Kneadies™ are for some people, 

'pet anxiety blankets '

It started as a designer luxury faux fur throw; soon, it was obvious the faux fur reminded cats and other animals of their mother's fur. 

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It's called a Kneadie™ for the kneading it inspires in cats.

In the 70's, psychologist, Harry Harlow,  experimented by pairing 'pretend-parent cloth monkeys' with actual baby monkeys to help prove the emotional connection between parents and infants. 

I've provided a further link to his findings on my Blog Post 'Gifts For Pet Lovers