Why do cats purr when petted?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

This question begins to torment the owners of fluffy lumps from the first day when the kitten crossed the threshold of the apartment. Pleasant relaxing sounds cannot be repeated, and the riddle “Why do cats purr?” becomes more and more intriguing. Many experts conducted all sorts of experiments, but could not find a scientific explanation for this habit of pets. Sometimes for no apparent reason, and sometimes quite naturally, cats begin to meow, run and purr.

Where does this unique sound come from?

Despite a long study of this issue, it is difficult to unequivocally determine the reasons, but nevertheless, the main situations in which a cat begins to purr have been established.

Only when born, blind and helpless babies find their mother precisely by this sound, so she calms them and notifies them of her presence. Thanks to this, the kitten can determine where his cherished source of food and drink is, and the mother cat, having heard the rumbling of her cubs, remains calm for their he alth and mood.

The cat begins to make rhythmic sounds at those moments when he is really good and emotions just go wild, for example, on the owner's lap. Substitutinghis soft tummy and ears under his arms, the pet starts his motor and cannot stop for a long time. Try scratching your pet behind the ear and you will understand why cats purr when petted. A smile of pleasure and delight literally spreads on the face of the fidget.

Other situations when cats purr

Among other things, the cat also begins to make similar sounds when she is unwell, so she tries to calm herself and relax herself. This rarely happens.

Why do cats purr differently when they are angry? If someone else is standing near the bowl, then the animal may start to turn on the motor, but more aggressively, making it clear that any threat to its food is extremely outrageous.

When a kitten is hunting, he is in a state of excitement and starts to make the most funny and amazing sounds.

Why do cats purr when they fall asleep? Everything is extremely simple here: for pets, this is one of the methods of dealing with insomnia, as for a person, for example, counting sheep or listening to the sounds of rain.

How does a cat motor work?

Cats can purr for hours for no apparent reason, accompanying their song with all sorts of overflows. Despite the fact that it seems that the animal begins to breathe faster, it is not, the respiratory process does not accelerate for a second. The cat motor works both on inhalation and on exhalation. Thus, a certain vibration is created, and the vocal cords at this moment close and open thanks to the muscles of the larynx. So, a jet of air passingthrough the ligaments, is converted into a characteristic sound.

An interesting fact is that cats actually make a lot more sounds, but not all of them can be perceived by the human ear. The frequency range of the purr is from 25 to 150 Hz. The most amazing thing is that this frequency is used in medicine for healing bone tissue. Perhaps this is the answer to the question of why cats purr and lie down on a sore spot. Perhaps in this way they are trying to cure a person with sound therapy.

In closing

Our furry pets are fraught with many secrets and still unsolved mystical things. The question of why cats purr is just one of millions of questions related to the habits and lifestyle of these animals. In any case, cats definitely like to be stroked, and sometimes they start purring only when they hear something good about themselves. Have you ever noticed how they react to praise or just to affectionate treatment? Namely, they understand when they are treated with love, and try to show reciprocity by all available methods.