What does kneading right before dying mean

[mrlw]

Hi,

My cat had been sick and was diagnosed as anemic, then one day he was barely able to move around and extremely lathargic, which I decided to bring him to the vet office.  During my short drive, I saw  him facing the front of the carrier, gave a meow, turned around, and the next thing I heard was something that sounded like a spitting/cacking sound, maybe once every 5-10 seconds.  When I parked the car soon after, I noticed he was lying on his side and kneading with his front and rear paws.  I thought he was in some weird happy state, but by the time I arrived in the vet's office roughly a minute later, they found out that he already passed away.

I was wondering what those spitting/kneading actions were?  Regression of the mind as he is blacking out?  Extreme form of pain control like what they say about purring?

thanks for any info.

 

[faery]

Many cats purr and knead in an attempt to comfort themselves (either from pain or stress). Your cat may have been doing that, or if there were any other movements or if they movements were rhythmic it could have simply been convulsions (especially if the cat was making noises at the same time). You may never know the real reason though.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[mrlw]

Thanks for the info and your concern.  Toward the end of his life, I was always trying to pet him in the hopes that he would still purr, I assumed that if he was still purring, he was still enjoying my petting.  It was on the very last full day where he was showing no sign of purring to my petting, so from all that, I presumed his purring was because he felt a bit of happiness in spite of whatever he was feeling otherwise and not use these techniques for therapeutic reason.  I just hope he wasn't suffering that bad in the last minute or so.  Although my wife's only regret is not putting an end to his suffering earlier, which we are not in agreement on how much he was suffering.

I don't think it is convulsion because that was definitely kneading, wither alternating opening and closing of the paws.