Apart from meowing, one of the most common sounds cats make is purring. When you touch your cats, they make a little quivering sound, or on chilly afternoons when they lie under the sun, they might purr as well. While most people assume purr to be a sign of happiness and contentment, it might indicate something else. Cats, like other animals, communicate about their emotions and needs via purring, and unless you can grasp its meaning, you cannot make your furry companion happy. So, when you are touching them, and they are purring in return, does it imply their contentment or nervousness?

How do cats produce the purring sound?

When the neural oscillator repetitively causes twitching of the muscles of the larynx, your cat produces a soft sound, known as purring in common terms. The laryngeal muscles move between 25 and 150 vibrations a minute, and as a result, the vocal cords separate. As you would know, unlike meowing, purring is generally low-pitched, so we tend to feel it as much as we can hear it.

Reasons behind the purring of your cats

As we said earlier, there is no one particular reason which is responsible for purring there are several. Always assuming purring to be a sign of calmness or happiness would not prove to be a wise decision if you are looking forward to bond with your feline companion.

So, if you are eager to know why your cat is sending continuous vibrations accompanied by soft sounds, check these reasons as suggested by experts:

  • Your cats are Happy

If your cat is purring, you should see their posture to ensure whether they are relaxed. You can be cent percent sure about it if their eyes are either closed or half-closed, and their tails are mostly still. Then it is safe to assume that they are happy and enjoying themselves when you are stroking them. While touching them, if you can feel vibrations coming from their body, don’t worry. It is another way of telling you that they are feeling happy and protected with you.

  • Your cats are Hungry

You will find your cat purring if you delay filing their lunch bowls, even for a few seconds. If it has been long since their last meal, and they have started craving food already, you would notice their purring sounds more like an unpleasant cry. It can also sound somewhat like a human baby’s cry, and most people will end up responding to it due to the intensity and unusualness of the sound. Experts say that not only cat parents but even normal people can differentiate this type of purring from the other purrs cats make.

  • Your kittens are trying to bond with their mother

Cats start purring since they are a few days old, and this continues throughout their adulthood. When kittens purr, they are mostly trying to get attention from their mothers or indicate to them their well-being. If you see a cat purring at its kitten, they are using it as a lullaby to calm their offspring or connect with them.

  • Your cat is in pain

When cats get hurt due to their mischievous activities, they purr when the pain hits them. Now experts say that with this gesture, they might also try to inform you about their wounds. If you find your cat purring after getting hurt, then they might be doing it to get some relief. Human babies do a similar thing when they suck their thumb.

  • Your cat is purring to heal itself

Did you know that a few researchers have claimed that the purring of cats helps them to heal their wounds faster? 

There is some sort of scientific evidence behind it, as the purring of cats helps in their body’s overall healing in various ways. For instance, the low vibrations associated with purring can soothe their wounds, promote bone development, reduce inflammation and pain, repair tendons, and build muscles. In other words, purring is a natural self-healing mechanism performed by cats to soothe small cuts and wounds and also to stabilize their breathing process. Now the next time when you see your cats jumping from heights, don’t get alarmed as they suffer from fewer complications due to purring.

Not only housecats but also some mountain cats practice purring. An interesting fact is large cats such as tigers and lions cannot purr because they roar and vice versa. Cats also purr during their labor, and, over the years, researchers have proved this act of the feline creatures to be their survival advantage.