Why do cats purr and how do they do it?

The murmur of a beloved pet is a balm for the soul of the owner and a manifestation of cat thanks. 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.

Purring is a rhythmic, vibrating sound that has a sufficient duration. The source of this sound are cats. As a rule, such an ability is a feline "secret weapon" with which they react to certain situations. It is not only cats that 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 Pricette wrote about murmuring in his book Cat Without Fools. Many people remember the quotations from this work: “Rumbling is not a trifle” and “For rumbling cats all is forgiven.” We can agree with this, because cats are able to produce gentle and touching vibrations, for which most owners forgive any petitions to their pets.

Cat owners appreciate their pets for their wonderful purring feature, because with this ability they can reassure the person. Every cat owner knows that if his pet is near to sleep, and begins to purr, the person feels relaxed and falls asleep.

Scientists Robert Ecklund, together with Gustav Peters and Elizabeth Duty, working at the University of Lund, published a scientific work, which 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, Ecklund together with Suzanne Scholz released another scientific work in which they argued that different breeds of cats purr in their specific range.

Regarding the mechanism of murmur, there are several opinions. Specialists put forward different 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 purring, the mouth of the beast is closed and the reproduced sound is formed by vibration, which passes to the 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 work of the vascular system. Based on the emotional component, there is a change in blood pressure, due to which a vibration occurs in the cat's chest. Frequency fluctuations occur in the cranial air sinuses and transform into recognizable feline sounds. Large breeds of cats have thicker sinus sinuses, which are hidden under a layer of cartilage.For this reason, unique sounds are only available to domestic cats and small species of the cat family.
• Lungs. Since rumbling occurs when you inhale and exhale, you can say that the lungs are involved 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 the rumbling of domestic cats. The following options are recognized as the main ones.

• Thanks. Cats are rumbling when they show gratitude to a person for sweets, affection, touch and warmth. In this respect, the barely audible rumbling is a sign of a contented cat.
• Relaxed state. If the pet is at rest, then he begins to purr. The same situation can be observed when the kittens, settling down in a calm and peaceful state, suck their mother's milk. Since you will not be able to meow and eat at the same time, they can barely hear the purr.
• Show your emotions. Most people think when a cat's purr is heard, which means that the cat sings its song. With the help of different intonation, pronunciation of sounds and vibrations, pets show their mood at the moment. This is comparable to people who, in a relaxed state, begin to hum certain motives under their breath.
• Conversations 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 figure is important among the wild felines, as parents can often leave their children alone, going hunting.
• With self-medication. If the cat is sick or under stress, she starts purring to find peace and restore her body condition. With the help of vibrations that reproduce cats, the blood circulation processes are improved, contributing to the improvement of metabolism. Due to the purring of the cats get warm or calm. At such moments it is better not to touch your pet and allow him to recover on his own.
• Before bedtime. When the animal is going to sleep, it can purr quietly. Due to the uniform vibration, he is able to find peace and tune in to sleep. Scientists have conducted studies in which it was found that during rumbling it is impossible 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 hunting instinct. 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 of the animal shows its interest in objects.
• Self-defense show. A cat may purr loudly if it feels in danger. It is better not to touch an animal that is in such a state, since it is possible that a pet may bite or attack.
• Feeling of fear. With a strong fright may be observed manifestations of exciting rumbling. This suggests that the animal is better not to touch it, or, conversely, it feels its helplessness and needs protection.
• The goal is to get something. If the pet wants to get a treat from its owner, then he begins to purr. In most cases, this technique works flawlessly, and the cat gets what they want.
• Disease. Rumbling can talk about the disease. In this case, the animal will play loud and restless sounds. If such behavior occurs, you should contact your veterinarian.

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

It is believed that the touch of people for a cat is an annoying factor. But the animal may not always react negatively to the touch of a person. Few cats will like it if it is ironed 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 touches are endowed with tenderness when the pet wants to receive its portion of caress, then in response to the touch you can hear a satisfied rumbling that will symbolize satisfaction. Cats are endowed with sensitivity in relation to the emotional state of their owner and determine when they are touched with love. For this reason, they rather purr, and some even crumple the claws of the rug or their master, demonstrating reciprocity and trust.

Owners of female cats face the situation when an animal raises its bottom up and purrs while stroking. This behavior may symbolize the beginning of estrus. It can also say that the animal simply greets its owner.

Murmuring allows animals not only to communicate with humans, but also with each other. Such sounds serve as a warning or a message for 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 rumbling, the cat informs that there is no need to fight with her, and a weaker opponent will understand that there will be no attack from the other side.
• Rumbling is able to demonstrate defenselessness and a request not to attack her.

It is always interesting to follow the communication between mother and kittens. Small children also know how to purr, if they want to eat or vice versa, they are already fed and satisfied. During the meal, as described earlier, the kittens are also purred.

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

The vibrations that the cat reproduces during the rumbling are 22-150 Hz. This range of frequencies allows wounds to tighten, helps to stimulate bone growth. Similar methods with the use of vibration are often used in the medical industry. Under the influence of low frequencies in the body begin to produce endorphins, acting as natural analgesics. They reduce pain and have a positive effect on the healing process.

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

For hosts who are often nervous, a small four-legged friend can become a personal anti-depressant. 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 pronounce a certain vibrating sound.

A cat that lies down on the chest and rumbles can act as a domestic healer. Owners of fluffy pets noted that after contact with a cat, exacerbations of cardiovascular diseases quickly turned into remission. A similar situation was observed with problems with hypertension. In the West, the practice is widely used in which cats are used in the rehabilitation therapy of sick and elderly people.

Purring our younger brothers will not be able to leave anyone indifferent. Purring seals are a symbol of comfort and special warmth. Some pet owners report that it seems to them that the cat shares its secrets during purring 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 take a closer look at it. Perhaps the animal no longer trusts the person or feels discomfort. If the animal meows constantly, it means that something is bothering him. Usually this behavior occurs after a child appears in the family. The animal considers itself superfluous and starts to get nervous. Pet may begin to attract attention and play pranks. The owner may react negatively to such manifestations, which is undesirable.

If the animal suddenly stopped rumbling, you need to carefully examine your pet. There is a possibility that the cat has something to hurt, or it feels weakened. Sometimes the reason may be hiding in the banal lack of mood of the pet. It is necessary to take the animal in his arms, cuddle and say nice words to him. A treat of tasty food will help raise the cat's mood. If the situation does not change, you should go to a veterinary clinic, since the lack of purriness may indicate diseases of the vocal cords or problems with brain activity.

Many interesting facts are connected with the purring and other features. that every cat lover should be familiar with.

• People who associate the sound of cats with a working tractor are almost right. Diesel engine at idle speed works approximately in the same frequencies as the cat - 15-150 Hz.
• All pets are distinguished by their uniqueness, but some animals were able to achieve worldwide fame and got into the Book of Records. Popularity was a cat named Merlin, who lives in South-West England. The merit of the cat is that its rumbling reached 67.8 decibels - this is comparable to a working washing machine.
• According to cat lovers, the special power of purring is in females. Connoisseurs of furry pets report that it is the females that contribute to a good recovery of their host’s strength by rumbling.
• The color of the animal does not affect its healing abilities. However, there is an opinion according to which white cats can endow their owner with energy, black ones can calm the wild temper of a person, gray animals will act according to the situation, reassuring or encouraging. Redheads will cheer up, and tortoises will bring profit and luck.
• Purring is a privilege not only for adult animals. Even newborn kittens can rumble, but only very quietly. Only mothers can hear their sounds.
• Rook, the animals speak not only with humans, but also with other animals, for example, with 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 calculated that cats know about a hundred sounds, while a dog knows no more than ten. A cat can also pronounce seven letters: f, g, r, m, n, x, c. She can also learn some simple words. It should be noted that the training will be very long. There is one cat who could say the word “me” and, if he wanted to eat, he shouted “me-ee”. Some pets repeated the words "mom" and others.
• Experts believe that only a cat is capable of rumbling. However, there is evidence that this view is wrong. It was noted that the trot with an ocelot also know how to rumble. Larger representatives also know how to purr. For example, a lion is able to rumble in the range of 114 decibels.
• No animal other than a cat can keep its tail upright when walking. Her wild brethren have a tail in a horizontal position or between the hind legs.
• While communicating with their owner, cats can not only rumble and meow, but also express their mood through tail rotations, attitudes and postures. If you pay attention to the tail, you can see that when the tip twitches, it means that the animal loves its owner and is strongly attached to it. During vigorous movements of the tail, the pet is annoyed, and with a relaxed state, the animal will occasionally wag the tail.
• Sometimes the flap of 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 better to stay in the house.

About why cats purr, see below.