Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I'm new here, and my 1.5 yo male neutered cat is exhbiting some strange nocturnal kneading behavior.

I am familiar with kneading behavior and the reasons behind it, but recently Bailey's nocturnal nuzzling has taken a strange turn. He will climb on top of either myself or my boyfriend, usually straddling an arm or side, and begin exuberantly kneading with all four paws, back legs going the fastest. This will last for 5-10 minutes, and it is hard to discourage him. Last night, my boyfriend thought he had felt wetness on Bailey's belly.

Is this just a variant affectionate kneading, or is this a sexual behavior that needs to be discouraged? Since we got Bailey from the Humane Society, it was likely he was neutered at the age of 6mos, when he was turned in to them.

I greatly appreciate any advice, information, or similar experiences you might provide! Thank you,
-EKO

Hi There,

Welcome to the board!

I believe that this behavior is sexual and it is not unusual at all. Some male cats will start out by kneading and end up aroused when they really get into it. One of my boys does this on a regular basis, although he has slowed down in his old age.

My feeling is that this behavior is not harmful in any way so I have never tried to discourage it. In order to stop the sexual part you would probably have to discourage the kneading in the first place, since one leads to the other.

PHKitkat

Thanks very much for the information. I admit I'm confused as to why a neutered male would engage in this kind of sexual behavior, but I suppose enough androgens are produced in other glands for there to be some response. He's smarter than he looks, though- he always snuggles when he knows we're too sleepy to move around much.

I certainly won't discourage the kneading, as it's always quite flattering and comforting to have a cat showing you affection. I'm sure with some patience and time my boyfriend and I can find a way of permitting the kneading but discouraging the escalation.

Thank you again for your response- now that I know what I'm dealing with, I feel a lot better. Honestly, I'd rather deal with the trials and tribilations of late-night awakenings than lock the cats out of the bedroom at night.