If your cat stopped kneading, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why did my cat stop kneading? Likely reasons why your cat stopped kneading are no longer needing to mark its scent, intimidation, injury or illness, a change in its environment, or that it thinks you want it to leave you alone.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat stopped kneading and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat stopped kneading
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat has stopped doing it and what would make them more likely.
It stopped needing to mark its scent
Cats have sweat glands on their paws and a part of the reason why they knead is to spread their scent. The reason why your cat stopped kneading could be that it no longer needs to spread its scent. This would be more likely if it was kneading a lot more when you first got it or when you moved homes with it and if it has not been behaving unusually in other ways.
Intimidation
The cause might also be that something has been causing it to get intimidated. This would be more likely if it has stopped kneading since someone got mad at it or since another pet has been around the house.
Injury or illness
It might also be the case that it has gotten an injury or illness. This would be more likely if it stopped kneading suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of having an injury or illness such as not moving around as much and being fatigued. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
A change in its environment
It could also be due to a change in its environment. This would be more likely if your cat stopped kneading since you got a new pet, since it started having to stay in a different part of the house or since your house became noisier.
It thinks you want it to leave you alone
If your cat stopped kneading on you, the cause might be that it thinks you want it to leave you alone. This would be more likely if your cat stopped doing it since you moved it away from you or got mad at it.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat kneads in other areas
If your cat does knead sometimes, but it does not knead on you, it would be more likely that your cat has stopped doing it due to intimidation or thinking that you do not want it to show affection towards you.
What else happened when your cat stopped kneading
It would also help to consider what else happened when it stopped kneading. If it stopped kneading suddenly, it could be due to things such as illness or injury, a change in its environment, or people not giving it as much attention as before.
If your cat does knead on you sometimes
If your cat kneads on you sometimes, it would also help to consider what is different when it does do it. For example, if it does it when you pet it, the cause might be that it isn’t always sure if you want it to be affectionate towards you.
What to do about it
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Get help
If it seems like your cat has been doing it due to an illness or injury or it has been behaving very unusually, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out medical causes.
Give it a comfortable place to go
It could also help to give your cat a comfortable and safe place that it can go to where it can feel secure and be more likely to knead.
Give it positive attention
It could also help to encourage your cat to knead more by giving it positive attention throughout the day by petting it and sitting with it. However, it would also help to leave it alone when it does seem to want to be alone.