Why Do Cats Purr?
People love the sound of cat's purr, but the soothing sound is still not very well understood. You probably think a purring cat is a happy cat, but this explanation doesn't cover all the bases. Cats purr not only when they are happy but also when they are stressed. Think of the purr as the cat's equivalent of our smile, indicating that no hostile intent is meant.
     How cats purr has long been a mystery. In a Breton folktale, cats are said to have developed the purr after spinning 10,000 skeins of linen thread to help a princess break an enchantment. It's easy to understand how a cat's purr could be compared to the whir of a spinning wheel.
     Today, however, the mystery has been solved. The sound a cat makes is caused by vibrating muscles surrounding the larynx. Researchers have also discovered where the purr originates: in the brain. Stimulation of a specific area in the cat's brain causes cats to begin purring.
     The purr is one of the first sounds newborn kittens make, no doubt as they snuggle up to their mother for suckling and warmth. As they mature, their purr becomes more complex. While young cats tend to purr in monotone, adults are capable of reaching two or three notes and sometimes as many as five. Purring can go on for hours without a break, even while a cat is eating or sleeping. In fact, it has been suggested that the purr is nothing more than a form of snore. Often, purring cats drool as well. The combination of salivation, purring, and paw kneading in an adult cat may indicate a temporary regression to feeding time in kittenhood.
     What is the purpose of the purr? I don't think it has one. I think the purr is the sound of the motor that runs that cat.
     From Why Do Cats Do That? by Kim Thornton (BowTie Press) $6.95. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.

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