Why do cats purr?
In domestic cats, purring is most noticeable when an animal is nursing her kittens or when humans provide social contact via petting, stroking or feeding.
Although we assume that a cat’s purr is an expression of pleasure or is a means of communication with its young, perhaps the reasons for purring can be deciphered from the more stressful moments in a cat’s life. Cats often purr while under duress, such as during a visit to the veterinarian or when recovering from injury. Thus, not all purring cats appear to be content or pleased with their current circumstances. This riddle has lead researchers to investigate how cats purr, which is also still under debate.
..Various investigators have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing.
Because cats have adapted to conserve energy via long periods of rest and sleep, it is possible that purring is a low energy mechanism that stimulates muscles and bones without a lot of energy. The durability of the cat has facilitated the notion that cats have “nine lives” and a common veterinary legend holds that cats are able to reassemble their bones when placed in the same room with all their parts. Purring may provide a basis for this feline mythology. The domestication and breeding of fancy cats occurred relatively recently compared to other pets and domesticated species, thus cats do not display as many muscle and bone abnormalities as their more strongly selected carnivore relative, the domestic dog. Perhaps cats’ purring helps alleviate the dysplasia or osteoporotic conditions that are more common in their canid cousins. Although it is tempting to state that cats purr because they are happy, it is more plausible that cat purring is a means of communication and a potential source of self-healing.
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The healing power of your cat’s purr
Scientific evidence suggests that their purr can be specifically beneficial to their owner.
There are many tales of cat owners who are sick or in pain, feeling better, sometimes even healed, by their cat’s purr.
Vibrational therapy creates the same healing and reinforcement using low frequency vibrations instead of intense high impact activity. So, theoretically, a cat’s purr can help healing.
But it’s not just about healing bones, the healing power of cats can work in a number of magical ways:
Lowering stress — petting a purring cat can calm you
A cat’s purr can decrease the symptoms of dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing) in both cats and humans
Lower blood pressure by interacting with the cat and hearing the purring sound
Reducing the risk of heart disease (cat owners have 40% less risk of having a heart attack)
Purr vibrations help to heal infections, swelling, bone healing and growth, pain relief, muscle growth and repair, tendon repair and joint mobility
So why do cats purr?
The common belief is that cats purr to show their happiness but they also purr when frightened, severely injured, giving birth and even while dying.
..why a cat would waste energy purring in its last moments:
“For the purr to exist in different cat species over time, geographical isolation etc. there would likely have to be something very important (survival mechanism) about the purr. There also would have to be a very good reason for energy expenditure (in this case creation of the purr), when one is physically stressed or ill. The vibration of the cat’s diaphragm, which with the larynx, creates the purr, requires energy. If an animal is injured they would not use this energy unless it was beneficial to their survival.”