Owner 'Crushed' After Discovering Heartbreaking Reason for Cat's Behavior

The kneading motion that cats exhibit is often referred to as "making biscuits". However, one owner was left in tears when she found out why her rescued pet wouldn't stop doing it.

Bethany Hart, 31, has shared footage of her cat Coconut, who is almost 2, kneading a blanket while holding part of it in her mouth. Hart thought this was typical cat behavior until she made a heartbreaking discovery.

So far, the TikTok clip has received over 929,000 views, but it turns out that cats repeatedly pressing their toes into a soft or cushioned surface is a comforting action, often showcased by stressed felines.

Hart, from Ocean City, Maryland, told Newsweek: "I found out that it reminds them of being babies, and they are more likely to do it when they lose their mom too young.

"Finding this out made me extremely emotional and broke my heart, but I like to believe she sees me as her mom now. She has changed my life for the better," Hart said.

Newsweek reached out to Dr. Anna Foreman, a veterinarian, and it turns out all isn't as it seems. She said that owners shouldn't worry as it is a normal behavior often seen when felines are happy and content.

Foreman, who is based in the U.K. and works for Everypaw Pet Insurance, said: "Kittens will knead their mother's mammary glands to aid in the letdown of milk as it causes a release of a hormone called oxytocin. This is why cats may dribble or suckle on things while performing this behavior.

"They knead as adults because they feel safe and comfortable, much like how they felt as kittens with their mum while feeding. Even cats who have not been fed by their mothers for the normal period of time when they are kittens will perform this behavior as it is instinctive and not learned."

Another video posted by @thetailofcoconut, a page dedicated to the cat, shows a heartbreaking image of Coconut when she was found at 2 weeks old. The onscreen text says that she was abandoned as a kitten and left "fighting for her life with respiratory issues."

Coconut was bottle-fed and hand-reared by a foster carer, who nursed her back to good health. Then, she was adopted by Hart and her partner, Cory Morgan, in July 2022, when she was 9 weeks old.

Hart, a bartender, told Newsweek that the Maine coon and Siberian mix continues to "make biscuits" before she goes to sleep.

Despite having a rough start to life, Coconut is now thriving and spoiled with love by her doting owners.

Hart said: "She has always been special and just the absolute sweetest girl.

"She is the light of our lives," she added.

At the time of writing, the video captioned, "She made biscuits a little bit different than other cats & finding out why crushed me," has over 76,000 likes.

"One of my cats does this, my brother's friend found him half alive out on the street when he was still a kitten," posted one user.

Another wrote: "My ginger kitty does this ... I found him on the street at 7 months old. I'm so happy I can be his stand in mommy."

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