Do You Know Why Cats Purr?

Send us a text

Ever wondered why cats purr? On this episode of Vetsplanation, Dr. Sugerman uncovers the surprising science behind cat purring. From communication with kittens to self-healing powers, find out why this behavior is more than just a sign of contentment. Perfect for cat lovers and pet owners looking to deepen their understanding of feline behavior. Don’t miss out – tune in today! 

What you will learn:

• Different reasons why cats purr beyond happiness
• The role of purring in cat communication and self-soothing
• How purring frequencies may aid in healing bones, muscles, and wounds
• The impact of cat purring on human health, including heart attack risk and migraines
• Differences in purring behaviors between domestic cats and wild cats
• Challenges researchers face in studying cat purring
• The unique "solicitation purr" used by cats to get attention and food

Support the show

Connect with me here:

• https://www.vetsplanationpodcast.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/vetsplanation/
• https://www.twitter.com/vetsplanations/
• https://www.instagram.com/vetsplanation/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@vetsplanation/
• https://youtube.com/@Vetsplanationpodcast
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVbvK_wcgytuVECLYsfmc2qV3rCQ9enJK

Voluntary donations and Vetsplanation subscription:

• https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=DNZL7TUE28SYE
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961906/subscribe

Episode Transcript

Dr. Sugerman (00:00):
Have you ever wondered why cats purr?
These mysterious creatures havea unique way of expressing
themselves, and purring is morethan just a form of
communication to them.
Welcome to Vetsplanation, thepodcast that helps you
understand your pets better.
I'm your host and cat dad, Dr.
Sugerman.
So let's dive into thisfascinating mystery of why cats
purr.

(00:21):
So a common misconception isthat cats purr only when they're
happy.
While they do purr when they'recontent, that's not the only
reason.
Some people believe that theypurr to communicate, but cats
often purr when no one else isaround too.
Research shows that purring is areally complex behavior
reflecting a range of emotions.

(00:43):
Cats might purr when they'realone, but it's also common when
someone else is nearby, whetherit's another cat, a different
species, or a human.
This suggests that purring isn'tsolely for communication.
Perhaps they're just talking tothemselves for all we know, just
like we do, right?
So why do cats purr?
Observations suggest variousreasons.

(01:05):
The most obvious one we talkedabout was happiness.
When cats feel safe, they showreally relaxed body language,
stretching out or closing theireyes while they're laying down.
Purring in these moments islikely their way of showing
their comfort and theirenjoyment and often in response
to petting.
Did you know though, that catshave really special sensors

(01:26):
around like the base of theirears and the sides of their
eyes?
So these are often theirfavorite places to be petted and
not necessarily on their back.
Cats also purr when they'rescared, distressed, angry, or
even anxious.
The vibration of the purringmight actually help calm them,
acting as like a self soothingmechanism.

(01:48):
If a cat purrs when someone elseis nearby and they're anxious,
it might actually be their wayof asking for company during a
really stressful time.
Mother cats also use purring asa form of communication with
their kittens.
A few days after birth, kittensstart purring.
They likely learn this fromtheir mothers as a form of
really quiet communication.

(02:09):
This is also similar to teachingchildren before they can speak
sign language to try to helpthem express their needs.
For feral cats though, evenpurring can be too loud and too
risky, which is why some kittensmay not actually learn to purr.
Not all cats do actually purr.
Cats also have a really specialpurr, though known as a

(02:31):
solicitation pur, which mimics acrying baby and triggers an
instinctual response to ushumans to care for them.
So they often use this when theywant their food or treats.
Cats are super smart, obviously,so I'm sure in the morning when
they come up to you and wake youup and they do this solicitation
purr.
You just be like, yeah, I knowwhat you're doing.

(02:53):
But interestingly, cats purrshave a frequency of somewhere
between 20 to 50 hertz, whichfalls within this acoustic range
for healing bones, muscles, andwounds.
How cool is that?
So this might explain why catsoften purr when they're alone in
a hospital settings.
We see that quite often.
They're potentially using thisreally cool healing superpower,

(03:17):
essentially, to be able to helpheal themselves.
It is shown that a purring cathas been linked to about a 40
percent lower risk of heartattacks in pet parents and may
help alleviate things even likemigraines as well.
They're not just domestic catspurr either, so do servals,
bobcats, ocelots, and pumas.

(03:37):
The cat family is divided intothose that purr and those that
can roar.
So small cats have a hardervocal cord for purring, while
large cats like lions, leopards,jaguars, and tigers actually
have a really soft vocal cordand that helps them to roar
instead.
Interestingly though, there isone animal that does not know

(03:58):
how to purr or roar and thatwould be the snow leopard.
So humans have lived with catsfor about 12,000 years, and
while their purr is one of themost familiar animal sounds, we
still don't fully understand howit works.
Research on deceased cats hasshown that purring can occur
without the brain input or anymuscle contractions.

(04:19):
So that contradicts our oldbelief that it involved an
active muscle control, that thecats had to actively think about
purring in order to be able topurr.
But since cats can't purr oncommand, studying this in cats
is actually really challenging.
They would have to use theseelectrodes that they put into
their vocal cords and put themthrough an MRI, which is very

(04:40):
stressful and very loud, and soit's not really a good way to be
able to study them when they'realive in order to be able to see
how they actually purr.
But, to sum this up, purring isa multifaceted behavior.
Cats purr when they're happy,when they're scared, when
they're distressed, angry, oranxious.
They use purring to helpcommunicate with their kittens

(05:02):
and to train us for food andtreats.
And remarkably, purring mightalso have healing property for
both cats and for their humancounterparts.
While dogs are often seen as anemotional support animal, cats
with their calming purrs canreally help with anxiety and
even with heart conditions.
So have your cats ever purredwhen they were nervous?

(05:24):
Or have their purrs ever helpedyou feel less anxious?
Share your experiences in ourcomments, and don't forget to
subscribe and learn more aboutyour pets and their health.
So thank you for listening toVetsplanation.
As always, make sure to keepyour pets happy, healthy and
safe.
We'll see you next week.