Tag: purring

Behavior

How Do Cats Show Love?

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Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Ginger cat bunting tan dog
Photo by Snapwire on Pexels

Some people say that cats do not care about their humans, or that cats are cold and heartless. Both of these ideas are totally wrong and usually based on an assumption that cats should communicate with us the way dogs do (2, 3). But of course, they are not dogs, and cats show love in their own ways. Every cat has their personality and will communicate a little differently. That being said, here are some of the love letters your cat may be sending you.

Slow Blinks

One of the most important ways cats show love is with the slow blink, sometimes called the “cat kiss” or the “cat I love you” (1-5). This is when a cat looks at someone with half-lidded eyes and leisurely blinks at them (1, 2, 4, 5). The gesture conveys comfort, trust, and affection (1-5). That is because to cats, who are both predatory and prey animals, keeping their senses alert is imperative to staying alive in the wild (2). Therefore, slowly closing the eyes to another creature, a potential aggressor, is a signal of willing vulnerability (2). It says, “You make me feel safe.”

This is a form of cat communication that you can easily reciprocate. Soften your gaze, half-close your eyes, and slowly blink at your cat. Make sure not to stare–sleepy eyes only. Cats will sometimes return your slow blink.

Bunting

Also known as head butting or head bonking, bunting is when cats push the tops of their heads against that of a friend, be that friend cat, human, dog, or anything else (2-5). Cats have scent glands in their foreheads (2, 4). When your cat bunts you, they are mixing their scent with yours (2, 3, 4). This is a common social interaction among cats (2, 3). Cats build relationships by commingling scents, so this is a way they display affection (2-5).

Friendly Tail

Cats communicate a lot with their tails. A cat who is happy to see you will have their tail held high with a slight curve at the tip (1-3, 5). Flicking just the tip of the tail is a quick, friendly greeting (3, 5). This is a likely result of domestic cats’ ancestors living in dry grassland habitats where a tail held high to say hello would be visible above the tall grass (2).

Grooming

Two cats grooming
Photo by Ayelt van Veen on Unsplash

Another way cats show their love is through allogrooming, or grooming one another. Cats that have a bond use allogrooming to create a community scent and to relieve stress (3, 4). Your cat may groom you for the same reasons (3, 4). That sandpaper tongue may feel strange, but just remember that it’s a sign your cat cares about you.

Cheek Rubbing

You have probably seen your cat rub their cheeks against all manner of things in your home, including you. This is a scent-marking behavior, as another place cats have scent glands is in their cheeks (2, 3). Cheek rubbing declares ownership (2, 3, 4). Unlike more aggressive territorial behaviors, however, the cheek rub is a confident, friendly form of scent-marking that invites socialization (2, 3, 4).

Kneading

Kneading involves the rhythmic flexing and relaxing of a cat’s paws. Kittens knead against their mothers to stimulate the flow of milk. Adult cats often exhibit this behavior as well when they feel very content (1, 3). If a cat is making biscuits on your lap, you know they feel comfortable around you (1, 3).

Talking

Cats can make up to 100 different sounds, and they use some of them exclusively to communicate with humans (2). Chirps, trills, and meows are common sounds cats use to talk to their people (2, 3, 4). Some cats are more talkative than others, but almost all appreciate being spoken to (5). It makes them feel included (5). Another kind of kitty talk is purring. Cats purr for a variety of reasons, but one of them is to express security and contentment (1-5).

Vulnerability

Tabby cat rolling over on its back
Image by mrs. pandora from Pixabay

When cats completely trust those around them, they are willing to exhibit vulnerable body language (2, 3, 5). Like the slow blink, these postures would put a cat at risk in the presence of predators or assailants. A cat that is stretched out is leaving themself exposed, thus showing that they trust you (3). An even greater display of trust is for a cat to roll over on their back and show their belly (2, 3, 5). Don’t take it as an invitation to a tummy rub–that’s a bridge too far for most cats (2). But it does mean that your cat feels very safe with you.

Works Cited

  1. Bowman Road Animal Clinic. (n.d.). Does my cat like me? 6 ways cats show affection. https://bowmanroadvet.com/2017/02/6-ways-cats-show-affection/
  2. Galaxy, J. & Delgado, M. M. (2017). Total cat mojo: The ultimate guide to life with your cat. Penguin Random House: New York.
  3. Johnson-Bennett, P. (n.d.). How cats show affection. Cat Behavior Associates. https://catbehaviorassociates.com/how-cats-show-affection/
  4. Krieger, M. (2020, January 1). How do cats show affection? Look for these 7 affection signs. Catster. https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/how-do-cats-show-affection-cat-affection-signs
  5. Moore, A. (2001). The kitten owner’s manual. Storey Publishing: North Adams, MA.

Published March 13, 2022

Behavior

Why do cats purr?

mehshadoweye

Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Brown tabby cat in lap
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

What could bring more joy than a purring kitty curled up in your lap? And there are so many different kinds of purrs. Some cats purr like a lawn mower engine, and some are so quiet you could barely hear them with your ear on their chest. Purring is a uniquely feline behavior. We associate it with happy kitties, but cats actually purr under a lot of different circumstances. This rather odd sound must serve a purpose besides being adorable. So why do cats purr?

Anatomy of the Purr

First things first: what even is purring? As someone who used to try it for myself as a child, I promise it doesn’t come naturally if you aren’t a cat. There was a lot of debate about how cats purred for a long time. One prominent theory was that the purring sound came from a change in the cat’s blood flow [1, 4, 6]. Now, biologists are generally agreed that cats purr using the muscles of their larynx and diaphragm [1, 3-5, 7]. By vibrating their larynx, which in turn vibrates their hyoid bone [5], a cat causes the air in their throat to vibrate as well, creating the sound we know as purring [1, 6].

Most vocalizations can only be made when exhaling. It just makes sense. You need air in your lungs to push through your larynx to talk, sing, laugh, etc. The same is true of other animals. However, cats can purr on the exhale and the inhale, which is what enables them to purr constantly [1-5, 7]. This is due to the continual vibration of the larynx as they breathe in and out through it [1].

Cats Purr to Communicate

Cats first start to purr by the time they are a week old [1, 2, 4]. The purring of her newborns may signal to a queen their location and wellbeing [1, 2, 4]. It is thought that each kitten has a unique purr their mother can recognize so that she can tell which of her babies is communicating with her [2].

Queens will also purr for their kittens [5, 6]. One reason may be to provide a tactile cue to help blind and deaf newborn kittens locate the milk supply [6]. Even though very young kittens can’t hear the purring yet, they can feel the vibrations because they are, ideally, never far away. Alternatively, the mother’s purring may disguise the soft mews of the kittens from the ears of predators [5]. Whatever the evolutionary reason, purring cements the bond between queen and kittens [5].

Some adult cats purr when feeding, possibly a throwback to that kittenhood behavior [1]. Cats may also purr to inform their person that they want their food, now please [1]! The purr of solicitation sounds different from the snuggly purr [1]. What’s the difference? It’s hard to say for sure. Our lack of knowledge about how cats communicate with each other makes it harder to understand the nuances of how they communicate with us.

One thing that’s certain is cats in the wild purr when they groom each other [1]. Grooming is an important part of a cat’s daily life and a positive social interaction between cats who have a bond. Perhaps this comes closest to the contended purring of a cat that is lying in a warm lap or being petted.

Mother cat and kittens in barn
Queens and their kittens purr to communicate – Image by Franz W. from Pixabay

Healing Vibrations

Cats don’t just purr for happy reasons. They sometimes purr when they’re stressed, scared, injured, or dying [1, 3-5, 7, 8]. Cats have sometimes been seen lying alongside another, injured cat, both purring [7]. This is called “purr therapy” because the purring is believed to be a way of comforting the injured cat [7]. In stressful situations, purring can serve as a method of self-soothing [7]. However, it may be an even more powerful tool than that.

Cats purr at a frequency of 20-150 Hertz [1, 3]. These low-frequency vibrations have demonstrated healing benefits [1, 3, 4, 7, 8]. 25 and 50 Hz frequencies promote bone growth and fracture healing [8]. 100 Hz has therapeutic use for pain, wound healing, swelling, and difficulty breathing [8]. It may seem far-fetched, but bones do respond to pressure by hardening [1, 7]. And there is a good evolutionary reason why cats might vibrate their way to good health.

Cats are ambush predators. This means they spend a lot of their time resting and waiting in-between hunts. Purring could have evolved as a low-energy way to stimulate their muscles and bones while stationary [3, 7]. Then their bones wouldn’t weaken or become brittle over time from lack of use [7]. Interestingly, researchers have proposed just such a fix for astronauts. Muscle atrophy and bone density loss are a big problem on long space missions where the lack of gravity prevents normal exercise. Vibrating foot plates have been suggested to stimulate astronauts’ bones and prevent them from losing density [7]. It seems the cats had that figured out a long time ago.

Do All Cats Purr?

Probably not, but it kind of depends upon how you define purring, apparently. Once upon a time in the early 1800s, biologists believed that cats could either roar or purr, but it was impossible to do both [7]. This is how cats came to be divided into the “big cats,” or subfamily Pantherinae, and the “small cats,” subfamily Felinae [6, 7]. Although most big cats are larger than most small cats, those names are actually a misnomer, since the smallest of the “big cats,” the clouded leopard, is smaller than the biggest of the small cats, the puma [7]. The basis of the division on roaring vs. purring is also probably inaccurate.

Two sleepy bobcats
Housecats aren’t the only ones that purr! – Image by Amber Stevens from Pixabay

The Pantherinae cats have a rope of tough, flexible cartilage where the Felinae have only the hyoid bone [5, 6]. This gives the larynx greater flexibility so that roaring is possible, although lions are the only ones to make regular use of this ability [5, 6]. Does this mean they can’t purr, though? These days, biologists tend to believe than most cats can purr, or at least something like it [3, 7]. Some call it a purr-like vocalization or a hum rather than a true purr [3, 4, 6].

Even granting that most cats can actually purr, some of the Pantherinae are usually believed to be exceptions: lions, leopards, jaguars, tigers, snow leopards, and clouded leopards [7]. But that may yet prove untrue. The anthropologist and animal behaviorist Elizabeth Marshall Thomas suggests that big cats may reserve purring for their cubs and that is why people think they don’t purr at all [6]. We simply aren’t around when they do.

Works Cited

  1. Dowling, S. (2018, July 25). The complicated truth about a cat’s purr. BBC Future. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180724-the-complicated-truth-about-a-cats-purr
  2. Edwards, A. (2006). The ultimate encyclopedia of cat, cat breeds, and cat care. Hermes House: London.
  3. Lyons, L. A. (2006, April 3). Why do cats purr? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-cats-purr/
  4. Science Reference Section. (2019, November 19). Why and how do cats purr? Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/why-and-how-do-cats-purr/
  5. Stewart, D. (1995, April 1). Do lions purr? And why are there no green mammals? The National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/1995/Questions-and-Answers-About-Wildlife
  6. Thomas, E. M. (1994). The tribe of tiger: Cats and their culture. Simon & Schuster: New York.
  7. Venton, D. (2015, May 8). Why do cats purr? It’s not just because they’re happy. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2015/05/why-do-cats-purr/
  8. von Muggenthaler, E. (2001). The felid purr: A healing mechanism? The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 110(5), 2666. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4777098

Published February 7, 2021

Updated June 20, 2022

Science

Here’s to Your Health

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Meredith Hemphill

mehshadoweye

Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

As you may have noticed, these are rather trying times. Personally, I’m rather stressed. I have also lost all sense of time and have no idea what day I’m even posting this on. I am very much the type of person to stay in more than I go out, but quarantine measures have their effect on even the most introverted among us. Not to mention the anxiety of, well, everything, really. There’s a lot to worry about these days. However, if you have a cat–or several–there is good news! Scientists have demonstrated that cat ownership is beneficial to both mental and physical health. I could have told them that, and I bet you could have, too, but let’s go over the evidence just to make ourselves feel better, why don’t we?

This is what I’ve been doing for two weeks – Image by balzacan from Pixabay

The first thing I do every morning is spend a few minutes, sometimes longer, petting my cat in whatever fashion she demands. She certainly enjoys it, attention hog that she is, but it also helps me start my day feeling happy and relaxed. For me, merely watching a cat sleep can melt my stress away. It isn’t just me, as studies have found biological markers affected by contact with cats. A study with college students at the University of Northern Iowa determined that the students experienced a “small but significant decrease” in blood pressure immediately after being allowed to hold a cat or dog (1).

A study at Washington State University measured the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the saliva of students before and after they a) interacted with provided cats or dogs, b) watched other people interact with the animals while standing in line and waiting, c) watched a slideshow with pictures of the pets the lucky experimental group interacted with, or d) sat in a waiting room for 10 minutes (2). The group that was actually able to pet and play with furry friends had significantly lower cortisol levels afterwards, an indicator of lower overall stress (2). Not everyone is a college student, of course, but it goes to show that the presence of a pet, even an unknown one, can demonstrably relieve stress. The next time someone calls you a crazy cat lady (or gent or neither or both), tell them the cats make you less crazy.

Gray and white cat with wooden heart
Cats are good for your heart <3 – Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay

A purring kitty sitting in your lap may be the pinnacle of relaxation, but did you know it may promote physical healing? Purring is one of the great mysteries of the feline family. Cats purr when they are content, but they are also known to purr when ill or injured. A study that aimed to uncover why recorded the purrs of forty-four felids from several species, including the domestic cat, and analyzed the frequencies of the sounds (3). All of the felids purred with strong frequencies in the 25-150 Hertz range (3).

In particular, the researchers noted that the pumas, ocelots, servals, and domestic cats produced “fundamental, dominant, or strong frequencies” at 25 and 50 Hz (3). Studies have found that frequencies between 20 and 50 Hz aid in the growth, healing, and strengthening of human bones (4). The same four species displayed a strong harmonic at 100 Hz, a frequency associated with treating pain, swelling, wounds, and labored breathing (3). Felines may have evolved purring, at least in part, as a mechanism for self-healing, but it now allows our house panthers to heal us as well.

Any cat lover would say that forging a bond with a cat can be healing, and they would probably say that loving a cat is good for the heart. The data would also say that it literally is. Having a cat has been associated with a decreased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke (5, 6). Even having simply owned a cat in the past conferred these benefits in one study (5). Ogechi et al only found this association with female cat owners. However, an Australian study demonstrated that all cat owners make fewer trips to the doctor and are less likely to be on medication for heart or sleeping problems than those without pets (7). Good news all around!

White and black cat laying beside baby
Preventing cat allergies one nap at a time – Photo by Manja Vitolic on Unsplash

But wait, there’s more! I was surprised by this, but it makes a lot of sense given my own experience. I was born with a cat allergy, but after deciding I wanted a cat anyway at a very young age (about five), I gradually stopped being allergic to cats. They are now almost the only thing I am not allergic to.

Allergies are a mystifying phenomenon. Exposure to something sometimes causes or worsens allergies and sometimes makes them go away. I found two studies that may shed a little light on how cat allergies work, however. Both suggest that exposure to cats early in life can prevent allergies later (8, 9). Like me! One study recruited children when they were 8-10 years old and checked in with them again twenty years later (8). They divided the subjects into groups based on whether they had a cat as a child (less than 18 years old), as an adult (more than 18), or both. Having a cat before adulthood had a protective effect against asthma and outdoor allergies by the time of testing (8). The other study focused on pet allergies specifically and determined that children with exposure to an indoor cat or dog within the first year of life were less likely to become sensitized to that same animal by the age of eighteen (9). New and soon-to-be parents, take note!

Don’t actually take parenting advice from me. I know nothing about children. Just cats. And in that regard, I soundly advise you to snuggle up with the nearest cat, as long as they are willing. After all, it’s good for your health. Stay safe out there, y’all.

Works Cited

  1. Somervill, J.W., et al. (2008). Physiological responses by college students to a dog and a cat: Implications for pet therapy. North American Journal of Psychology, 10(3), 519-528. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2008-18014-007
  2. Washington State University. (2019, July 15). Stress reduction benefits from petting dogs, cats. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190715114302.htm
  3. von Muggenthaler, E. (2001). The felid purr: A healing mechanism? The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 110(5), 2666. DOI: 10.1121/1.4777098
  4. Klotter, J. (2002). Vibrational frequencies that heal. (Shorts). Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, 226, 28. link here
  5. Qureshi, A.I., et al (2009). Cat ownership and the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases. Results from the second national health and nutrition Examination study mortality follow-up study. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology, 2(1), 132–135. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317329/
  6. Ogechi, I. (2016). Pet ownership and the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease among adults without major chronic medical conditions. High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Prevention, 23(3), 245–253. DOI: 10.1007/s40292-016-0156-1
  7. Headey, B. (1999). Health benefits and health cost savings due to pets: Preliminary estimates from an Australian national survey. Social Indicators Research, 47, 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006892908532
  8. de Meer, G., et al. (2004). Presence and timing of cat ownership by age 18 and the effect on atopy and asthma at age 28. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 113(3), 433-438. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2003.10.008
  9. Wegienka, G., et al. (2011). Lifetime dog and cat exposure and dog‐ and cat‐specific sensitization at age 18 years. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 41(7), 979–986. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03747.x

Published March 28, 2020

Updated February 10, 2021