We love our cats when they do something that makes us happy, and often time playing with them is our kind of stress reliever and sometimes our cats can be playful too when we’re playing with them. Cat loves so many things but all of us can agree that they love to be petted especially when you hit the right spots of their body.
And sometimes when they react to it they do different expressions like closing their eyes, yawning, it can be a violent way of response like scratching or clawing, but most of the time they love to purr. So how do we really know what causes them to do that and why do they purr? Let’s see and find out why.
It’s Cat’s Purr Not Fur
Purr is when a feline breathes the air and the air meets the vibrating muscles, producing the sound of ‘Purr’. The purr of every cat is unique. It comes with different pitches both high and low, sometimes other cats making a low-rumble sound.
It involves a fast movement of the larynx muscles or the voice box and combined with the movement of their diaphragm. Now that we know what and how it works, let’s proceed in understanding the cat’s behaviors.
Understanding Your Cat’s Language
Cats are actually good at expressing themselves to their owners. They are good at letting you understand what they need or what they really want. They communicate, either by using their sound or by using their body parts. You will not have a hard time understanding what your cat or kitten is trying to tell you. It is important for us to know how the cat communicates so that we can further understand why do they Purr.
Here are the different ways of communication that cats are using:
Meows
We all know that ‘Meow’ is the sound of a cat. These meows have a different pitch and have different meanings. High-Pitched sound meows mean that your cat is happy and if your cat does a high-pitched meow repeatedly it means that your cat wants your attention. While Low-Pitched sound meows mean discomfort or your cat is not happy. With continuous observation and practice, you’ll soon understand what your cat’s trying to say.
Hissing And Growls
This is one of their ways to show-off themselves to intimidate other animals or people. But deep inside they are feeling terrified with their current situation. They hiss and growl as their defense mechanism when they feel threatened in order for them to protect themselves. You can usually hear this when they’re facing other animals or of their kind.
Rubbing
When a cat rubs their face up against you, this usually means that the cat is really enjoying your company and showing interest to you. It is also a sign that they want to be playful or they simply want to play with you.
Rolling Over
When a cat rolls over its back and then do some stretches on its legs, your cat is showing complete submission and trust to you. Your cat is also trying to ask for your attention. If your cat hops onto your lap and cuddles you down, there is no mistake that your cat loves its environment.
Tell-tail
Just like dogs, the cat’s tail movement is a great sign of they’re moods. If a cat’s tail is vertically straight this means that they’re happy and comfortable. If your cat is frightened it will tuck its tail in between the legs. The swishing of its tail indicates impatience and being irritated. If the cat feels agitated it will move its tail rapidly from side to side, it’s really a threatening behavior. While twitching tail is a sure indicator of your cat’s excitement and interest.
Ears
If your cat’s ear is held erect and bent forward this means that your cat is relaxed and friendly. But when your cat’s ears are down flat against its head it indicates aggression or offensive side of the cat.
Purring (Purr)
It is usually a sign of pleasure and contentment. Although it does not always mean that the cat is happy and satisfied. Sometimes this of communicating can be complex because it can mean something else. A cat that is sick or anxious will purr at times to comfort itself. Usually, if your cat is rubbing its face against you while purring loudly at the same time, it is a good display of affection or maybe your cat is asking for a treat or like a massage.
According to Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, studies also show that cats purr to heal themselves. The frequencies between 24 to 140 vibrations per minute therapeutic to the growth of the bones, pain reliever, and healing wounds. Elizabeth recorded a variety of cat purrs that includes the family of cats like domestic cats, ocelot, pumas, and cheetahs, and found out that their purrs are all fit into range for bone regeneration.
In addition to that, there’s also proof that the continuous vibrations due to purring may repair tendons and muscles, makes breathing easy, as well as reduce the pain or swelling. Purring is not just good for the cats, it is also good for the cat owners. Research shows that cats can do a better job of reducing stress levels and decreasing blood pressure than other pets like dogs.
Cat’s have also a special type of purr. They do this when they want your attention, especially when they’re hungry. This is the Purr and Meow Combination, this type of purr is also known as a ‘solicitation purr’. You see purring can be a sign of different moods of the cat. It can be an expression of happiness, comfort, and contentment. And this is very interesting because it’s like if it’s for humans, you only got one word to say with different moods to express.
Conclusion
So the next time that you hear your cat purring, you’ll know what is happening and why they’re doing that. When a cat purrs, it is an indicator of different moods of the cat, maybe your cat is happy and comfortable, maybe your cat needs attention, maybe it’s hungry, or maybe the situation that its facing is a terrifying or maybe the cat is just healing itself. There can be many different meanings behind the purr but only one thing that we’re sure, we love their purr.