Why Do Cats Knead or Paddle with Their Paws?

Posted by Jennifer Copley Apr 20, 2009

Many cats regularly make kneading motions (also referred to as paddling) with their paws, especially when they're sitting on a person's lap. This involves pressing one paw down and then the other in an alternating motion, spreading the toes with each push. Some people jokingly refer to this activity as "making bread" because it resembles kneading a batch of dough.

Kittens knead when they are nursing to stimulate milk flow. Because people are much larger and provide food and care for their cats, domestic cats are in some ways permanent kittens and humans their surrogate parents. When cats snuggle up with a warm person they love, they can relive the enjoyment and contentment of being a kitten by engaging in kneading, often purring at the same time.

Wild cats also use a kneading motion when softening material to make a nest, and some cats will knead soft fabrics in anticipation of lying down to sleep. Kneading or paddling is perfectly natural, and is not a sign of anxiety or psychological problems.

Some people understandably dislike kneading if the cat doesn't keep her claws fully sheathed. Trimming the tips of the claws or using a nail cap product for cats such as Soft Paws can prevent accidental scratches. Cats should never be declawed, as this is a cruel practice with serious psychological and physical health risks.

For information on why cats do other things such as hissing, purring, urinating outside the box, playing with prey, bringing prey home, fighting, rubbing against things, eating houseplants, and more, see Why Does My Cat Do That?