A Cat's Purr - we should have one

A cat's purr is another thing that we don't have and could do with.

I've banged on and on about how cats are better than humans in some ways. She has heighten senses, is more athletic etc.

Yes, we do have body language but most people don't realize that they are sending signals through body language as it is instinctive and happens all the time in the background.

Sometimes it seems that our body language sends messages that we don't want to send. Often we get confused by the messages if we understand them at all. You've got to be an anthropologist to get the message.

Not so for the cat. She gives clear unmistakable messages reliably delivered which we understand or at least we think we do.

For example take the purr. Sure we know it as a sign of contentment. It is, and a bit more. The purr's first job is as a communication from kitten to mother cat that she is receiving her milk from the breast. The mother hearing this knows all is well and purrs back to say I'm OK too. The purr also signals that the kitten is warm and not hungry (or becoming not hungry). Everything in order then.
contented cat

When the kitten becomes an adult and humans become her mother and father she purrs for a similar reason; as a signal that she is receiving your friendship and she returns that through her purr by saying she if friends with you. It is a form of social bonding at it feels good for the human to hear it. We could do with some of that human to human :)

You may have heard your cat purr when she is a little frightened too, for example at the vet. My cat certainly does. She becomes passive and purrs as if to say a) I'm not a threat to you, I am unlikely to attack you and b) as a result please be nice and friendly with me.

The cat purr can then be a signal to please be friendly and as a confirmation of friendship. The sound is produced by the "vocal apparatus". Air pressure is built up and released by the vocal apparatus.

I don't know of an equivalent human sound or body language which is so useful. It even sounds warm and friendly. Why can't we have a purr?

Lower photograph reproduced under creative commons copyright scholz

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