Kneading is the common name given to it because it looks almost like they're kneading bread. You'd have to know it's related to milk to call it milk-treading!

I get that it's a regional thing. I don't think you need to know the underlying explanation just to memorize the term. Otherwise nobody would say things like 'mute point', or 'for all intensive purposes', or 'could care less', etc. Most people usually use the phrases in the right context, but clearly don't understand what they are actually saying or they wouldn't say it.

'Could care less' is imo the preferred formulation, the implication being that while there is no fundamental physical law preventing me from caring less, from a practical standpoint it seems highly unlikely. It's like how I could be a high lottery pick in the 2023 NBA draft - I'm unathletic and old and get humiliated by 7th graders in games of 1-on-1 - but technically it only takes one NBA GM seeing something special in me and I'm shaking hands with the Commissioner.

It's all in the delivery.

Never heard that one.

Also common to say they're "making biscuits".

When our cat comes to sleep w/ us we ask him to make some biscuits, he usually does.

If you're lucky and the biscuits line up he'll give you a nice massage.

A few years ago, Friskies did a comedercial (it's a word I just made up) series narrated by Zefrank of "True Facts" and the "Sad Dog Diary" fame called "Dear Kitten". They are quite amusing... at least I find them amusing.

The relevant one is Dear Kitten: The Art Of Massage - https://youtu.be/ksZ5SyyfHJ0

> Dear kitten I need to give you a little history lesson. Hundreds of thousands of years ago we cats were given a choice. Either we could learn the art of swimming and become a seafaring creature or we could choose the gift of the art of massage. I think it's obvious which one we chose. Massage. To this day we must exercise our duty to massage everything. We alone can exercise this alternating gentle touch with a little aftertaste of claws digging in the flesh.