爲什麼貓咪都喜歡按摩？大綱

Kneading is a weird cat quirk. 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?
按摩是貓的一個怪癖，看起來好像它們很入神，先擡起一隻爪，再擡起另外一隻爪，在柔軟的表面上如此重複。但貓咪究竟爲什麼會按摩呢？

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，不是所有的貓都按摩，按摩方式也不盡相同。大多數貓咪只用前爪，但有些也四隻爪子一起用。有些貓會伸出爪尖，但別的貓就不會。貓咪在你大腿上按摩可能會疼，但絕對沒有惡意。

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 glands to release more milk. No one is totally sure why the habit lasts through adulthood, but there are a few theories to answer the question of why do cats knead.
貓咪甚至在很小眼睛還睜不開的時候就需要按摩了。還在吃奶的小貓會按壓以刺激母親的乳腺分泌更多奶水。誰都不能完全確定爲什麼這一習慣會延續到成年，但有一些理論可以回答爲什麼貓會按摩。

For one thing, because felines grow up associating kneading with the comfort of Mama Cat and her milk, the habit might be soothing. 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，因爲隨着貓科動物長大會把按摩同媽媽和奶水的安慰聯繫起來，這種習慣可能有安撫作用。就像小孩吸吮拇指一樣能讓他們安靜。很多貓都會閉着眼睛，好像完全沉浸其中。

Another theory is that cats knead to mark their territory. Cats have scent 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.
另外一種說法就是貓按摩是爲了佔地盤。貓兩個部位有臭腺：臉和爪子。貓科動物在傢俱上蹭臉時是在留氣味，按摩也一樣。爪子是貓唯一出汗的部位，所以在其他東西上摩擦爪子就能留下氣味。

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 soften it up.
其他人認爲按摩行爲可以追溯到家貓的祖先。野貓沒有你家裏養的貓咪最愛的柔軟毯子，所以他們要儘可能把地面弄得舒服一點。按壓草可能有助於讓其變得鬆軟。

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.
如果你養貓，你可能考慮更多的不是“爲什麼貓要按摩？”，而是“我怎麼能讓它不再按摩？”然而，按摩能使貓開心，所以你不該阻止它這樣做，只要把爪子剪短就可以了。