Content
- Theories about purring
- the mother's purr
- the purr of pleasure
- Various Meanings of Purring
- Types of purr
O purr of cats is something known all over the world, however, the physical mechanism that causes this peculiar sound is unknown. If your cat purrs a lot, wags its tail or purrs very loudly, here you can find part of its meaning.
It's not just domestic cats that purr, many wild cats such as tigers, panthers, lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs also purr. The vast majority of small-sized wild cats also emit this characteristic sound while massaging with their paws, for example.
Continue reading this article from a How we explain to you why cats purr and know all about this characteristic sound of cats.
Theories about purring
At the beginning we mentioned that the feline purr is a sound of which its origin is unknown and the issuance mechanism.
There are two scientific theories about this: Electromyographic studies support the hypothesis that they are the laryngeal muscles of the cat, who tremble a lot and provoke a dilation of the glottis and its immediate regression, whose fast activity causes vibrations when inhaling and exhaling the air when breathing. All of this physical mechanics causes the purr.
The other theory says that the sound is hemodynamic in origin. This hypothesis states that the purr originates in posterior vena cava. More specifically at the level of the diaphragm, since the muscles compress the blood flow, causing vibrations that are transmitted through the bronchi.
the mother's purr
During and after giving birth, the cat communicates with her kittens through purring. Cats also have the innate ability to purr after a week of life, using it to communicate with your mother.
Purring serves the cat to calm her kittens during a traumatic birth. It then serves to show your litter their position, as the kittens remain blind for a few days. With the purr and your mother's scent guide your puppies to suckle. During lactation, the mother soothes her puppies to prevent them from biting her nipples while nursing.
When puppies learn to purr, they communicate their mood to their mother. They are happy when they are breastfed, or it can also mean that they are fine or that they are afraid. The purr is not monochord, it has several frequencies that the cat uses depending on each situation.
the purr of pleasure
All people who have the company of cats at home, I'm sure they've already had a good feeling when they feel the the cat's purr in your lap, or while caressing him.
The purr of domestic cats is a kind of hum that produces between 25 and 150 vibrations per second. Among this wide range of shades the cat can accurately express its desires and mood. Contrary to popular belief, purring may not just mean that the cat is enjoying the moment.
Various Meanings of Purring
The most common and well-known is the purr that the cat expresses in situations that he considers good for him. While eating the cat purrs, it also does it when being petted, but this is a more complex purr, as it doesn't just mean that the cat is enjoying it, it is also a way to purr. show gratitude and trust when feeling loved.
However, the cat can also purr when it is sick and asks for our help. cats purr to avoid stressful situations, like for example: after we scold him, or even to avoid fights with other cats emitting a friendly purr on these occasions.
Types of purr
We have already seen that through purring the cat can show various moods. Next, let's list the different tones, frequencies and their meanings in order to better understand your pet:
- If your cat purrs erratically, it's a sign that he's enjoying it.
- If the cat purrs in a vigorous, regular tone, it's because it wants something. It can be food, water or your caress.
- If the cat purrs too loudly, it usually means the animal is unwell and is asking for our help to alleviate its pain or discomfort.
- When the cat purrs slowly and evenly, it means the cat wants to end up with an uncomfortable situation. For example, when we look him straight in the eye, which for cats is an unfriendly sign. In this case, the cat purrs in the way we explained to let us know that it does not pose any danger and wants our friendship. When this happens, our response should be a very slow blink of an eye and a caress that will put an end to the tension between them.
- We must take into account the usual shade of our cat. Since, just as people have different tones of voice, each one of them has its own tone, lower or higher, faster or slower.
If you are curious about feline behavior, also read why some cats suck on the blanket.
