Why do cats purr - the main reasons why cats purr and a detailed explanation of each of them + interesting facts about the life of pets

Mechanism of sound occurrence

Why are the mechanics of a cat's purr still so poorly understood? The fact is that it is possible to determine for certain what and how cats purr only by dissection. But, of course, the dead don’t sing any “songs.” And modern diagnostic methods do not allow us to determine the origin of sounds.

It is known that there is no special organ for chirping sounds. This process definitely involves the vocal cords, the lungs, since “mur” sounds rhythmically, on inhalation and exhalation, and, possibly, the diaphragmatic and intercostal muscles. And - absolutely - the brain.

A cat's purring is a complex process that involves the lungs, muscles and brain.

Most researchers believe that cats purr through their throats. The vocal cords contract and the sound passing through them vibrates with each inhalation and exhalation. But what makes a cat do this? Question for neurophysiology. The “motor” is started by a mechanism in the brain.

Interesting fact: the comparison of a purring cat with a tractor is not accidental. At idle the car produces the same 15–150 Hz. Owners note that female cats purr louder than male cats.

There are alternative theories of the origin of uterine sounds:

This is the sound of blood moving through the inferior vena cava, which carries venous blood to the heart.
This is what the hyoid bones do.
There are false vocal cords that are responsible only for these sounds.
It was previously believed that vibrating sounds originated from the abdomen. But anyone who has petted a cat knows that this is not the case.

For now, the neurophysiological theory prevails: the need to vocalize breathing arises in the brain, and it already gives the command to the vocal cords. We hope that scientists will soon test the hypothesis and the age-old mystery will be revealed. In the meantime, let's figure out what causes the cat's brain to signal to the ligaments.

Most often, cats purr in a relaxed state, for example, on the owner's lap.

How to correctly “purr” or “purr”

A cat can purr

or
purr
- these two expressions are considered common and are used in literary works to add color.

In accordance with the rules of the Russian language, adjectives are written as indicated above. This spelling is considered correct and does not contradict spelling and stylistic canons.

"Purrs"

is a singular, third person form of the verb that can be used in any style of speech. Found in literary works, journalistic articles, and educational texts.

The word “purring” is more often used in colloquial, everyday speech. But it can also be found in literary works of the narrative genre. Rarely used in journalistic texts or articles.

But the phrase
“purring cats” is considered incorrect
because it contradicts stylistic norms. Not found in the literature.

The conjugation of the verb in this case does not affect its spelling; the word is written with the letter “e”.

What does a cat's purring mean?

Previously, it was believed that this is how animals communicate with each other and humans when they are stroked. However, “mur-mur-mur” is not only a means of communication and a way to express pleasure.

Method of communication

Kittens begin to purr already in the first days after birth. This is how they help mom find herself and feed her. With a person, everything works about the same. Animals wake people up, butt and purr loudly in the morning, especially if they spend the night in another room. “Good morning, master! It’s time to get up and feed me.” If your pet loudly “sings songs” in the kitchen (or where you usually feed your pet) and curls under your feet, meowing periodically, this is a direct hint of a desire to snack.

Surely you have noticed more than once that pets greet you stormily from work. At this moment, you can also hear a joyful “mrrr”.

Purring, the cat greets its human.

In relation to relatives, everything works exactly the same: a quiet sound indicates location. He warns others about a benevolent and good-natured attitude. This is also how animals encourage each other. Some scientists have noticed that wounded cats lie down next to each other.

Expression of pleasure

A satisfied cat - what could be more pleasant for the owner? Pets can actually express pleasure and even gratitude from tasty food, a secluded bed and warmth. Many pets love affection, and with the help of purring they express pleasure from stroking and scratching.

In combination with paw stomping, purring indicates peace and love. This means that your pet completely trusts you, is happy and feels as calm as she does next to her mother. After all, kittens’ little paws make “massage” movements to get more milk. Apparently, the memory remains with the animal forever, and pops up in moments of good mood. And besides, in this way the cat “marks” the owner.

Connection with nutrition

Remember that a kitten purrs so that the cat notices and feeds it? Echoes of this mechanism can be seen in the fact that many animals rumble when they eat. Perhaps from pleasure. Especially if it is SUPERPET - a species-typical food for cats and dogs according to the BARF system, developed by veterinarians and nutritionists. It replicates the diet of predators in nature: 98% consists of raw meat without heat treatment, flavor enhancers and preservatives. Biologically appropriate nutrition normalizes digestion, prevents urolithiasis, kidney disease and other ailments. And how delicious it is! Pets can only purr with pleasure.

PURR

Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949-1992.

See what “purr” is in other dictionaries:

purr - ((to oneself) under one's breath); hum, chant, sing, purr (to oneself) under one's breath, purr, purr Dictionary of Russian synonyms. purr see sing Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova ... Dictionary of synonyms

Purr - purr, purr, purr and (colloquial) purr, purr, imperfect. 1. About cats: Quietly purring. 2. transfer (usually in combination with the words: under your breath). Quietly, barely audible humming (colloquial joke). “It’s comforting to look out the windows and purr songs.”... ... Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary

purr - purr, purr, purr and permissibly purr, purr; prib. purring and permissibly purring; gerundish purring and purring ... Dictionary of difficulties of pronunciation and stress in modern Russian

purr - purr - the same. Onomatopoeic, like Tur., Tob. myrla purr, mutter, mуr meow (Radlov 4, 2142); Wed similar to German murmeln to mumble, lat. murmurāre; see Mi. EW 204; Convert I, 570 ... Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language by Max Vasmer

Purring is nonsense. trans. 1. Make sounds reminiscent of mur mur; purr quietly (about a cat and other felines). 2. transfer decomposition Barely audible, inaudibly humming something or speaking in a soft, insinuating voice (about a person). Explanatory dictionary... ...Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

purr - 1. purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring, purring yay,... ... Forms of words

purr - Derived from the onomatopoeic purr, which reproduces the sounds made by a cat. Related words: Latin murmurare - to mumble, English murmur - to whisper, mutter... Krylov's Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language

purr - purr ykat, ychu, ychet and ayu, ay... Russian spelling dictionary

purr - (I), purr/chu and purr/kayu, purr/chesh and purr/kaesh, purr/chut and purr/kayu... Russian Spelling Dictionary

purr - I growl, you growl and howl, howl; purring and purring; nsv. 1. Make a quiet purr (about a cat, lioness, lynx, etc.). The cat purrs on his lap. M. with pleasure. Sleepily m. M. Quietly, falling asleep. 2. (what). Razg. Humming softly or speaking in a soft voice. M... Encyclopedic Dictionary

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Stress and pain

Cats begin to make purring sounds in different situations. It can be very stressful - right after having to run away from the dog. Or weak - when examining a new room. By purring, pets calm not only humans, but also themselves. Rhythmic sounds are a great way to relax.

There is a hypothesis that purring animals heal themselves. Vibration frequency from 20 to 150 Hz helps restore tissue, including bone, grow muscles, repair tendons and ease breathing. In their natural environment, animals have to sit in ambush for a long time when hunting and jump quickly, so it is important to maintain bone tissue in order.

Felines often purr when they fall asleep. It is possible that a large amount of sleep is also associated with the restoration of the body - up to 20 hours a day.

Loud purring for no apparent reason can be a signal to the owner that the cat is in pain. Especially if she sits with her eyes closed and her mustache drooping. Be careful: these animals endure pain until the last moment and hide their symptoms.

If a cat purrs in a tense position without closing its eyes, it is unlikely that it is feeling well at that moment.

During childbirth, cats also purr, helping themselves to overcome pain. Unfortunately, even before death, many of them make such sounds. Purring is very connected with physiological processes: appearing in the first days of life, it remains with the cat until the very last moments.

It is important to note that all cats are different, and they also vocalize their emotions differently. Some of them do not purr at all, while others trill constantly. And all these are variants of the norm. You can understand what your pet wants at the moment by her body language. A relaxed posture indicates pleasure, a tense one indicates that she wants something from you. An excited purr near a bowl is very different from what you hear when a furry dog curls up next to you.

When she gets what she wants, the purring stops. Think about the situations in which this happens and what the animal wants to tell you. Develop your powers of observation and you will be able to better understand your four-legged companion.

PURR

Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935-1940.

See what “purr” is in other dictionaries:

Purr - purr, howl, howl and (colloquial) howl, howl; imperfect 1. About a cat: purr quietly. 2. transfer, what. Sing softly. M. to himself. M. song. | Sovereign purr, ychu, ychesh and (colloquial) ykayu, ykaesh (to 2 meanings). | noun purr, me, cf. Explanatory... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Do big cats purr?

We have said more than once that the anatomy of a domestic cat is no different from the structure of a wild one. From a structural point of view, the gastrointestinal tract has not changed over millennia of evolution. What about neurophysiology and psychology?

Small cats - caracals, lynxes, cheetahs - purr like our domesticated pets. Although, of course, more often they hiss. Leopards, lions, panthers and tigers do not purr in the usual sense - they rather roar and make bass sounds. Their purr is more like a roar. But predators definitely use these techniques to communicate, when consuming food and expressing pleasure. There are videos online of cheetahs, tigers and pumas purring.

Example sentences

The following examples of simple sentences will help you understand the topic:

“For some reason, lying near the stove, our cat Vaska purred louder.”

“When a tiger rolls on the grass, it purrs like a kitten.”

“It is impossible for a person to learn to purr like a cat.”

“When our cat gets bored, he comes to us, rubs his legs and purrs.”

It is not difficult to write correctly if you choose a style, form and guess the stylistic meaning of the verb. Grammar problems should not be considered terribly difficult, because you can always find the answer to the question you are interested in.

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Why your cat doesn't purr and what to do about it

Is it possible to make a cat purr? No, especially if she is not naturally inclined to do this. And that's okay: not everyone feels the need to express emotions by purring. There are even breeds that are not inclined to turn on their “engines” - Ragdolls and Devon Rex. Here, again, there are exceptions.

Getting a purr to do anything is very difficult in general, and with purring and other ways of expressing emotions it is even more difficult. This partly explains the impossibility of accurately diagnosing the mechanics of the appearance of iridescent sounds in predators. Nobody wants to purr in an MRI machine or during an ultrasound.

Sometimes this “insensitivity” is related to previous negative experiences. If the cat has been with bad owners or on the street, it may simply be afraid to show emotions by purring. You can try to help your cat make the desired sounds. Play with her, caress her, introduce treats into her diet (always natural) and demonstrate by your behavior that you are a safe person.

Why do cats purr when petted?

In fact, human touches are irritating for a cat, but she may not always react with displeasure. It is clear that if you stroke your pet against the grain or when he is not in a good mood, then in this case the cat may twist its tail in displeasure or even scratch it. However, if you gently pet your pet when she wants it, she will most likely begin to purr with pleasure. Cats are very sensitive to the mood of the owner and see when he strokes lovingly, so they purr in response, expressing mutual love and trust.

The benefits of a cat's purring for humans

Our smaller furry brothers are real doctors. There is even feline therapy - treatment by communicating with cats. Pet owners cope better with stress, are less likely to become depressed, are more sociable and, in general, are healthier than people without pets. Why is purring useful?

Cats are furry physiotherapists. At a frequency of 25-50 Hz, bone tissue responds to purring, and at 100 Hz, skin and soft tissues respond. It's not as crazy as it may seem: the body's tissues respond to pressure by becoming stronger. Scientists even propose using this property of vibration for astronauts so that their bones do not lose their density in zero gravity.

A purring cat pleases the human heart. This means that having a pet in the home reduces the likelihood of having a stroke by a third. “Pur-mur-mur” is a kind of white noise, to which the owner calms down and falls asleep more easily.

Thus, not all purring kittens and cats are happy with their situation. A purring pet can feel both joy and pain. This amazing means of communication allows animals to communicate with each other and get what they want from humans. If a cat likes food or, conversely, is hungry, it will purr. This is done by domestic purrs, cheetahs, and pumas. But if your pet does not want to purr, this is also not a problem, and you can do nothing about it.