Cat Purrs
I am a cat fan. Except for a few short periods, there’s always been a cat in my life, oftentimes several. Each of them has had their distinct, delightful personality. I love the cat’s independent spirit and the softness of their fur, however, the most wonderful attribute a cat possesses is its purr.
The purr. What an incredible sound, unique to the feline. Both domesticated and wild cats purr, yet no other animals create such a sound. It can be loud and rumbling or soft and barely perceptible. A purr most often communicates contentment but has also been documented when the cat is hungry, sick, or, inexplicably, about to die.
The origin of the purr within a cat’s body has been widely debated, and I’m not convinced the answer has been found. Current thinking among researchers is that purring is actually caused by rapid vibrations in the muscles of the larynx and the diaphragm working in sequence. First the larynx muscle vibrates and once it finishes, the diaphragm muscle vibrates. Back and forth they go, at the rate of 30 times per second. The result of these vibrations is air turbulence which is the sound you hear. The muscle vibrations are what you feel when your hand is on your cat while it is purring.
Maybe, maybe not. I’m not sure I want to have the mystery of the cat’s purr resolved. I just love feeling the wonderment of this amazing, unique sound as it lulls me to sleep at night.
I've never been a cat person plus I'm wicked allergic to them, although I do think they are adorable and I am in love with Grumpy Cat and her brother Pokey.
ReplyDeleteI also adore cats. And I swear my cat has the loudest purr in the world.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a cat but next door's comes to visit us regularly (and has a lie down on the bed). He's lovely.
ReplyDeleteDot, your posts are amazing, filled with interesting facts as well as your personal reflections. I can't believe I never thought about cats being the only animals that purr, nor that I never wondered before how they do that!!! I am missing so much! Good thing I have your blog to fill me in. And the picture is purr-fect beyond words. Love you; keep up the great work!!!
ReplyDeletehey dot--wonderful post---i was so happy to see you drop by today----i have missed your great blog!
ReplyDeletethanks, Lynn--nice to connect again with you too! Have fun with the Challenge!
DeleteI love that pic!
ReplyDeleteI love all my five cats!
ReplyDeleteI don't even have to pet my cat for her to start purring, she starts as soon as gets anywhere near me. And yes, it is quite a relaxing sound.
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