The sound of a cat purring on your lap makes you feel like everything is right with the world. One of my cats, Figaro, loves to sit on my shoulder. Actually, he loves to drape himself over my shoulder and hang on with his claws so he won't fall off! Of course he starts purring as soon as he's settled, and how can you evict a contented kitty from your shoulder?
Scientists have been looking into how and why wild and domestic cats purr, and what they’ve discovered is rather interesting. If you're a cat owner, you most likely have figured out that your cat purrs when she's happy, scared, sick or injured. Cats purr even at the end of life which could be anxiety or a state of euphoria. A mother cat purrs while giving birth and when she's nursing her kittens; it's one way she bonds with her kittens and assures them she's not far away. Kittens begin to purr at 2 days old and hum to their mom so she knows they're alright.
When cats are stressed, purring is a way they comfort and reassure themselves that everything is OK – sort of like when we whistle or talk to ourselves as we walk down a dark street alone at night. Purrs are one way to let other cats know they are submissive and not wanting to cause trouble. Older cats use a purr to communicate that they're friendly and want to come closer when meeting other cats.
Members of the cat family Felidae, like the Puma, Cheetah, Mountain Lion, Bobcat and Eurasian Lynx will purr, as well. However, big cats like the Lion, Tiger, Snow Leopard and Jaguar belong to a subfamily of cats called Patherinae and can't purr. Lions can produce a sound similar to purring, but it's not true purring.
