Why do cats PURRRRRRRRRR

Question

Well, last night I was lying down with my cat petting him. And I noticed that he was purring. I wonder if its like an attraction(which is gross), or maybe like a sign of affection. Anyone know?

Also, make this topic interesting.

Answer 1

It's affection.  Cats purr with each other as well as with humans they like.

Answer 2

Cats purr because they are comfortable in their surroundings.  It's their way of telling you or showing you that they are happy, content, enjoying the atttention they are getting, relaxed, not a worry in the world, in their own language.  

If your cat is purring, you're doing a great job.  

Meow!!!!

Answer 3

Cause they can't talk.

Answer 4

its the cats way of saying it is happy and content  sometimes they will also kneed you ( push on you ) with their little feet. Purring is a good thing.

Answer 5

Because they are feeling good!  Content, happy!!!

Answer 6

Cats purr when they are happy, comfortable, satisfied. They do it when they like you.

I have a cat that seems to do it no matter what. He won't stop purring long enough at the vet to get his lungs checked!

Answer 7

The purr can convey contentment, pleasure and tell other cats "I'm not a threat". As well as purring when happy, cats also purr when severely injured, frightened or giving birth and even when dying. That may seem odd, but the purr also acts as natural pain-relief.

Purring is caused by vibration of a structure in the throat called the hyoid bone, though old explanations have suggested it was the noise of blood turbulence in the cat's chest! In small cats, the hyoid bone is a loose bone (i.e. it isn't attached to any other bone) that protects the larynx. All mammals have this bone, but in small cats the way it is situated in the throat means when they push air through the voicebox, it rattles or vibrates the hyoid bone which is what makes the sound. A truly ecstatic cat sometimes uses its vocal cords while purring, resulting in a shrill noise. On the other hand, some cats have almost silent purrs.

Purring is also found in the cheetah, puma and most small cats such as the serval and ocelot. Big cats such as lions and tigers cannot purr because their throats (i.e. the placement and structure of the hyoid bone) are built for roaring. There are a few reports of a breathy groaning sound from lions and tigers, but it seems that a cat can either purr or roar, but not both.

Since purring uses energy and has been passed on through many generations of cats, it must have some function, not just exist to express contentment . Since cats purr when injured the purr must have some other value to the cat. Research has shown certain frequencies of vibration relieve pain and stimulate the regeneration of tissue and bone, speeding up healing processes.

Fauna Communications and ENDVECO did some research to record and analyse purring and find out whether it was linked to healing. They used tiny recording instruments glued to the cat's skin (using washable glue so the cats weren't harmed) and found the frequency of the purr was in the therapeutic range that is known to speed bone repair.

I hope that made it interesting for you!