Some interesting facts that will help you to understand your feline companion better ...

HOW DO CATS PURR? AND WHY?

All cat lovers know that nothing illustrates contentment quite like the steady purr of your feline friend. It's a furry little tranquilizer, radiating relaxation and contentment. But have you ever wondered how the sound is made, and why cats purr at all?

Like most things feline, purring is a mystery, and no one really knows exactly how they do it. There seem to be two popular theories: that it is caused by the vibration of a cat's vocal chords when it inhales and exhales; or that it is produced by blood passing through a large vein in the cat's chest.

As all good cat lovers know, cats are wired differently from other creatures - it turns out that this is literally true too. Cats have nerves that travel from the brain to the vocal chords, which cause them to vibrate and act as a valve for air flowing past the voice box. The muscles work during inhalation and exhalation, giving the impression that cats can purr continuously. The air passes through the valve, which opens and closes rapidly causing the purring sound. At the same time, the diaphragm contracts rhythmically, causing pressure changes in the voice box. This is why purring can be felt over the throat and the chest. Purring originates from the central nervous system, so it is a voluntary action, not a reflex - true to a cat's nature, it purrs only when it wants to!

So what makes a cat want to purr? We all know that cats purr when they are happy or content, but cats purr at other times too. Cats who are badly frightened, severely ill or delivering kittens purr. Of course, we don't know why this is, but theories range from a desire to communicate with others to a way of reassuring themselves. Fearful cats, or cats who are injured or ill, may purr in the way that humans would hum or sing to soothe themselves. Frightened cats may purr to communicate submissive or non-aggressive intentions - this may be akin to posturing among dogs to establish dominance. So a cat's purr can be seen as its 'mantra': a relaxing, self-comforting sound and a friendly mood-conveying signal.

My favourite theory starts with the relationship between a Momcat and her kittens. Initially born blind and deaf, what unites the newborn kitten to the Momcat is the Inner Purr. During nursing, both kitten and Momcat purr in a symphony of physical and psychological contentment. The Inner Purr connects a kitten to its mother ... to its guardian ... to the world around it ... and to its own Purr-fect Contentment...

Did you know? Domestic cats are not the only animals who can purr. Racoons, Civets, Mountain lions and Bobcats can also purr - of course, in the case of a Mountain Lion, it's about twenty times louder than that friendly feline who sleeps most of the afternoon at the foot of your bed. Cats who can purr cannot roar, and vice versa!