Purr

Purr

The term comes from the sound itself; it's an onomatopoeic term.

"Purr" is a sound like dull rumble, iussed by catlike and some viverrids. It's very important for cats' comunication. Cats start purring from the first days of live, to comunicate with the mum. This is the first verse that cats emit.

What is it?

The reasons cats purr are different. It can be a way to prove happiness, love or reconition for the owner. Purr are also used by cat's mum to cuddle the kitten, after feed-time, to make them fall asleep, and the kitten responds to the mum to say to her that it fell good. Indicate for them a time of relax. However these can express fear or being in pain.

Why cats purr?

It's impossible to understand why cats purr, because of the multiple meanings, that can be:

• Expretion of joy and happiness: purr is like a person smile, it's a sign that the cat is relaxed.
• Affection and loyalty for owner: with these sounds our feline friends thanks us.
• Comunicate its status: in a different moment cat makes purr to defend itself from external threats or to remark its own predominance on another feline.
• To riduce the stress: producing this sound is for a cat a liberation from preoccupation or nervousness. We can imagine it as the cry that we humans emit in times of crisis.

All Meanings

According to the meaning of the purr, it has different frequencies:

• when it's from happiness is around 25 – 50 Hz
• when it feel pain or is in danger is over 200 Hz

This frequence is common between the mammalian pups, in fact it's like a cry from a child.

We know that the purr don't do well only at feline friens but also at us: is demostrated that this special sound, emitted without even opening the mouth, has on us therapeutic effect,both physical and mental. This help at a mental level: Stress - Exposure to the cat’s purr reduces stress. The continuous sound and vibration would relax the nerves, releasing the accumulated tension in the muscles.

Beneficial effects

This help at a fisical level: Heart– A 10-year research has revealed how cat owners reduce their risk of severe heart disease by 40%. The purr would have a calming and regulating power of the beat. Bones - Frequencies of 25 and 50 Hz, as well as 100 to 200 Hz have long been used in the trauma field to speed up the welding of bones after fractures of varying intensity. These are the same frequencies emitted by the cat. Blood pressure - In a study called Healing Power of Pets, it was discovered how cat purrs can keep human blood pressure within normal reference values, thus helping hypertensive subjects. Injuries and infections - It seems that to undergo frequencies from 25 to 150 Hz can help the skin to regenerate after a wound, also would reduce infections because such frequencies would be killer for some types of bacteria.

Beneficial effects

Also thanks to the beneficial effects of purr, cats are use for Pet Therapy. Especially the most affectionate races. Pet Therapy consists in entrusting to patients, of different types, cats to care for, so as to empower them, reassure them and make them happy.

Pet Therapy

How do they do that?

When a cat’s laryngeal muscles move, they constrict and dilate the glottis, the part of the larynx surrounding the vocal cords. During inhalation and exhalation, the air passing throught the glottis causes the vocal cords to vibrate, causing it to purr.

rr

rr

rr...

• At the base of the menton cheeks
• Behind the vibration
• Above and below the ears
• From head to tail

There are four strategical points where you can pet the cat to make its to purr (in conjunction with the odorous glands):

Where to caress it

Thanks!