Conference misery::feline_v1

    I won a stuffed mouse at our Dec picnic this year.  Well, upon
    its arrival in our home, Selina "adopted" it.  She walks around
    with it in her mouth.  The mouse is twice the size of her.
    She sleeps with it during the day when she's had enough of Mijo
    and his playing.
    
    You can always find that mouse with Selina.  It's funny to watch
    her drag it down the stairs.  What a riot!!!!  Oh these funny
    kitties.
    
    
    Shelly, Selina, & Mijo
    

    Nancy, I know what is happening.  I have a FAKE grey fox fur coat,
    that my mother gave to me a few years ago.  When I take it off and
    leave it on the couch, you should see my two little go crazy.  Lynx
    kneads the coat really hard and the whole time he has his face buried
    in the fur (he thinks it is his mom).  Foghat just kneads like crazy
    and then falls asleep curled up in a ball.  It's great, if they
    get to hyper, I just put my coat on the floor and my babies are
    as calm as ever.
    
    Kathy

    These stories are hysterical!  Here's another for you.  We have
    a hand-held massage unit - OK a vibrator.  Well Bumpy LOVES it!!!!!!
    If either of us turns it on s/he has to give Bumpy a massage too!
    In fact, that's what we do with it most now.
      A couple of years ago I noticed a couple of lumps on Bumpy's
    abdomen and took her to the vet concerned that it might be
    mammarian cysts or something that happens to cats when they get
    older.  Well, the vet says its just little fat deposits. (Bumpy's
    11)  To be extra sure he decided to shave her tummy.  Bumpy is a
    very fluffy short-hair.  Well, we're holding her on her back on
    the metal examination table which she's not too crazy about.  The
    vet turns on the clippers which sound kind of like the vibrator
    and Bumpy visibly relaxed!!!!!  She started purring and purred the
    whole time the vet shaved her tummy!  She loved it!  What a silly
    "bitten".
    

    
    	My dog has a piece of fake sheepskin at the foot of my bed,
    	which she sleeps on. Until Missy kicks her out usually at
    	about five o'clock in the morning, when she's feeling `lovey'.
    	Missy will knead and suck at the thing until she gets purring
    	REAL LOUD, then she'll jump on my bed and purr in my face. Oh,
    	how cute, let me guess, it's five AM, right, Missy? `But, Mom,
    	how can you get mad at me when I LOOOOVE you and I'm being
    	so CUUUUUTE????'
    
    	AAARRGHHH!!!!
    
    	Sherry (and Rosie, and Missy_the_brat)
    

    Yes, Jasper kneads "his" pillow.  When I had surgery this summer,
    I was given a little pillow for better comfort.  When I got it home
    it immediately became Jasper's pillow.  We leave it on the floor
    and when he's in the mood he goes over to it and kneads it to death
    purring the whole time.  Before he "adopted" his pillow, he would
    knead the bed blankets.  And, if I positioned myself just right
    I would get a massage!  It was great!!  Also, my teenage daughter
    thinks that clothes are hung up on the floor.  Well, Jasper thinks
    that's just fine, because some of the clothes he likes to knead.
    I'm the only unhappy one of the bunch about the clothes hanging
    on the floor!!!  He is just precious when he's kneading... and when
    he's doing everything else (except waking me up at 4 AM for a good
    face scrub--his face).
    

    Does anyone know what causes a cat to knead?  Is it our smell on
    the stuff?  The reason I think it is smell is that the kittens only
    do this to my stuff not my husbands, something like never biting
    the hand that feeds you!
    
    Thanks for all info!
    
    Kathy
    

    Fluffy has adopted my flannel comforter, which, after I graduated
    from college, became the family warmer-being carried from one room
    to the other. 
    
    When she comes in the house, the only way to find her is to remember
    where the comforter is. There she'll be kneading away and just waiting
    for me to get there and lie down under the comforter so that she
    can knead at both of us!
    
    Michelle
    

    re: .6
    
    I have always been led to believe that the kneading is a throwback
    to the days when feeding on mom-cat.  I have heard that kittens
    weaned too early will show this tendency more than others.
    
    Gary

    If you've ever seen kittens when they are nursing you know that
    they knead the mommy cat.  My educated guess is that it stimulates
    milk production.  So kneading is a behavior that is carried over
    from kittenhood.  I have also heard it said that cats that continue
    to suckle (blankets etc) do so because they were weaned too early.
      Judging from the looks on the faces of Isis, Bumpy & Mao, I would
    say the kneading brings back some pretty nice memories and the behavior
    continues because of the positive reinforcement.  Besides, I like
    it too!
    

    Elmo likes to climb up onto the bed when everyone is asleep, then
    he settles in right between Larry and I, cuddles right up and starts
    sucking on the lace on our quilt.  Suck and Knead.  Suck and Knead.
    
    This is one behavior we have been unable to break him of.  We decided
    early on that we didn't want a sucky cat, so we discourage this
    behavior.  But no matter what we do, we can't seem to break him
    of it.  Any suggestions?
    
    	-Nancy

    Nancy,
    
    How old is Elmo ?  Dubbers was weaned way too early.  He was the
    scrawniest, funniest looking kitten when we got him.  His head seemed
    way too large for the teeny, tiny body it was on.  Anyway, at night
    when we were in bed, he would sneak up and knead my hair and purr
    and try to suck on my neck (right around the ear).  It was enough
    to give you the willies.  He grew out of it a few months later.
    (Thank God for small miracles :-)).
    
    Punjab will still knead and suck on the bathroom mat, any unfolded
    clothes in a clothes basket, and the afaghan in the bedroom (which
    is more often on the floor than not).  She once tried to do it to
    Barley (our golden retriever), but that wasn't too successful.
    I don't know if she'll grow out of it, but as long as she doesn't
    try my neck, it's okay with me !!
    
    Joy

    Joy,
    
    We are guessing that Elmo is about 8 months old.  We have had him
    for 3 1/2 months.  He still sucks.
    
    	-Nancy

    
    	RE: .11
    
    	Puffin and Dubbers ought to get together!! Puffin was the runt
    of the litter, (however certainly not cheated or scrawney when we
    adopted her) but still to this day she climbs upon my pillow at
    night kneads my hair and purrs very loudly in my ear.  I actually
    find the sound of her purring very relaxing!! The only thing I don't
    like is that my hair is in a million knots when I wake up in the
    morning!
    	By the way, Puffin will be two years old this coming April.
     She has not outgrown this habit yet.
    

    Do any of you other owns get bathed by your cats? Yes, you read
    it right. My cats like to clean the hair on my chest. They lie in
    the crook of my arm and start to bathe. Once they are finished with
    themselves, they often start to clean my chest for me. Is that a
    strange sensation! It's ok at first, but once they start to lick
    the same area for a while it gets sore. 
    
    They also sleep with my wife and i. The problem is that they sleep
    on her legs and she gets cramps from them. Still, we love them.
    Crazy cats!
    
    The Doctah

    I had a cat named So-So that we found on the side of the road
    (apparently someone had thrown them from the car) he was tiny and
    much to young to be alone.   Well anyway he loved to knead and suck
    and did until he got sick at the age of 8.  He never stopped.  IT
    drove everyone nuts, but he never gave up trying.
    
    Rest in peace So-So, dear, dear little one.
    
    Linda

    Pookie has "binky".. it is catnip filled blanket.. and then of course
    there is her "fuzzyfurry", which is her little fur mat, and of
    course Happy has the same things.. It is funny to see her Royal
    Highness, drooling and kneading away....
    regards
    kate

    Kyrielle loves to groom my husband's beard.  She will literally
    hold his face still with her paws and methodically wash him from
    one side to the other.
    
    Jo

    Bailey grooms my right arm every night.  She sits on the arm of the
    couch when I'm watching tv and washes me from my elbow down to the
    tips of my fingers.  She gets very affectionate when she's doing
    this, looking at me with "I love you" eyes and rubbing her forhead
    against my head when I lean toward her.  I look forward to these
    sessions because Bailey is not generally a kitty who likes to be
    held and cuddled unless its her idea.
    
    Jan

    Tarbaby was abandoned early and I think she was probably weaned much
    too early.  She constantly wants to be in my arms and kneading my neck
    and sucking on my chin.  I don't put up with it very well as it hurts
    so I discourage her.  Anyway, she also will sleep in any clothes she
    can find that belong to me.  I'm convinced she thinks I'm her mother.
    
    denise

    One of the funniest things I've seen is Isis, the four year old
    practically trying to climb into my husband's armpit.  She's
    earned the nickname "butt-cat" because of the butting motion
    the makes.  She must like the way he smells!
    

    Re -1
    
    Hey, another Isis - I thought mine was the only one in the world!
    
    Greetings from Kate, Tarot and Isis in the UK

    Fluffy kneads anything! She seems to especially like my comforters
    and me. She loves to be held, but kneads while you hold her. Even
    if she isn't exactly touching you, her claws are in & out while
    she's content.
    
    I've given up on my comforters. I keep one on my bed where Fluffy
    goes as soon as she's had her milk, and I keep the other on the
    living room sofa--it's very soft and comfy and she just loves to
    sit there and knead it. Usually, I will lie on the couch with her
    and watch TV, so when anyone else lets her in and doesn't give her
    milk, she'll run to the couch and wait for me to get there while
    she kneads the comforter. 
    
    She loves lying on my tummy too, but she fills me with little holes
    if I let her--it sort of looks like a little rash. Ouch!
    
    Michelle who_literally_lets_her_cats_walk_all_over_her
    

    Chauncey still makes drools and kneads like crazy!  He used to curl
    up in my right arm and knead away at my upper arm; it was always
    covered with cat scratches.  Nowadays, that sleeping spot has been
    taken over by baby Julie and Chauncey does his kneading in the bed
    that I got from Jo C-B.  He really 'kneaded' that bed, Jo!
    
    Mary

    Yah, Jo's beds are a hit with my cats too!  I only have one (bed),
    and it is strictly Chauncey's domain.  No other cat can get near
    that bed or Chauncey will have something to say about it!!
    
    /Roberta