Why has my cat suddenly become so "kneady"?

Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie,
I am hoping that you might be able to help me. My cat has become much more "kneady" since I moved here. At night, he will jump up on the bed and knead for an hour or more, and then he seems to give up in frustration, jumping down onto the floor and giving his "frustrated meow". He only kneads at night when I am in the bed. Before moving here he would knead only occasionally and only for a few minutes. Any ideas on what might be going on and how to help him?

Thanks,
Leif

Sinéad: Well, Leif, that's a good question. It's clear that your cat is pretty disturbed about something, if he's kneading for an hour at a time at a particular time of day.

Siouxsie: There are organic reasons why a cat could have sudden behavior changes, and we always recommend a trip to the vet for a checkup if you can't find anything in your environment that might be causing his problem.

Sinéad: We're fairly certain that this isn't a physical problem because it always happens at the same time of day and in the same place. If your kitty had a brain problem, we think the episodes would be more random than that. But still, better safe than sorry.

Siouxsie: Kneading has its origin in kittenhood. When kittens nurse, they knead at their mother's teats to start the milk flowing. In some cats, this behavior carries over into adulthood, and adult cats will knead on their humans because they find comfort that way.

Sinéad: You say that you've moved recently. As we all know, cats are not crazy about huge changes in their lives, and moving is a huge change. So he may still be feeling stress from the move, particularly if his favorite people or things are not in your new place with you yet.

Siouxsie: Judging by the fact that he kneads at night when you're in bed, it sounds like he may want some petting and comforting from you. If you're willing to do so, it couldn't hurt to take some time to just pet and love him. His purrs will help him relax, and they'll probably help you get to sleep, too.

Sinéad: Another possibility is that there's some sort of noise or disturbance that bothers him. We cats have much more acute hearing than humans do, and noises that are barely perceptible to you may be horribly annoying to us.

Siouxsie: Or maybe he's bored. If he spends a lot of time alone at the house while you're out working, he may need some really focused attention and play time with you. A good play session (15 minutes or so) with a favorite toy can do a lot to ease boredom and use up kitty's energy--which will allow you a good night's sleep.

Sinéad: If you think your cat may be bored, consider investing in some toys that he can play with while he's alone for the day. Visit your local pet store and see what they have to offer.

Siouxsie: Leave the radio on, at a low volume, when you leave home. We prefer classical music or a good mix of music and talk. When Mama leaves for a long time, she puts the radio on WERU, 89.9 FM. We like that! If you live in downeast or midcoast Maine, you'll be able to pick up WERU. If you don't live in the area, any other station that has a good mix of music and talk (not the angry talk show type stuff, though) will help your kitty feel less lonely.

Sinéad: You might consider adopting a friend for your cat, if he's the type who could get along with other cats (or perhaps even a dog). There are lots of animals that need homes, and if you adopt a cat that is a good deal younger and of the opposite sex, you'll have the best results. Please feel free to write back if you need advice on how to introduce a new cat; we've got lots of experience with that.

Siouxsie: Having another cat friend will give your kitty someone to play with while you're away, and it will help him meet some of his social needs.

Sinéad: But there's still another possibility as to why your cat may be acting so odd. We cats are very sensitive to geopathic stress--that is, the energy patterns in our environment, electromagnetic fields (EMFs), chi force, and the like. Maybe your cat is trying to tell you something about where you've got your bed located.

Siouxsie: Have you been sleeping well in your current bedroom? Have your dreams been peaceful or disturbing? Do you wake up tired or energized? Consider these things and if your sleep has been less than ideal, perhaps relocating your bed or practicing some feng shui cures could help.

Sinéad: A purification ritual--burning sage or frankincense or any ritual relevant to your spiritual tradition--might help, too. We get on Mama's case when she needs to smudge our house, and usually she listens to us.

Siouxsie: We hope these suggestions help, Leif. But whatever else you do, don't forget to take your cat for a checkup, just to make sure everything's OK.