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Why does my cat press its paws on me?

If your cat keeps pressing its paws on you, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.

So, why does my cat press its paws on me? Possible reasons why your cat presses its paws on you are that it is showing pleasure, it is spreading its scent on to you, it is showing affection, or that it is trying to tell you something.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat presses its paws on you and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Why does my cat press its paws on me?

Below are some possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make each of them more likely.

Kneading

Kneading is where your cat presses its paws into you and pats you with its paws and claws repeatedly. Cats normally knead to show pleasure and it might be why yours has been pressing its paws on you. This would be more likely if your cat does it when it is showing signs of being happy such as purring.

To spread its scent onto you

Another possible cause is that your cat is spreading your scent on to you since cats have sweat glands on their paws. This would be more likely if your cat also rubs itself against you when it is doing it.

Related: Why does my cat put its paws on my feet?

It is showing affection

The cause could also be that your cat is showing affection to you. This would also be more likely if it shows positive body language such as purring or kneading.

Related: Why does my cat hit my face?

It likes the feeling

The cause could simply be that it likes the feeling. This would be more likely if your cat also presses its paws on other things in a similar way.

It is trying to tell you something

Another possible cause is that your cat is trying to tell you something. This would be more likely if it also meows when it is doing it and if it does it more at a certain time such as just before you would normally feed it in the morning.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.

If it always pressed its paws on you

If your cat did not always press its paws against you, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started doing it. If your cat started doing it suddenly, it might be the case that there was an event that caused your cat to start doing it. If it did start doing it suddenly, it might be because it became more comfortable around you and it started showing you more affection.

What is different when it presses its paws on you

If your cat does not always press its paws against you, it would also help to consider what else is different when your cat does it. For example, if it does it more just before you have fed it, the cause could be that it is reminding you to feed it.

What to do about your cat pressing its paws on you

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Nothing

Cats knead when they are happy and showing pleasure. Getting your cat to stop kneading will be a difficult thing to do. If your cat seems to be doing it when it is happy, it would likely be easiest to let it continue doing it

Get it to sit next to you

Instead of getting it to sit on your lap, you could get your cat to sit next to you. By doing so, it will make it less painful when your cat starts kneading.