Cat Purring: What Does It Mean When Your Cat Makes This Sound

What are the reasons behind the cat purring?

Cat Purring – That soft rumble emanating from your feline is called purr and there are seven reasons behind this.

Susan Whittred, DVM, a veterinarian in Oyster Bay, New York, said that purring is how a cat communicates. Through this, your pet is expressing its emotion. Although most of the time it can be perceived that it is a happy emotion, it could also mean any emotion.

Whittred also said that cats are mysterious and their owners may not completely understand them. However, experts have pinned down the possible reasons behind the sound cats make.

cat purring
The New Scientist

Based on the article in Reader’s Digest, here are the seven reasons why a cat purrs.

The first reason is that they are maybe happy. Vered Bar, VMD, a San Francisco–based veterinarian, said, “Most of the time when you hear a cat purr, it’s a positive thing.” The veteran added that this is something usually that a cat does when it is happy.

Purring could also mean that your cat loves what you are doing. If you are petting your cat and you get to a certain spot and the purring happens, this means that you are doing the right thing. The purring could mean that the cat wants you to continue what you are doing.

This sound could be used by a cat to say hello. Kara Nelsen, DVM, a veterinarian in Minneapolis said that purring could be another form of greeting for your feline. This is the same when it rubs it body against your leg.

Another possible reason for the cat purring is that it wants something. “Sometimes they’re just trying to express something, like they want attention or they’re hungry,” Dr. Nelsen explained.

It could also mean that purring is a code between cats. Dr. Whittred said that cats start purring at two days old. They use purrs to signal each other.

However, purring could also mean that the cat is stressed out. Cats also have this kind of sound when they are in pain or they are ill. “As an emergency veterinarian, I see a lot of cats that are not in a great situation, and I have seen cats that are purring when they’re essentially near death or in significant pain,” Dr. Nelsen shared.

When it comes to your cats not getting along, there are helpful tips that you can do about this.

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