
But in recent years more light has been shed on the purr. The study of cats’ behaviour and communication has lagged behind that of dogs, which are usually more willing participants, especially if there is a reward of food involved. The vet will say something like ‘They were purring right up until the end’, and people assume they’re happy when they’re purring. “I’ve witnessed a lot of cats purring when they’re dying, and when they’re being put to sleep. “I’ve photographed more than 3,000 cats so far and no two are the same,” Debevere says. She draws the comparison between her cat Luigi – a stray who followed someone in to their office and was subsequently taken to a shelter – and Archie, who “moved in from next door” and became part of the family. “All cats are different, some never purr and some will purr constantly,” she says. Yet they also purr when we’re not around, and the extent of that purring varies between individuals. Part of the mystery around the purr is that we often only notice cats purring “when we tickle them in places that they like to be tickled”, says Debevere. The biggest clue is a neural oscillator deep within the cat’s brain, one that otherwise has no clear purpose.īut if that neural oscillator is triggered, is it just when a cat is happy?

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If you want to see all the battles in this tournament check out my site or click other movies by Flashworkz. But with more research it seemed likelier that the noise came from the muscles within the cat’s larynx. This is round 4 of the Video game Arena tournament. Some thought it was linked to blood flowing to the inferior vena cava, a vein that carries deoxygenated blood to the right side of the heart. There is a lot more going on with the cat’s purr than you might reasonably expect.Įven the ‘how’ was long a subject of debate.
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It is arguably the most recognisable sign of animal contentment: a pleasurable rasp that erupts whenever a cat is tickled or petted, the soundtrack to countless sessions sprawled on an owner’s lap.īut that’s not quite the full story. We think we know what a cat’s purr means.
