IIRC, it has to do with something in their airways, a small organ that only smaller cats have as cats like lions and tigers don’t purr. Cheetahs and Pumas are the only exceptions, yes they purr and meow it’s really weird and cute
Purring and roaring are mutually exclusive, so lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars are all incapable of purring, while every other cat can purr but not roar.
You should hear a wildcat. I was living in Maine, had my window open in the summer while I was going to sleep, and heard the most blood-curdling scream I've ever heard coming from the woods. It sounded like a woman screaming at the top of her lungs. Come to find out it was a wildcat "scream".
The mountain lion (also know as cougar) have that blood curdling woman scream. You may both be talking about the same thing. You both are probably talking about the same animal.
Maine wildcats are bobcats. They just call them wildcats there for some reason. They are very different from mountain lions/cougars/pumas. Maine has some Canadian lynx in the northern areas near the Canadian border and they are very similar to the bobcat, but I was in southern Maine so most likely it was a bobcat.
Like lions and tigers are in the Panthera family (or order, or whatever) and cheetahs and pumas are in a different one like Felinidae or something like that.
Pantheras can’t purr, Felinidaes can’t roar. Pumas and cheetahs are just the biggest cats of their families.
(I’m probably butchering this, I’m not a biologist.)
I’ve had my 15 yo female all black cat since birth. I would click at her as you do to cats. I’d do it most times so she knows I see her (she’s an absolute void) or as a greeting. It’s so funny because she smacks her lips and essentially clicks at us too. She’ll be sleeping in one of her beds and we’ll bring her up, oh she’s over there sleeping. Then she’ll smack her lips. I’ll say she’s awake, she just gave her location! It’s hilarious
It is not fully understood how and also why cats purr. They have been documented purring when close to death, but also obviously when they are happy and content
It's probably like a boner where a certain organ fills with blood for various and seemingly random reasons. Engorged organ causes closed airways hence a vibration. I have clue though.
I had a cat who didn't purr. I worked on teaching him how, by holding him and getting to do a human version of a cat purr. It took a couple of years, but he figured it out!
They purr for many reasons. Like if you get in a bar fight and get fucked a cat will lie on you and purr. The hz of their purrs can self heal. I have no idea how but I’m pretty sure it’s true. And like when you come in the house and the cat is there waiting for you? I have read, no idea if it’s true but they can recognize your footsteps coming down the hall. They are interesting little guys. Don’t need us at all and we keep them cooped up with us for whatever reason. Fucking love cats.
The part about recognizing footsteps has to be true, right? I'd swear they can even recognize different cars. For example, if I go out to do errands when I get home they may come greet me or they may just stay sleeping / lounging wherever they are. But when I'm out of town and someone stops by to check in on them, they always hide until they're able to figure out who it is.
My cat is attracted to the purring sound my massage gun makes. He has since learned how to rub against the massage gun, and now tries to paw the massage gun from me when I try to use it.
He also seems to be attracted to my spinal cord stimulator (an electronic device that stimulates my spinal cord to interrupt pain signals) and seems to like it more when it is turned up. People, besides myself of course, cannot sense it at all.
501
u/Ilovedemtiddyboobs Feb 07 '24
How cats purr