Science Fact Finder | The Animal World - Why And How Do Cats Purr?

Why and how do cats purr?

Experts cannot agree on how or why cats purr, or on where the sound originates. However, most people agree that a cat's purr is a sound of contentment.

One theory states that the purr is produced by the vibration of blood in a large vein in the chest cavity. Where the vein passes through the diaphragm, the muscles around the vein contract, nipping the blood flow and initiating a rhythmic motion. These vibrational sounds are magnified by the air in the bronchial tubes and the windpipe. Another theory is that purring occurs due to the vibrations in membranes, called false vocal cords, located near the vocal cords.

Sources: Schneck, Marcus, and Jill Caravan. Cat Facts, p. 26; Taylor, David. You and Your Cat, p. 35.

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