What could be more delightful than a cat purring at the touch of our caresses, cuddles or soft words slipped into its ear? Yes, but why do our cats purr? Pleasure, happiness, or simply a childhood habit, discover the secrets of this very particular mode of communication.
The origin of purring
In the wild, when they were only little kittens, purring occurred only when they were in contact with their mother and essentially when they were suckling their mother’s milk. A pure delight and a unique moment for the kitten which gave him an indefinite pleasure. Once the adulthood is reached, this behavior is extinguished in the wild cats. By this origin, we realize that this unique sound often occurs during a state of ecstasy and a moment of shared happiness.
A way to communicate with us
A domestic cat, contrary to the wild cat which purred only during the feeding, will use the purr to communicate with us. It will express itself and show its contentment and make you feel that it is very much in your company. It is a communication code that the cat has developed with his species during his youth, that he reuses with another species to communicate: the human being.
What does purring mean?
Humans and their pets share a close relationship. This relationship gives your cat extraordinary pleasure and triggers purring for many reasons: soft caresses, affectionate hugs, sweet words or when you serve him a food he loves! At every positive moment, the cat will purr and express its well-being.
However, some cats do not purr. This depends largely on her personality. If your cat doesn’t really like cuddling and remains quite wild, then moments of tenderness don’t bring him as much happiness and purring is not relevant. Be careful, this does not mean that he does not love you, but simply that he prefers to go outside and hunt, for example. We can’t blame him, your cat has other desires!
Finally, purring is not always used to signify a moment of happiness: thus, a cat can purr to soothe itself and to reassure itself in case of stress or pain.
