How & Why Do Cats Purr?

The tones and volume of the purring does vary between every cat and is often described as a calming buzzing or humming sound. Domesticated cats frequency of purring is between 25 to 150 vibrations per second..Although we cannot see the part that make them purr, it is a very unique trait that cats hold. A purr is a sound which is made by domesticated cats and other species of the feline world and it is their way of communicating. Let's take a look on how & why cats purr.

Cats produce the purring noise by fast twitching of the muscles in their larynx causing air vibrations every time they inhale and exhale air and as the cat breathes, a purring noise is produced along with soothing harmonies. Purring is sometimes accompanied by other sounds depending on the atmosphere and situation that the cat may be in at that time.

Another way for cats to purr has to do with their voice box and once these nerves have been given a signal, the vocal cords vibrate which causes the diaphragm to push air in and back out of the vocal chords and this creates the relaxing, humming of a purr. Sometimes a cat purrs continuously without stopping and they can do this because they are just breathing and inhaling air and then exhaling air and the purrs are continuous. At times cat's breathing is heavier and this will make the purring sound much louder and easier to hear.

Cats often purr when being petted, becoming relaxed,or when eating. Many times while giving birth, female cats will purr. Domesticated cats have been reported to purr even when they are injured, sick, in pain and many cats purr even when they are dying. I can recall many times during my years working as a vet tech that most of the times when an owner brought their cat in for yearly shots or just a check-up, most of theses cats were giving off a soft and soothing purr as a way to let us know that they were nervous by being there but yet it is as if the cat was communicating with us through the purring and was telling us that he/she was not going to cause any trouble or become a threat to us.
Many cats purr whenever they are sitting in someone's lap and they are being petted, and they purr while they eat. Another time while working as a vet tech a cat was brought in that has just been hit by a car and the owner's placed the cat on the exam table and the entire time we were examining this cat, he had his little motor going and all we heard was, purr, purr, purr. This poor cat's leg was dangling down and was broken and the cat also had multiple road burns on him but this sweet cat kept right on purring the entire time. (He made a full recovery, by the way.)

A cat purrs when they see their owner with their food and this type of purring sound is the cats way of saying, "hey I get to eat now". Or a cat may purr when they see a their owner just in the kitchen and the purring is more louder than at other times and this purr is telling the owner "I want some food now please". The purring a cat does when they are about to be fed is a higher-frequency than when a cat is just sitting around soaking up the sun and chillin' out.

Cats even purr whenever they are in a stressfull situation and the purring sounds relaxing and has a vibration type of sound to it and it is as if the cat itself is sitting in a yoga class and going, "Ommm". A cat's purr has a healing effect to it and many cat owners notice that their blood pressure lowers. Cats purr whenever they are frightened and not sure of what is going on. The purr will be slow and a little louder than when they are in a relaxed mode, and when a cat becomes frightened that soft sounding purr will be accompanied with a low growling purr blended in.

Many cat owners notice that whenever their cat is either laying on the bed or in their lap that the cat purrs louder and seems sedated and their eyes are almost closed and at the same time they are "sponging' everything they put their tiny front paws on. This is a relaxing and tranquil mode they are in and telling us that now all is good. The 'sponging" cats do when they purr goes back to when they were kittens and nursing off of their mother. Kittens "sponge" or "knead" their mother's teats to get the milk flowing out better. "Sponging" is just a cat's way of being content and relaxed and letting us know that they are in their happy place and as they are "sponging" or "making biscuits" as some call it, owners may also observe your cat looking at you with slow blinks. This is the cat's way of saying "I love you".

The next time you have a chance, sit down and have your feline friend sit in your lap, give your cat some extra tlc and let this adoreable and amazing bundle of fur work his/her magic. Once the purring starts, all of your worries and troubles from your chaotic day will melt away right then. If you do not own a cat, find a friend with one and borrow the cat for a few hours. Cats are amazing creatures. They purr when they are happy and purr they are sad, stressed out or frightened. Maybe we all can take a few lessons from cats and start purring ourselves whenever we are sad or stressed out!

Sources:

I worked as a veterinary technician for 10 years & learned a lot of valuable information.

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a licensed vet but I did learn many useful tips and information during my years working for one. The above information is intended for educational purposes only.