Yeah, sometimes I kind of think my cats are twerking. (And I apologize to HN readers for using that word).
We call that sprinkling. If it's a male cat that's not fixed, that's when they actually spray.
The biscuits/kneading usually come first, then the sprinkling starts when the back legs start coming up and the tail starts vibrating.
If it's something he likes, like the fridge, no biscuits get made, it's straight to sprinkling for a few seconds to just make sure it's still his.
Oh and the wiping of gums on literally everything, most importantly every cardboard box in the house.
It's definitely an arousal thing mixed in with territory marking.
They could also be referring to that wiggling they do before they pounce. Some cats do it quite fast. This is the first I thought of when I read that comment.
A family member has a cat like yours and introduced me to the regrettable phrase "sexual biscuit-making". As if it wasn't weird enough already.
Re:Why Do Cats Knead?
by yetanotherloser on Friday June 09, 2023 @02:43PM
(#36262220)
I. love. this.
I will never look at my cat the same way again.
It may have a real function in other situations (milk production) but I believe the proximal cause for her nightly kneading is simply how good it feels which puts her straight to sleep afterwards. I expect it releases a lot of oxytocin/opoid type neurotransmitters. It makes me feel a little.... used. Not to mention the pain!