Why Do Cats Purr?

This has been a subject of great debate over many years, and cat experts still aren't in absolute agreement. Who'd have thought Kitty's little purr could stir up such controversy in the scientific world?

At the moment, the most widely accepted theory for how cats purr is that the voice box muscles rapidly twitch. This causes rapid, repeated partial closing and opening of the middle of the voice box (i.e. the area where air moves through). This repetitive closing and opening causes vibrations in the air that's being breathed in and out. It's these vibrations that are responsible for making the purring sound. This theory is supported by the fact that cats that have paralyzed voice box muscles are unable to purr.

It's fairly widely accepted and understood that cats purr when they're happy and contented. This is undoubtedly true, but there are also other possible answers to the "why do cats purr?" question which are less obvious and may just surprise you:

1) Reassurance for kittens

When kittens are very young, they can't see, and they can't smell or hear very well. The vibrations from Mommy's purring allow the kittens to find her more easily. Her purring also acts as reassurance. She's letting them know that she's friendly, happy and ready for nursing them.

2) Reassurance for themselves

It's said that cats sometimes purr when they are feeling anxious, ill, or even when they are in pain or dying. Cat purring is sometimes an act of reassurance for Kitty herself. She associates it with nice experiences, so purring when she's feeling sick, stressed, in pain or even dying, helps her to feel calmer.

I've never seen a cat in a lot of pain purr, and I've only seen sick and dying cats purr when they've been made relatively comfortable. If Kitty is relatively comfortable and calm, she may purr to de-stress herself, but if she's under a lot of stress and / or in a lot of pain, I believe that takes over and she'll be less likely to purr.

3) Reassurance for humans

I've noticed, with remarkable consistency over the years, that my cats rush to my side when I'm upset. They get really close to me and purr. I believe that again, this is an act of reassurance, but this time it's for me. It's like they're saying "We know you're upset, but we're here for you." I find it incredibly touching, and it reminds me how clever and caring our feline companions really are.

4) Other reasons

More reasons Kitty may purr include if she's:

• Acknowledging she likes you and wants to be your friend
• Telling you she's friendly
• Over the moon about something
• Enjoying her food
• Settling down for a sleep
• Having a nice dream
• Pleased to see you

So, why do cats purr? I believe it's for a variety of reasons, based on the circumstances at the time. I think cat purring is mostly associated with positive experiences in Kitty's life. Purring during negative experiences is, I believe, Kitty's way of trying to make herself feel better.

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