whole back part will sort of "quiver" as he's doing it, and I'm like "uh...do you want some privacy?"


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