Why do cats purr and how do they do it?

The purring of a beloved pet is a balm for the soul of the owner and a manifestation of cat's gratitude. Many people wonder why cats purr. and how they do it. This feature is present in many animals, and it even has a healing effect on the human body.

Purrs are rhythmic, vibrating sounds that are long enough. The source of this sound is cats. Typically, this ability is a cat's "secret weapon" with which they respond to certain situations. Not only cats purr - some representatives of the animal world are able to reproduce similar sounds. Among these animals are hyenas, badgers and mongooses.

The famous English writer Terry Prachett wrote about purring in his book Cat Without Fools. Many people will remember quotes from this work: "The rumbling is not a trifle" and "For rumbling to cats, everything is forgiven." We can agree with this, because cats are able to emit gentle and touching vibrations, for which most owners forgive their pets any leprosy.

Owners of cats appreciate their pets for their wonderful purring feature, because with this ability they can calm a person. Each cat owner knows that if his pet is nearby to fall asleep and begins to purr, the person feels relaxed and falls asleep himself.

Scientists Robert Eklund, along with Gustav Peters and Elizabeth Doughty, working at Lund University, have published a scientific work that provided information on the frequency of purring of various representatives of the cat family. According to the information provided, the cheetah purrs with a frequency of 18.32-20.87 Hz, and the domestic cat reproduces sounds in the range of 21.98-150 Hz. In 2011, Eklund, together with Suzanne Scholz, published another scientific work in which they proved that different breeds of cats purr in their specific range.

Regarding the mechanism of purring, there are several opinions. Specialists put forward various versions.

• False vocal cords. The animal has simple vocal cords, with the help of which others hear the traditional "meow". Such a sound can be heard only if the cat opens its mouth. And during the purr the beast’s mouth is closed and the reproduced sound is formed due to vibration, which passes to special bones under the tongue. With this option, a person hears sounds similar to a quietly working tractor.
• Sinus sinuses. This variation is related to the functioning of the vascular system. Based on the emotional component, a change in blood pressure occurs, due to which vibration occurs in the cat’s chest. Fluctuations in frequencies occur in the cranial sinuses and transform into recognizable feline sounds. Large cat breeds are distinguished by thicker sinus sinuses, which are hidden under a layer of cartilage. For this reason, unique sounds are only available to domestic cats and small feline families.
• Lungs. Since rumbling occurs during inhalation and exhalation, we can say that the lungs participate in this sound. Due to the active participation in the action of the intercostal and diaphragmatic muscles, a change in the frequency of sounds is observed.

There are many versions that explain the reason for rumbling domestic cats. The following options are recognized as the main ones.

• Thanks. Cats purr when they show gratitude to a person for sweets, affection, touch and warmth. In this respect, a barely audible rumbling is a sign of a contented cat.
• Relaxed state. If the pet is in a calm state, then it begins to purr. The same situation can be observed when kittens, sitting in a calm and peaceful state, suck their mother’s milk. Since it is not possible to meow and take food at a time, they purr hardly audibly.
• Show your emotions. Most people think when a cat's purge is heard, it means that the cat is singing its song. With the help of different intonation, pronunciation of sounds and vibrations, pets demonstrate their mood at the current moment. This is comparable to people who, in a relaxed state, begin to hum certain motives under their breath.
• Chatting kittens with mom cat. With the help of rumbling, little children tell their mother that everything is fine with them, they are well-fed and satisfied. This indicator is important among wild representatives of the cat family, as parents can often leave their children alone when they go hunting.
• With self-medication. If the cat is sick or stressed, she begins to purr to find peace and restore the state of her body.With the help of vibrations that cats reproduce, blood circulation processes are established that contribute to the improvement of metabolism. By purring, cats can warm up or calm down. At such moments, it is better not to touch your pet and allow it to recover on its own.
• Before bedtime. When the animal is about to sleep, it may quietly murmur. Thanks to the uniform vibration, he is able to find peace and tune in to sleep. Scientists conducted studies in which it was found that when rumbling it is not possible to hear breathing and heart rate, since the vibrations are strong in their manifestation. Due to this feature, pets sleep well at night.
• Demonstration of the hunting instinct. A rumbling can be heard at the moment when the animal is watching the bird through the window or watching the fluttering leaf in nature. With the help of such manifestations, the animal shows its interest in objects.
• Self-defense show. A cat may purr loudly if it feels danger. It is better not to touch the animal, which is in this condition, as you may encounter the fact that the pet may bite or attack.
• Feeling of fear. With severe fear, there may be manifestations of exciting rumbling. This suggests that the animal is better not to touch, or, conversely, it feels its defenselessness and needs protection.
• The goal is to get something. If the pet wants to get a treat from its owner, then it begins to purr. In most cases, this technique works flawlessly, and the cat gets what he wants.
• Disease. A rumbling may indicate a disease. In this case, the animal will play loud and restless sounds. If this behavior occurs, contact your veterinarian.

Cats can growl for any reason. However, only the very attentive people who care about their little friends are able to understand the true reason for such behavior, and they carefully monitor the well-being and mood of their pet.

It is believed that human touch for a cat is an annoying factor. But the animal can not always react negatively to touching a person. Few cats will like it if they are stroking against the coat or at the moment when it is in a bad mood. If the animal does not like something, then it starts to twist its tail and can even scratch a person.

If your touch is endowed with tenderness when the pet wants to get his portion of affection, then in response to the touch you can hear a contented rumbling that will symbolize satisfaction. Cats are endowed with sensitivity to the emotional state of their owner and determine when they are touched with love. For this reason, they purr rather, and some even crumple a plaid or their master's claws, demonstrating reciprocity and trust.

Owners of female cats are faced with a situation when the animal, when stroking, raises the ass up and purrs. This behavior may symbolize the beginning of estrus. It may also mean that the animal simply greets its owner.

Purring allows animals to not only communicate with humans, but also among themselves. Sounds like this serve as a warning or message of certain information.

• A quiet murmur speaks of a friendly mood and calm.
• Loud sounds will symbolize the dominance of the animal over its relatives. With the help of a rumbling, the cat reports that there is no need to fight with it, and a weaker opponent will understand that there will be no attack from the other side.
• The rumbling is capable of demonstrating defenselessness and a request not to attack it.

Keeping track of communication between mom and kittens is always interesting.Little children also know how to purr, if they want to eat or vice versa, they are already fed and happy. During a meal, as described earlier, kittens also purr.

Purring allows cats to heal each other. If one cat gets sick, the second animal can be near him, purr, acting as an encourager and sedative.

The vibrations that the cat reproduces during rumbling are 22-150 Hz. This frequency range allows wounds to heal, and stimulates bone growth. Similar vibration techniques are often used in the medical industry. Under the influence of low frequencies, endorphins begin to be produced in the body, acting as natural analgesics. They can reduce pain and have a positive effect on the healing process.

It is known that the ability to purr belongs to the category of attributes of endurance. This was known in ancient times, due to which 9 lives were attributed to cats. In the modern world, everyone knows that cats have only 1 life, but they suffer more severe injuries, and the healing process is much faster when compared to dogs.

For owners who are often nervous, a small four-legged friend can become a personal antidepressant. Animals make vibrating sounds, due to which a person begins to calm down. This is comparable to meditation from spiritual practices, where in a certain position you need to make a certain vibrating sound.

A cat that lays on her chest and rumbles can act as a home healer. Owners of furry pets noted that after contact with a cat, exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases they quickly went into remission. A similar situation was observed with problems with hypertension. In the West, practice is actively used in which cats are used in the rehabilitation therapy of patients and the elderly.

The purrs of our smaller brothers will not leave anyone indifferent. The purring cats are a symbol of cosiness and special warmth. Some pet owners report that it seems to them that while purring the cat shares its secrets and talks about how she spent the day. But not all people are familiar with this phenomenon. Some get a pet that never purrs. In this case, you need to know what to do.

If the cat suddenly stopped purring, you should look at it more carefully. Perhaps the animal no longer trusts the person or feels discomfort. If the animal constantly meows, then something is bothering him. Typically, this behavior manifests itself after the child appears in the family. The animal considers itself superfluous and begins to get nervous. The pet can begin to attract attention and play pranks. The owner may react negatively to such manifestations, which is undesirable.

If the animal has suddenly stopped rumbling, you need to carefully examine your pet. There is a chance that the cat is in pain or feels weakened. Sometimes the reason may be hiding in the pet's banal lack of mood. You should take the animal in your arms, caress and say nice words to it.A treat with delicious snacks will help your cat cheer up. If the situation does not change, you should go to the veterinary clinic, as the absence of purring may indicate diseases of the vocal cords or problems with brain activity.

There are many interesting facts related to purring and other features, which every cat lover should be familiar with.

• People who associate the sound of cats with a working tractor are almost right. The idle diesel engine runs at approximately the same frequencies as the cat - 15-150 Hz.
• All pets are distinguished by their originality, but some animals were able to achieve worldwide fame and were in the Book of Records. The cat named Merlin, living in Southwest England, gained popularity. The cat's merit is that his rumbling reached 67.8 decibels - this is comparable to a working washing machine.
• According to cat lovers, females have a special purring power. Connoisseurs of furry pets report that it is the females that contribute to a good restoration of the strength of their master due to rumbling.
• The color of the animal does not affect its healing ability. However, there is an opinion according to which white cats can give their master energy, blacks can calm a man’s exuberant disposition, gray animals will act according to the situation, calming or reassuring. Red representatives will cheer up, and tortoises will bring profit and luck.
• Purring is not only the privilege of adult animals. Even newborn kittens can growl, but only very quietly. Their sounds are heard only by the mother.
• Humbling, the animals are talking not only with humans, but also with other animals, for example, dogs. Approximately 95% of owners communicate with their pets and seek an answer in the form of “meow” or “me”. In this way, the cat maintains a dialogue.
• Scientists have estimated that cats know about a hundred sounds, while a dog knows no more than ten. Also, a cat can pronounce seven letters: f, g, p, m, n, x, c. She also has access to memorizing some simple words. It should be noted that the training will be very long. One cat is known who was able to say the word "me" and if he wanted to eat, he shouted: "me-ee." Some pets repeated the words “mother” and others.
• Experts believe that only a cat is able to rumble. However, there is evidence that this opinion is erroneous. It was noticed that the lynx with ocelot also know how to rumble. Larger representatives also purr. For example, a lion is capable of rumbling in the range of 114 decibels.
• No animal, except a cat, can keep its tail vertically directed while walking. Her wild brethren place their tail in a horizontal position or between their hind legs.
• During communication with their master, cats can not only rumble and meow, but also express their mood with the help of tail rotations, looks and poses. If you pay attention to the tail, you will notice that when its tip shakes, it means that the animal loves its owner and is strongly attached to it. During vigorous tail movements, the pet is annoyed, and when relaxed, the animal will occasionally wave its tail.
• Sometimes, flapping the tail may indicate that the cat is facing a choice. This can be seen in rainy weather, when she does not know whether she needs to go outside or is it better to stay in the house.

See why cats purr.