Why purring cat

As they move, they dilate and constrict the glottis — the part of the larynx that surrounds the vocal chords — and the air vibrates every time the cat breathes in or out. The result? A purr. Marjan Debevere says in her experience no two cats purr the same Credit; Marjan Debevere. Marjan Debevere is a cat shelter photographer in London who is currently studying for a degree in feline psychology.

She is also the owner of four cats — Clive, Hula, Luigi and Archie — who are something of an Instagram sensation 33,odd followers and counting, Instagram fans. Luigi purrs little, and Archie a lot. But in recent years more light has been shed on the purr. In the early s we hypothesised that purring has other purposes besides this. Work by Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, Karen Overall, and others has led to a better understanding of the purpose of the purr. A study published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America showed that domestic cats and some species of big cats, including pumas and cheetahs, could purr at frequencies optimal for pain relief and even bone repair.

So how can you tell why your cat is purring? Your best chance of understanding them is to look at their body language and the context. Hungry cats dupe owners with acoustic trick An emotional support sock is the perfect travel companion Crickets rapidly evolve new mating call to evade their parasites.

So, why do it? If it's a form of communication, it's meant for those near and dear, since cats purr at a frequency and volume too low to travel far. Purring and many other low-frequency vocalizations in mammals often are associated with positive social situations : nursing, grooming, relaxing, being friendly.

More likely, though, purring is simply soothing, or self-soothing, as cats may also purr in stressful situations. In that case, purring would be akin to how humans soothe themselves by crying, laughing, distracting themselves, or even organizing their desk. Some veterinarians and cat enthusiasts have observed cats lying alongside each other and purring when one is injured a behavior termed "purr therapy" , though scientific literature on the subject is scant.

Beyond being calming for the injured kitty, "purr therapy" may have bone healing properties. Domestic cats purr at a frequency of about 26 Hertz, in a range that promotes tissue regeneration. That's not as crazy as it sounds: High-impact exercise promotes bone health for the same reason, because bones respond to pressure by making themselves stronger.

In their natural setting, cats spend a lot of time lying around waiting to hunt, so purring may stimulate bones so that they don't become weak or brittle. Intestinal Worms.

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