Science Behind How and Why Cats Purr Is Totally Fascinating
If you're a cat owner, you probably are pretty happy when your cat purrs. Most cat owners feel that purring signifies that our cats are happy, content and relaxed. But how do our cats make this adorable low rumbling sound we all associate with a cat feeling happy?
A new study shared October 4 hopes to shed some light on this, and it has to do with a cat's vocal folds.
The study, published in an article by New Scientist, comes from the University of Vienna in Austria. According to the article about how and why cats purr, the type of sound an animal makes is typically linked to the size of its vocal folds which are two bands of smooth muscle tissue in the larynx, a hollow tube in the middle of the neck through which air passes to make sounds. Typically, the larger the animal, the longer the vocal folds and so the lower the frequency of sound created.
Christian Herbst, one of the scientists exploring the purring phenomenon, explains in the article that it was proposed that purring relies on muscle contractions in the larynx, so Herbst and his colleagues decided to test this hypothesis.
"To do this, they cut out the larynxes of eight domestic cats that had been euthanized due to illness."
Authors note: Okay, this part is sad but the cats were euthanized anyway, so science.
The researchers found that the larynxes made a purring sound when air was passed through them, meaning that muscle contraction isn’t required. Even though the connective tissue structures had been found in cats before, they had never been linked to purring.
The reason cats purr isn't completely understood, but it is thought to be a sign of contentment and self-soothing. It can also be a way of saying that they are comfortable and feeling friendly.
Even though more research is needed to understand why cats purr, you can be pretty sure that a purring cat is a happy cat.
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