I'd like to ask about a behaviour my cat (female, 9 years old, spayed) has started doing that I just can't figure out. I've searched online for similar experiences but can't find anything, so I thought I'd try describing it myself...
For the past few days, my cat has been having what I can only describe as "contractions" or "spasms" while she kneads on me (I'm using those words loosely because I'm not sure how else to put it...). She keeps purring and kneading even through these involuntary movements in her hindquarters. It's hard to explain, but the closest thing I can compare it to is the contractions a female cat has when giving birth — like she's pushing something out. Sometimes she tries to shift her back end to the side, as if she's about to lie down, but she carries on purring and kneading with her front paws. I've had a look just in case anything's going on around her bottom, but nothing to report — no worms, no discharge, nothing like that.
Health-wise and behaviour-wise, nothing has changed: she seems absolutely fine, her litter box habits are normal, no signs of digestive upset or allergies (she's been on the same dry food and wet food for two years now). She also doesn't have these "contractions" when she's using the litter tray.
I wondered whether something might be bothering her digestive tract, like a hairball? She used to have issues with them, but I started adding salmon oil to her food and the problem pretty much went away. However, she's still showing this behaviour even after having the salmon oil, so I've ruled that out...
I then considered whether it might be heat-related behaviour, but what I've read online didn't really match. I did wonder about it because she sees me as her mum — when I come home at weekends (I'm a student), she's glued to me and settles on my lap the moment I sit down anywhere. So I thought maybe she gets so excited to see me that she does this, especially since it only seems to happen when she's kneading on me.
But... it doesn't really match the descriptions of cats in heat that I've come across. And she's been spayed since she was young...
I've ruled out every idea I've come up with. Apart from these movements, she doesn't seem to be in any pain — she's not distressed at all and keeps on purring and kneading.
Has anyone else experienced something similar? Would you have any idea what this behaviour might mean?
Thanks so much for any replies...
Kind regards
Translated from French
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Hello,
My 7-year-old spayed cat does pretty much the same thing. More specifically, when I stroke her and get a little too close to her tail (so the base of her back), she trembles and brings her mouth towards me as if she's about to bite (even though she's normally a sweetheart).
It doesn't seem to be causing her any pain though, as she carries on purring and goes back to normal as soon as I move my hand away, but just resting my hand in that spot triggers these kinds of spasms you're describing.
So I too thought it might be a female in-heat behaviour, but she's only started doing this very recently (a month or two) even though she's been spayed since she was a kitten. If anyone has any ideas or similar experiences, I'd love to hear them!
I’m posting tonight because Lulu (my landlords’ cat who basically lives with me part-time) is doing the exact same thing.
To give you some background: he’s a 10-year-old neutered male and he usually sleeps with me.
Around April or May, his little quirks tend to resurface, and for the last couple of years, he’s developed a new one: he treads on me while meowing.
It happens either when we’re having a cuddle or while I’m asleep; he’ll suddenly stand up, arch his back, let out these little high-pitched meows, and start kneading—mostly with his back legs—usually on my foot or my leg. He purrs away and his back end starts having these "spasms". Last year, he’d even go and "finish his business" on a cushion.
Up until now, it only happened during the summer, at night and just occasionally, but this year it’s every single night and several times too! I have to give him a bit of a nudge and a stroke to get him to stop and go back to sleep.
I can't for the life of me understand this behaviour... He’s a cat who gets stressed quite easily and I’ve known him since he was three months old, but he only started doing this last year. If anyone has any explanations, I’d love to hear them!
Hello!
I’m reading through the posts tonight because Lulu (my landlord's cat who basically lives with me part-time) is doing the exact same thing to me.
Here’s the situation: he’s a 10-year-old neutered male, and he usually sleeps with me.
Often around April or May, his little quirks tend to flare up again, and for the last two years, he’s developed a new one: he treads on me while meowing.
Either while we’re cuddling or when I’m asleep, he’ll suddenly get up, arch his back, and start making these little high-pitched meows. Then he starts kneading—mostly with his back legs—always on my foot or my leg, purring away while his back end starts "twitching". Last year, he’d even go and finish his "business" on a cushion.
Up until now, it only happened in the summer, at night, and just occasionally, but this year, it’s every single night and several times! I have to give him a bit of a nudge and a stroke to get him to stop and go back to sleep.
I just can’t make sense of this behaviour... He’s a cat who gets stressed easily and I’ve known him since he was three months old, but he only started doing this last year. If anyone has any explanations, I’d love to hear them!
Evening,
My cat is an 8-year-old neutered male and he behaves exactly the same way as yours, which I also find really hard to describe.
He goes through phases with it, and right now he’s right back in the middle of one of these strange spells... I’ve already seen a vet about it but wasn’t entirely convinced by their assessment—they thought it might be urinary issues, crystals and so on (he was put on special dry food for a month before going back to his usual diet).
My cat’s never had any issues like that before and I haven’t noticed anything else odd about his behaviour. Nothing has changed in his daily routine either (food, how often he goes for a wee or a poo, treats, etc.).
He always purrs when he’s doing this ‘rubbing’, and often lifts his leg afterwards to lick his private parts... he has a few spasms for a few minutes after the ‘rubbing’ and then he’s back to normal.
He often does this to me in the evening when I’m in bed, insistently rubbing against my leg under the duvet, or on a small cushion on the sofa... anyway, it’s all very strange and I still don’t know if it’s nothing to worry about or not. He’s been doing it for years now... at least 3 years I reckon, and as I said, it comes and goes.
Any updates from your end regarding your cats and this little ‘issue’?
Hi, thanks so much for your replies, that’s really put my mind at ease! Either way, I’m definitely going to keep a close eye on her to make sure nothing else crops up. Thanks again :)
My old cat used to do the same thing whenever he was "kneading", almost as if he were relaxing his bottom or trying to sit down. He only started doing it once he became senile; he never used to do it before then.
Hi there,
I’m not sure if it’s the same thing as what you’re describing, and I wouldn’t want to contradict Blue Cat’s theory, but mine often looks like she’s about to sit down when she’s kneading my tummy. I think it’s just natural—almost like an orgasm, if I can make such a bold comparison. Her hind legs tense up and quiver a bit, and her back claws come out slightly, as if she’s not 100% in control of them anymore. She’s always done this. To me, it seems as natural as when they stick their bum in the air when you scratch their back just above the tail, but without actually seeing it, it’s only a guess.
Hi there,
I can think of one possibility: when she kneads you, she’s mimicking the typical gesture kittens make at their mother’s teat to stimulate milk flow. It’s a sign of happiness and bonding with the mother cat. When a kitten is very small, after they’ve nursed, the mother licks their bottom to help them go to the toilet. It’s possible that these strange spasms in her hindquarters are a throwback to that behaviour.
Given her age, it’s not impossible that this ‘regression’ is down to the early stages of feline dementia (often called ‘cat Alzheimer's’). As long as she isn’t showing any signs of being in pain, there’s no need to worry.
