betterwithcats.net
It’s going to be difficult to completely stop your cat from kneading, instead, a better option is to keep your cat’s nails trimmed and redirect the behavior.
That’s because cats knead on their mother in order to release milk which means that kneading immediately gets a ton of important positive reinforcement.
While there are certainly other ways for cats to mark their space, like cheek marking and scratching, some cats seem to prefer kneading.
When it comes to stopping our cats from kneading, punishment shouldn’t be on the list of options. It’s generally ineffective and downright confusing for our cats.
Not only is the actual procedure painful, but it can also have long-lasting negative impacts including pain, arthritis, and changes in behavior.