Being a cat lover comes with some consequences, such as kneading. Let’s face it, cats are very cute little pets, which we can cuddle and get attached to them. Maybe it’s because of their smooth fur or their unusual little behaviors, or they are cute, I don’t know either. But the annoying thing about them is kneading, a horrible word to mention, I guess. But if we could get to understand the cats, maybe we would come up with amicable solutions on how to stop a cat from kneading. Thus I have managed to put up a few answers on how to stop a cat from kneading with claws.
How to Get a Cat to Stop Kneading
Kneading is a popular behavior that you will see in many domestic cats. The following are some of the ways you can stop your feline friend from kneading.
Gently pull her down
We all know the telltale sign as to when a cat is about to start kneading, which usually involves jumping next to you and start pressing with one paw while closing his eyes. So immediately you notice this kind of motion, gently pull her down maybe into a different position like lying it down on its back.
This can help the cat relax, and perhaps, if you are lucky enough, the cat will fall into sleep. This will discourage the cat from kneading with claws.
Holding on to the claws more firmly
Trust me; I usually find this the easiest and most effective way of stopping on how to stop a cat from kneading with claws. Immediately I notice my cat wants to start kneading; all I do is gently but with more pressure put my hands onto her claws, almost covering her claws completely. And this always makes the cat unable to move her claws, so kneading motion becomes nearly impossible to perform.
A word of advice, don’t make your handhold her claws with much pressure as it can make your cat annoyed and aggressive. Plus, I believe you wouldn’t want to make your cat dynamic as the consequences can be a bit overwhelming.
Distractions
This is my second most favorite thing to do whenever I want to stop my cat from kneading. Plus, it’s the easiest thing to do and doesn’t involve my concentrations. I remember, like one time, I was so stressed when my cat was about to knead, and as a result, I threw a toy to the ground.
And just like that, my cat started playing, thinking that I was playing with it. Another kind of distraction you can do if you don’t want too much involvement is just putting food on your cat’s feeding bowl. I must attest work like magic.
Train your cat to a designated kneading spot like a blanket or a towel
Though it sounds impossible, this helps a lot but requires a lot of patience and training over a few months. And once the cat gets to know or familiarize herself with a designated kneading spot, it won’t knead on your laps, your visitors’ laps, or any of your precious items.
Immediately you notice your cat is kneading, gently move it to a designated blanket or towel, and encourage it to continue kneading by stoking it gently on its back. And with time, you won’t have any issues with your cat kneading.
Petting your cat differently
Sometimes we do pet our cats the wrong way and somehow trigger their aggressiveness. Thus, for a more playing environment, always stroke your cat with a shorter stroke at the back so that your cat can become cheerful and playful. And once you notice your cat wants to knead, all you do is give it short strokes, making your cat more playful, and it will stop kneading though for a while.
Conclusion
All of the above steps mentioned are only short-termed. I mean, you would want to punish your cat for doing what Mother Nature designed them to do, right? And another thing you can consider doing as a remedy to those painful kneading is clipping their claws and making them shorter so that the kneading can become more bearable.
Plus, always get to know the reason as to why your cat kneads in the first place. You can find that some cats do knead as a way of displaying affection or soothing themselves. Others knead when they feel stressed and frustrated and knead to get your attention so that you can help with distressing it. So before taking any permanent solutions, always talk with your vet for more information.Don’t forget to check out our latest review on best automatic cat food dispenser .
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