How do kitties purr

Humans happen to smile and laugh when they are happy, and dogs wag their tails. So it is not unusual for an animal to have a physical reaction to happiness. Cats show happiness by purring. They may also purr when startled or upset. It turns out that cats have special wiring!

The wiring travels from the brain to the muscles in the voice box, and this wiring is able to vibrate the muscles so that they act as a valve for air flowing past the voice box. The muscles work both during inhalation and exhalation, which creates the impression that cats can purr continuously.

The air passes through the valve, which opens and closes rapidly to create the purring sound. Sign up for our Newsletter! Evidence shows that purring is not only a method of communication. Because kittens are born blind and deaf, they need the vibrations from purring to communicate with their mother and littermates.

The low frequency of a cat's purr causes a series of vibrations inside their body that can ease breathing, heal injuries and build muscle, while acting as a form of pain relief. Not only does it help sooth the cat, but it is though that there are health benefits for owners. Cat owners are at 40 per cent lower risk of a heart attack lower blood pressure after interacting with cats and hearing their soft purrs.

This allows big cats to make a deep, roaring sound but in domestic cats is completely hardened and only allows air vibrations while exhaling and inhaling. The more science has delved into the purr, the more it seems to have uncovered. This is where we address seemingly simple questions… that have very interesting scientific answers. Let us know via Twitter or Facebook. We humans are naturally sensitive to the baby cry, so we respond also to the cry within the purr. There are lots of things like that we know so little about.

One hypothesis is that the purr is a powerful healing action. The frequency of those vibrations — which range from 20Hz up to Hz — is thought to promote bone growth , as bones harden in response to the pressure. Other frequencies may do something similar to tissue.

Cats often purr when they're grooming each other Credit: Marjan Debevere. This is why we see cats purring in apparent contentment while dozing. In reality, it's a form of self-repair. Cats may have adapted their normal behaviour — which now involves spending a lot of the day resting — as a way of avoiding injury through over-exertion. The purr has developed as a low-energy way to keep bones and tissues in good condition while they rest.

And the purr may not just be of benefit to the cats themselves.