The complicated truth about a cat's purr (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Stephen Dowling
25th July 2018

We think we know what a cat’s purr means.

It is arguably the most recognisable sign of animal contentment: a pleasurable rasp that erupts whenever a cat is tickled or petted, the soundtrack to countless sessions sprawled on an owner’s lap.

But that’s not quite the full story. There is a lot more going on with the cat’s purr than you might reasonably expect.

Even the ‘how’ was long a subject of debate. Some thought it was linked to blood flowing to the inferior vena cava, a vein that carries deoxygenated blood to the right side of the heart. But with more research it seemed likelier that the noise came from the muscles within the cat’s larynx. 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.
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more: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191024-why-do-we-think-cats-are-unfriendly

Includes kitty pix, which is of course the whole raison d'être for the post.

[Jirel]

1. Obviously written by someone without a cat.

Anyone who has cats is reading this, rolling their eyes and muttering, “Was there supposed to be something novel in this article?”

[Skittles]

2. dogs are the only animal on earth born with a love of humans in its DNA

not sure why cats seem to get so much grief over being more DISCERNING in their affection

[TomWilm]

3. I had a nice cat friend for years ...

... never gave her any food at all though. That was the sole job of the cats "owner", who was my neighbor. But I got all the affection, since she chose to sleep at my place . And hid under my bed, when she were having kittens. Miss her...

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. We love cats in no small part because they purr.

Which is in no small part why I don't understand why humans are fond of dogs.

Okay, so dogs and cats are very different, and we love them for very different reasons.

Some years back I had a cat. She was wonderful, sat on my lap on occasion and purred often. Then she stopped purring. At the time she was old, about 14 or so. Other than not purring she behaved much as she always did. But the not purring thing was rather discombobulating. After about a year, she resumed purring, and in a month or so, sadly, her life was over.

I've had other elderly cats, and they've always retained purring to the very end. The one that didn't, oh, gosh, how that was different.

My current cat is wonderful at purring, even though she doesn't sit on my lap as I'd prefer. Too bad for me. She is affectionate, bumps up against me in a typical cat way, sometimes goes under the covers to cuddle. I love it when she purrs. and that purring is a powerful reason I feel connected to her.

While we humans connect well to dogs who have nothing like purring in their repertoire of behaviors, I honestly think purring is hugely important with cats.