Cats Purring?

Question

I have always wanted to know, what is it that makes cats pur, like why do they do it, and what exactly is it inside thier body that makes that noise. Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi Adam...The reason is psychological as well as physiological--the two are not mutually exclusive of one another. Cat's purr whenever they feel content, extremely frightened and some will purr when they are dying as well.

How cats purr:
One study determined that purring involves activation of nerves within the voice box. These nerve signals cause vibration of the vocal cords while the diaphragm serves as a pump, pushing air in and out of the vibrating cords, thus creating a musical hum. Some veterinarians believes that purring is initiated from within the central nervous system and is a voluntary act. In other words, cats purr only when they want to.

The other theory is that the sound comes more from vibrating blood vessels than in the voicebox itself. The larger the vocal chords the softer the purr whereas the smaller the louder.
Source: http://cats.about.com/cs/catmanagement101/a/why_cats_purr.htm


The Scientific Reason WHY cats purr:

Some scientists believe when cats purr the frequency of their purring will help heal damaged bones and body organs as well as help heal humans.

All the cats had purr frequencies between 20 Hz and 200 Hz. With the exception of the cheetah, which had frequencies 2 Hz from the rest, all the species had frequencies, notably 25 Hz, 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 125 Hz, and 150 Hz, that correspond exactly with the best frequencies determined by the most recent research for bone growth, fracture healing, pain relief, relief of breathlessness, and inflammation. All of the cats' purrs, including the cheetah, had frequencies 4 Hz from the entire repertoire of low frequencies known to be therapeutic for all of the ailments.

That fact that the cats in this study produced frequencies that have been proven to improve healing time, strength and mobility could explain the purr's natural selection. After a day or night of hunting, purring could be likened to an internal vibrational therapeutic system, a sort of "kitty massage" that would keep muscles and ligaments in prime condition and less prone to injury. Additionally, the purr could strengthen bone, and prevent osteodiseases. Following injury, the purr vibrations would help heal the wound or bone associated with the injury, reduce swelling, and provide a measure of pain relief during the healing process.
Source: http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=0005CB0D-82FC-1E31-82FC809EC5880000&catID=3&topicID=3.

Answer 2

Scientists now believe (recently published in Cat Fancy Magazine) that purring is a feeble attempt at "talking" much in the way a dog barks.

Alot of times, besides barking, dogs will whine or "mumble" in order to communicate with their Human Parent, as a way of saying what they want.

Scientists believe this is similar to what cats are doing when they are purring. Some purrs are louder, some purrs are not too loud, some purrs squeak, etc. Cats have a range of different purrs for different things. The purr comes from the cat's vocal cords, which are vibrating in order to make the purring sound.

I hope that my answer has helped you. Happy Purrs To You!

Have a lovely rest of the evening.

Answer 3

Cats purr for all reasons, pain, happiness, aggitation, hunger, and anger. So there is not real reason to give as to the origin of purring. We make a lot of diffrent noises because our vocal chords CAN do it. Cats Vocal cords cant make a large amount of diffrent sounds. Purring is cause by vibrating the vocal chords quickly against one another with breath.

Answer 4

Scientists have puzzled over that question for centuries. No one knows for sure. Another study recently came out, another group of scientists tried to answer that question, and again failed. I've had cats my entire life, 54 years, and believe it has something to do with something in their throat and/or lungs, but I certainly don't know the truth.
Cats will purr when they are happy, sad, hurt, or nervous, even when they are frightened.
Hopefully, in trying to answer this question, not many cats were hurt. I hate to think what was done to them to try and find that answer. It's one of life's mysteries.

Answer 5

Cats also purr when frightened. Scientests aren't quite sure what causes cats to purr, and it's their throat bits that purr.

Answer 6

well when cats purr they are happy, i ve always wonders what makes the sound i thought maybe it's the heart maybe they have a faster heart than us (like a humming birds heart sounds like a hum because it beats so fast) :)