How do cats purr?
Kittens learn how to purr when they are a couple of days old. Veterinarians suggest that this purring tells ‘Mom’ that “I am okay” and that “I am here.” It also indicates a bonding mechanism between kitten and mother. As the kitten grows into adulthood, purring continues. Many suggest a cat purrs from contentment and pleasure. But a cat also purrs when it is injured and in pain. Dr. Elizabeth Von Muggenthaler has suggested that the purr, with its low frequency vibrations, is a “natural healing mechanism.” Purring may be linked to the strengthening and repairing of bones, relief of pain, and wound healing (See Web link to Felid purr: a healing mechanism). Purring is a unique vocal feature in the domestic cat. However, other species in the Felidae family also purr: Bobcat, Cheetah, Eurasian Lynx, Puma, and Wild Cat (Complete list in Peters, 2002). Although some big cats like lions exhibit a purr-like sound, studies show that the Patherinae subfamily: Lion, Leopard, Jaguar, Tiger, Snow Le
Humans seem to be fascinated by animals who can do things that we cannot. For example, HowStuffWorks has answers to questions about camel humps, Hawk vision, night vision, fish gills and so on. And so it is with cats purring. We cannot purr, so we are interested in how cats can do it. It turns out that domestic cats, some wild cats like pumas and mountain lions (in general, any big cat that cannot roar) and even raccoons are all able to purr. Humans happen to smile and laugh when they are happy, and dogs wag their tails. So it is not unusual for an animal to have a physical reaction to happiness. Cats show happiness by purring. They may also purr when startled or upset. It turns out that cats have special wiring! The wiring travels from the brain to the muscles in the voice box, and this wiring is able to vibrate the muscles so that they act as a valve for air flowing
It is not known how cats purr. One suggestion is that the vibration of blood passing through a large vein in the cat’s chest causes purring. The windpipe, along with air spaces in the cat’s skull, magnifies the sound of the blood passing through the vein. An alternate theory is that the sound is produced by the cat’s larynx as its vocal cords open and close.
