Kneading is an activity common to all domestic cats whereby, when in a state of contentment, they push the surface on which they are standing with their front paws. This may have an origin going back to their wild ancestors who would have had to tread down grass or foliage to make a temporary nest in which to rest or possibly a remnant of the newborn kneading of the mother's teat to stimulate milk secretion: kneading is often a precursor to sleeping. Actually, many cats also purr when kneading; they also do this mostly when newborn, while feeding or trying to feed on their mother's teat. The common association between the two behaviors may indicate the former's origins as a remnant instinct.
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