Kneading is a weird¹ cat quirk². They look like they’re in a trance as they lift one paw, then the other, again and again on a soft surface. But why do cats knead at all?

按摩是猫的一个怪癖，看起来好像它们很入神，先抬起一只爪，再抬起另外一只爪，在柔软的表面上如此重复。但猫咪究竟为什么会按摩呢？

First off, not all cats knead, and they don’t all knead in the same way. Most cats only use their front paws, but some use all four; some kitties bring their claws out, and others don’t. A cat kneading at your lap might hurt, but your kitty doesn’t have any bad intentions.

首先，不是所有的猫都按摩，按摩方式也不尽相同。大多数猫咪只用前爪，但有些也四只爪子一起用。有些猫会伸出爪尖，但别的猫就不会。猫咪在你大腿上按摩可能会疼，但绝对没有恶意。

Even when they’re too young for their eyes to open, kittens need to knead. Nursing kitties push around when suckling to get their mother’s glands³ to release more milk. No one is totally sure why the habit lasts through adulthood⁴, but there are a few theories to answer the question of why do cats knead.

猫咪甚至在很小眼睛还睁不开的时候就需要按摩了。还在吃奶的小猫会按压以刺激母亲的乳腺分泌更多奶水。谁都不能完全确定为什么这一习惯会延续到成年，但有一些理论可以回答为什么猫会按摩。

For one thing, because felines⁵ grow up associating kneading with the comfort of Mama Cat and her milk, the habit might be soothing⁶. Like a kid sucking a thumb, it’s a calming thing. A lot of cats have their eyes closed and look like they’re completely zenned out.

首先，因为随着猫科动物长大会把按摩同妈妈和奶水的安慰联系起来，这种习惯可能有安抚作用。就像小孩吸吮拇指一样能让他们安静。很多猫都会闭着眼睛，好像完全沉浸其中。

Another theory is that cats knead to mark their territory. Cats have scent⁷ glands in two places: their faces and paws. When felines rub their faces against the furniture, they’re leaving their scent—and same goes for kneading. Paws are the only places where cats sweat, which means rubbing them against something leaves that smell.

另外一种说法就是猫按摩是为了占地盘。猫两个部位有臭腺：脸和爪子。猫科动物在家具上蹭脸时是在留气味，按摩也一样。爪子是猫唯一出汗的部位，所以在其他东西上摩擦爪子就能留下气味。

Others think kneading might span back to housecats’ ancestors. Wild cats didn’t have the soft blanket that your domestic kitty might love, so they had to make the ground as comfy as possible. Pushing at the grass might have helped soften⁸ it up.

其他人认为按摩行为可以追溯到家猫的祖先。野猫没有你家里养的猫咪最爱的柔软毯子，所以他们要尽可能把地面弄得舒服一点。按压草可能有助于让其变得松软。

If you’re a cat owner, you may not be wondering “Why do cats knead?” so much as “How can I get my cat to stop kneading?” However, kneading makes cats happy, so you should never stop your pet from doing its thing；just keep its claws short.

如果你养猫，你可能考虑更多的不是“为什么猫要按摩？”，而是“我怎么能让它不再按摩？”然而，按摩能使猫开心，所以你不该阻止它这样做，只要把爪子剪短就可以了。