# Is Kneading Gender-Specific?



## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Murphy kneads me all the time, in a lot of different situations, and with a lot of intensity. Yet, he never kneads my husband. Is that true for you too? Do you think they "get" which one of us humans is the female and reserve the kneading for her, since it's something they associate with their mothers?


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## Arkadia (Apr 11, 2011)

Hm both my male and female cats knead me (female) and knead my partner (male), although they do seem to do it to me more often (and either they knead him more roughly or he is a bigger baby about it). An interesting thing to think about though, I'll be curious to hear others answers!


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

That is quite interesting to think about. I only have one cat who kneads me. She is female and so am I. I have had male cats in the past knead me as well, but I can't attest for the males of my species being kneaded


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

One of my boy cats kneads both me and DH equally (though not very much). My girl cat does not knead either of us.

My other boy cat kneads a TON and mostly on me, though he does it to DH a little bit, but when he does it to DH it's a short little session to test out the comfy-ness of DH's lap for cuddling in, whereas with me, it's more of a lay-on-his-back-drooling-and-purring-like-a-diesel-engine-until-he-falls-asleep type thing. I think with me, he's totally regressed and is convinced I'm his mommy.


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

Both of my kitties (boy & girl) knead the super soft couch pillows, the bathroom rugs & my fleece throw blankets, but neither has really kneaded people since they were tiny kittens.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Abby (female) kneads me...but I'm the only one who lives here. Muffs occasionally kneads a blanket when she's close to me, but she doesn't need me (since she refuses to sit on my lap!). My daughter's cat Neko (a male) kneads both her and her boyfriend. So, based on that small sample, kneading doesn't seem to be gender specific.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Pretty sure it just comes down to the cat, their personality, and maybe how they view you, like if they think you're their mother or something...

I tend to think of more carefree simple minded cats as kneeders, haha, but that's just because Blaze kneeds like crazy and I don't think he's all that bright at times, and my aunt's past cat that didn't seem all that smart was constantly happy and kneeding as well.


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## katlover13 (Apr 15, 2008)

Only two of my cats ever knead me very often, but they all need me.
HA HA 
(ok, sorry )


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## Fyreflie (Mar 5, 2011)

Wicket only kneads blankets, or people if they are under blankets. The kitten doesn't really knead at all! I don't think it's even specific to people, necessarily, just things that they like. Wicket will knead me lightly if I"m wearing a really soft sweater or fluffy scarf but never a tshirt or jeans....but give him a wool blanket and he buries his whole face in it, starts purring like mad and kneads until he falls asleep. Same thing with our big thick duvet....

Cats are weird.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Based on this sample, then, the answer is "it depends on the cat." I just thought there must be something instinctive about it, like they understand which humans are males and which are females. Then again, blankets are neither male nor female.....unless it's a Snuggie, which is definitely female.


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## Treblyk (Feb 18, 2010)

I have two cats that knead. One is a female and kneads everything and everyone that comes in contact (which is painful because even with trimmed claws they are very sharp) and I have a big male cat that does the same. They don't discriminate at all.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

No, it's not only the female they knead. See Simon's Cat "Cat Man Do" for more details.


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