What's purrrrrring?

[Ash]

A couple of days ago I remembered my mother once saying to me that 'they' haven't found out yet, which organ the cat uses to purr. That was long ago, so I was wondering, did they find out in the meantime? And why do only cats purr? What differenciates them physically from dogs and other animals?

[fill0000]

i've always wondered that too.. maybe its just a sound they make with there throat

Found this on a website:

When we think of purring, we interpret it to mean a way our cat shows signs of contentment.

But scientists have other interpretions for what purring actually is and there are two schools of thought.

The first is a theory called the false vocal cord theory. It defines purring as originating from the cat's voice box and holds that the cat possesses a second pair of false vocal cords which produces the soft rumbling sounds. It views purring as heavy breathing or snoring.

The second theory is called the turbulent blood theory and holds that the cat's voice box has nothing to do with the purring. These scientists contend that the flow of blood through the cat's main veins into the heart is increased and turbulence is created and that is what causes the purring noise. The noise then goes through the animal's windpipe where it produces the purring sound.

Whatever is the true or correct explanation really has no merit to us pet owners. We know the real answer to be that purring signifies that our cats are happy and content which in turn causes us great delight knowing how well we take such good care of our cats!

[Cleo]

Cats also purr when they are ill or anxious. I found this explanation to support that as well as further explain:

Purring is part of every cat's repertoire of social communication, apparently created by the movement of air in spasms through contractions of the diaphragm. Interestingly, purring is sometimes heard in cats who are severely ill or anxious, perhaps as a self-comforting vocalization. But, more typically, it is a sign of contentment, first heard in kittens as they suckle milk from their mother.

In adults, purring is heard in domesticated cats when they are petted, and in feral cats during *beep* or other social contexts. Like submissive posturing among dogs, purring may be a signal of appeasement to other cats or to people, a way to communicate that the purring cat need not be threatened.

As with many behaviors in dogs and cats, the original presumed purpose of the behavior may not be directly relevant in a pet home. But we do believe that, when our healthy pet cats purr, they are happy and at peace.

[Ash]

Let me summarize. We have

• a second pair of false vocal cords (wouldn't they be able to find them in, for example, an autopsie?)
  
  turbulence in the main veins
  and air in spasms through contractions of the diaphragm

I guess they still haven't found out Maybe they can't get to the bottom of it cause once they hook a cat up on all these testing kits and wires and what not - it stops purring?

[Traci]

a second pair of false vocal cords (wouldn't they be able to find them in, for example, an autopsie?)

I think the "scientists" on this one have no idea what they're talking about.

I guess they still haven't found out Maybe they can't get to the bottom of it cause once they hook a cat up on all these testing kits and wires and what not - it stops purring?

That's one problem, the other is doing useless, harmful tests on cats for satisfying curiosity in the scientist. Let's not go there.

[TheSkeptic]

That's one problem, the other is doing useless, harmful tests on cats for satisfying curiosity in the scientist. Let's not go there.

Two wrong assumptions here.

A: That the information gleaned from the scientist satisfying his curiosity would be useless. Only after the information has been obtained and known for some time will the usefullness or lack thereof be known.

B: That the tests would be harmful? How can you say that when you have no idea what tests would be made and how they would be made?

Possibly apochryphal tale. An early researcher is brought before his patron the king because another courtier is complaining about the money being spent on useless research into electricity and magnetism. The King asks the researcher what value his research has. The early researcher is said to have replied "Of what use is a new born baby?" The value of his researches was not known for another century, when it was used to build the electric motors and generators that make our modern world possible.

Where does this negative attitude toward science and research come from?

[Traci]

Two wrong assumptions here.

A: That the information gleaned from the scientist satisfying his curiosity would be useless. Only after the information has been obtained and known for some time will the usefullness or lack thereof be known.

Why do dogs bark? Would you condone scientific tests to determine that answer? Would you condone the use of tests for any other characteristic aspect of an animal for the same reason? To my knowledge, there is no medical reason to persue the cat's purring mechanism, other than what is already and has been known for some time that cats purr as a result of excitement/contentment or due to illness/pain/stress. Beyond that, there is no medical reason to persue the tests to find out what purpose the purring mechanism serves. Scientists for "some time" have repeatedly admitted they do NOT know the nature of a cat's purring mechanisms, yet they continue to persue the question with useless tests. For what other purpose is this necessary?

B: That the tests would be harmful? How can you say that when you have no idea what tests would be made and how they would be made?

The same type of tests that are used to determine basic and advanced anatomy, mechanisms of actions of the body system's functions, and so on. Do you think the average pet owner would gladly submit their pet to such tests for satisfying science's curiosity, since science already knows and has known for some time why the cat purrs, and since they have not and have not for some time been able to determine the exact mechanism of the cat's purr. Again, for what purpose do these tests serve, other than curiosity?

It's not the average "pet" who is submitted to these tests. It is usually an animal submitted for the purpose of testing and then either kept as a laboratory subject or euthanized once the scientist has "concluded" the test. Obviously, in this case, there is NO conclusion, other than curiosity.

Where does this negative attitude toward science and research come from?

The only negativity I expressed here is on the subject of useless tests that subject the animal in question to a test that has not, and probably never will be adequately conducted and concluded to answer the question, "what is the exact mechanism of a cat's purr", and for what purpose does it serve to perform such tests. Tests that continuously "suggest" and "theorize" are not "conclusions" and at the expense of the animals, such testing should be discontinued. Much in the same way alternative methods of testing have been (and should continue to be) implemented as to cause no further harm to an animal subject.

Only after the information has been obtained and known for some time will the usefullness or lack thereof be known.

Exactly. The "lack thereof" is obviously the case here.

Due to sensitivity, this thread may be moved to the OR.