What does a cat's purring sound mean? Where does a cat's purring come from?

People who have cats or have petted cats have heard the purring sound of cats. Many people think that this is because cats are very happy, but in fact, in addition to this reason, cats will also make purring sounds in other situations. So where does the cat's purring sound come from?

What does a cat purring mean?

Kitten purring while drinking milk

When kittens are drinking milk, you can often hear them purring from their throats. This purring sound usually tells the mother cat that the child is healthy and growing healthily.

Coquettish purring

When it comes close to you, rubs against you in a coquettish way, then lies down and makes a purring sound, it is telling you "I'm hungry~" or "Come and play with me."

Shouting and purring

This is an intense version of acting cute. They are very excited at this moment and may even jump up with joy in the next second!

Snoring while sleeping

You guessed it right! It's the snoring sound... Cats have relatively flat faces and special nose structures, so they are prone to snoring. But if your cat never snores and suddenly starts snoring, you should pay attention, because it may have a blister on its nose.

Nervous and painful snoring

Cats will also purr when they are in an unfamiliar environment or are unwell or sick. The purring is to create a relaxing atmosphere for themselves. At this time, cat owners must not take it lightly, but must pay more attention to their pets and seek medical attention in time.

Where does a cat's purring sound come from?

How cats purr has long been a controversial issue. There are two mainstream views: one is the "pseudo vocal cord" theory, and the other is the "blood turbulence" theory.

The "pseudo-vocal cord" theory holds that the purring sound made by a cat comes from the head of its throat. In addition to its original vocal cords, it also has another set of vocal cords called vestibular folds or "pseudo-vocal cords."

Every time a cat inhales and exhales, the air passes through the pseudo vocal cords and makes a purring sound. The muscles in the throat contract about thirty times per second. When the air passes through the throat, it is disturbed and the purring sound appears.

The "blood turbulence" theory holds that when a cat's blood flows into the heart through the aorta, if the blood increases, turbulence will occur. The aorta, which carries blood from the whole body to the heart, will be compressed when passing through the cat's chest, and the blood turbulence generated here is the greatest. When the blood produces eddy currents, a purring sound will be produced.

At the same time, the diaphragm acts like a vibration amplifier to amplify the sound. The sound produced in this way will pass through the cat's trachea and enter the sinus cavity of the bones to resonate. The purring sound can be clearly heard by us.

When do cats purr?

Kittens start purring when they are about a week old. The sound can give the mother cat good feedback when they are drinking milk, letting the mother know that they have drunk the milk and she doesn't need to worry.

So at this time, the mother cat doesn’t have to go through the trouble of checking whether each cat has drunk the milk. It can be said that this is very worry-free and labor-saving.