Feline Purring
Feline Purring
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Cats are usually heard purring when making social contacts. All of us have probably experienced the purring when holding a cat on our lap. Cats communicate the feeling of contentment and happiness to both other cats and humans. Kittens begin to purr as they suckle (which is also a sign of contentment), and their mum will usually respond by purring.
The phenomenon of feline purring has been a mystery to humans for a long time. Although we have known for quite a while now that it signifies contentment, its mechanism was not deciphered until fairly recently. According to one of the theories, purring was supposed to be produced by blood vibrating in the main veins. However, it is only lately that scientists found a valid explanation of the purring mechanism. We now know that purring sounds come from the larynx. Apart from the normal vocal cords, cats have additional skin folds, called false vocal cords. The purring sound is produced during breathing, largely thanks to the muscles of the larynx. The air is streamed over the false vocal cords, which put it in vibration that recur about 30 times a second.
‘Scientists from the Fauna Communication Research Institute in North Carolina found that cats purr in a 
frequency between 25 and 50 Hz, and the sound waves produced by purring promote bone healing. As we can see, these low pitch sounds are not only a means of communication, but also reduce stress level and stimulate self-healing. The therapeutic quality of feline purring has been used in medicine, e.g. in the so called Vibration Training, which employs vibrations similar to those produced by a purring cat and uses them to treat osteoporosis.’
Based on “Mit Katzen leben” by Denise Seidl.The author
is the Chairwoman of the Association of Pet Psychologists in Austria,
a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Ethology, a feline behaviour
expert and a sought-after and highly-regarded adviser to
breeders associations.
All quotations were taken from the aforementioned book.