Does anyone know what this thing is that cats do where they press their paws up&

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down over& over again? The cat will usually , do this on something really soft and it will push and pull its paws and nails back and forth against the surface, like on a bed or something , for like one minute, up to 10 minutes at the longest .
It basically looks like the cat is marching , but the back legs are perfectly still and only the front paws/arms are doing it
The cat also seems to be in a trance or very mesmerized or hypnotic
 
It's called ''kneading''.

From a website:
It is speculated that as adults, the behavior is continued as a form of comfort when the animal is feeling safe and happy, so the next time your cat does the "happy dance" for you, remember that he may be associating the comfort and happiness that he gets from you with happy memories of time with his mother.
http://vetmed.illinois.edu/petcolumns/showarticle.cfm?id=303
 
A lot of cats do this. They're imitating what they do when they nurse, it's comforting to them. My cats do this when they're happy, it makes them purr like crazy.
 
This is called "kneading".....what kittens do on their mom's belly to help bring the milk into the teats. When a cat is feeling happy and content, they'll do this.......and it does seem to mesmerize them.

I have cats that are 10 yrs old, and they still do this....sometimes on me!!

Hope this answered your question.............Enjoy your "happy" cat!!
 
It is strange looking but a very natural tranference from infancy. They use to have to do that to make milk come out of their mothers glands. What you are looking at is contentment. They are relaxed and if you listen, you will hear purring too!
 
It is called kneading.

It is a comfort thing. They do it when they are really happy. Like purring.
 
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