why does my cat purr?

Question

I know when my cat purrs he is happy.....but what is actually happening to make him purr..hope ive asked this correctly!

Answer 1

All domestic cats are born with the purring ability. Kittens instinctively purr when nursing, and your adult cat will purr at the drop of a hat whenever you're near. Cat purrs will range from a deep rumble to a raspy, broken sound, to a high-pitched trill, depending on the physiology and/or the mood of a cat. A cat will often "wind-down" when going to sleep, with a long purring sigh that drops melodically from a high to a low pitch. Does your cat purr sound like an idling diesel engine? That's because it's roughly the same velocity--about 26 cycles per second. But I'd much rather hear a cat purr, personally, thank you.
By the way, a cat's purring does not always denote happiness. A cat will purr when in extreme pain, or frightened or stressed. Have you ever heard your cat purring to beat the band on the table at the veterinarian's office? It's like they're saying, "Don't hurt me. I'll be good."

Answer 2

Most experienced "cat wranglers" now know that cats don't purr only when they are content and happy. They also purr during tense or traumatic moments. When suddenly and violently injured, even at moments near death, a cat will often purr. I've often likened this to saying, "Please don't hurt me any more. I'll be good," but recent studies have put a more scientific spin on this seeming anomaly.
It seems that the measurable Hertz of a cat's purr lies between 25 and 150. Coincidentally (or not) it has been found that sound frequency in this range can stimilate bone growth and healing. ¹
That cats have remarkable endurance, and are quite stoic to trauma is well known to veterinary professionals; it is not unlikely that this instinct to purr under duress is directly related.
Purring under stress has more colorfully been described as the cat's mantra, e.g., a self-soothing, self-healing, relaxing, vibrating sound (sort of like the Ommmm one might hum while in the lotus position. Notice the vibration in your lips, nose and throat? I bet most of us, if we had our "druthers," would much rather be able to purr!

Answer 3

meow... aww i love cats... well i looked on a few sites and found this information... hope i helped:
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 past the voice box. The muscles work both during inhalation and exhalation, which creates the impression that cats can purr continuously. The air passes through the valve, which opens and closes rapidly to create the purring sound.

awwwwww how cute! x

Answer 4

Cats purr when they are happy and also when they are stressed or in pain, a cat will purr when giving birth or if its in shock like if its been hit by a car for example !

Answer 5

Well actually cats purr when they are unhappy too apparently. I don't know why they purr if you are looking for the physiological reason. I think you will have to ask a vet

Answer 6

He purrs because he has a purr box. He purrs for all kinda reasons, Pleasure, needing attention, happyness. If he's unhappy he will most likley growl or some other load noise.

Answer 7

Purring is usually a sign they are happy and content, but they also purr when they are nervous and tense as well.

It's a vibration in the vocal chords as they breath and the air passes over them.

Answer 8

It's something in their voicebox that rattles?! I'm not sure, but it just means that they're very happy :-) My cat purrs all the time!

Answer 9

I dont really care as long as my cats carry on purring . I think its the best sound in the world.And did you know ..... a cat can not purr and sleep at the same time? so if they are purring they still awake ^-^

Answer 10

I love my cat, its so cute when he purrs