Prrr prrr a purr machine that lies on your lap. Your cat is probably very satisfied when he is purring out loud on your lap. However, a cat not only purrs when he is happy, he also does this in other situations.

Making the purring sound starts as a kitten

Purring is caused by the vocal cords opening and closing during breathing, both during inhalation and exhalation.

The purring starts when the kitten is just born, while drinking milk at his mom, the kitten makes a purring noise so that the mother cat does not run away and to stimulate the milk production. The mother cat also makes noise before and during drinking to attract the kittens.

A cat also purrs when he is in pain and is vulnerable

Even when cats experience intense pain, they can still make a purring sound. The exact cause is not known, but it is possible that a cat tries to calm himself by purring. A cat can also purr when she is giving birth. Or even after having had an accident and got hurt really bad. So cats also purr at times when they are vulnerable. For example, younger cats purr but also cats that are very old and have not purred for years can suddenly start purring again at a high, vulnerable age. Purring is also genetically determined and is also meant to communicate to another cat that the cat is harmless.

Purring for attention

The purring does not always sound the same, you may have noticed that when your cat wants to eat he will walk along your legs and make a purr sound that sounds a little more compelling than when he is purring on your couch. He wants something at that moment and uses purring to “ask”.

Healing effect of the purring sound

The frequency of the vibrations of purringwould also have a healing effect on your cat and people (when the cat is on your lap). Read more about why cats make you happy.