How and why does the cat purr?

This sound refers to the most pleasant sounds in the world, not without reason many use it in psychotherapy and for meditation. We're talking about cat purring now. Low vibrating frequencies are associated with heat, coziness and, of course, with appeasement. But the most striking thing is that scientists have not yet unraveled the wondrous secret of how cats do this, what organs this sound produces. At the moment it is believed that this is due to the vibration of the hyoid bones located in the larynx of the animal. But for certain it is known why a cat purrs. And the reasons for this pleasant phenomenon, as it turned out, there are several. In general, purring is one of the most common ways of feline communication, and it is peculiar not only to domestic pets. Almost all felines are able to make similar sounds, even the king of beasts is a lion.

The most common hypothesis why a cat purrs, is that at the moment it is simply good. She expresses satisfaction with life, satiety, tranquility in such a simple way. No wonder the cat starts to purr, jumping on his knees to the owner, having received his portion of affection. So she expresses approval of human actions. For the same reason, you can often hear these amazing "melodies" when she is hungry and hurrying ahead of the master to the kitchen for a meal.

Often a cat purrs when growing its offspring. When the kittens are next to her, she often, and for no apparent reason begins to mumble. She does this, that's why: while the young ones are small and blind, they need mother care constantly. But they can not see and understand it yet. But they fully understand the sound signals, with which their mother calms them, as if to say: "It's okay, I'm close".

Another reason why a cat constantly purrs, there may be a stressful situation. For her, purring works, like human motion sickness, soothing. And when the cat is under stress, if she is sick or has anguish or discomfort, she can calm herself with just such an amazing sound. It is believed that in the process of purring in the cat's body endorphins are allocated, so this can be an indicator of the excitement of the animal or, conversely, the state of euphoria.

But the reason why a cat purrs in the wild, there may be a manifestation of her aggression. Wild cats mumble their readiness to attack the enemy. But at home relatives, purring in the presence of another animal can, on the contrary, serve as an expression of a friendly attitude. So a cat can offer to play, show its predisposition and peaceful intentions. And sometimes even say with a purr: "I'm very weak, I do not need to attack."

As you can see, the reasons why a cat purrs are very diverse. Experienced owners of fluffy beauties in timbre and intonation can distinguish the purring of their pets depending on the situation. This skill comes with the experience of keeping a cat. But in any case, let your pet purrs only with pleasure.