This is written in the present tense. I make a great effort, tenaciously, writing this post with all my senses finely tuned, concentrating on the present moment, being aware, being very attentive but not judgemental of my own thoughts and feelings. Which I do all the time. I always do this mindfulness practise with my other cats too, especially the calm and collected Mickey. The girls, Tam and Adik Comot are rather frisky and refuse to be held for more than a minute at the most. With them, I usually use a soft brush, brushing their fur slowly and steadily, like ten to fifteen minutes, while they lay down next to me. This is one way, I bonded with them. I am affectionate with my cats and I give them a lot of attention and tender loving care.They get a lot of hugs, kisses, caresses, strokings and gentle rubbing and brushing.
As I pick you up and I hold you against my shoulder, I feel the softness and the warmth of your tiny body. I can feel the chubbiness of your tummy pressing against my clothing. I can feel your fur sleek and soft. You smell good baby, even though I've never bathed you yet. You've been with me for only about two months. It's that wonderful kitten smell that only cat lovers can sense. You smell kittenish! Your paws smell of earth, of soil, mixed a little with pooh smell, ha ha ha 😀😁😄. Definitely you have your own smell that's distinguishable from Mickey, Tam and Adik Comot. I kiss your tummy. You smell like something new, something clean and inviting there. The smell associated with warm feelings. Of comfort, quiet joy, love and peace. The smell of home.
I place my ear close to your tummy. You're purring. I cannot really hear that if I don't put my head against your tummy. This purr is the low frequency almost inaudible purr. As I gently scratch your neck, the purring becomes louder. I feel that you're relaxed, eyes half-close I supposed. You're in a happy place!
I'm an individual who is not very good at expressing myself with humans, even close family members. I don't do a lot of hugging. Only with people I'm totally comfortable with and that is few in numbers. That's the strong introvert in me. But I'm totally at ease and expressive with my affection for animals. I kiss, cuddle and stroke my cats maybe 15 times a day. I kiss stray cats too. I touch and stroke animals. Cats, dogs, goats, cows, birds, zoo animals,etc etc. Still squeamish about some reptiles though, but that is because of the conditioning.
A Little Bit About Purring. That heavenly warm, soothing, delicious vibration that human craves.
I always noticed that my Tam purrs loudly when she is about to be given her favourite food of fish roe. That purr is different I think. it is a combination of a purr and a meow. It is louder and definitely audible even if I stand like a few feet from her.
Kittens can purr when they're only a few days old. It's probably a way to let their mothers know where they are or that they're OK. They purr to communicate between littermates and their mom. Purring also helps a kitten bond with its mother. Mama cats use it like a lullaby.
Purring occurs during inhalation and exhalation. In some cases, the purr is so quiet and low, you may feel it more than hear it. Some cats have very loud purrs though and you can hear those motor boats clear across the room.
Even though purring takes energy, many cats purr when they get hurt or are in pain. So what makes the effort worth it? It might simply be a way for a cat to soothe itself, like a child sucks their thumb to feel better. The mother cat purrs during labour which may be to self-soothe and also for pain control. Endorphins are released when cats purr which can help in pain management.
But some research suggests that purring actually helps cats get better faster. The low frequency of purrs causes a series of related vibrations within their body that can: Heal bones and wounds, build muscle and repair tendons, ease breathing and lessen pain and swelling.
This might explain why cats are able to survive falls from high places and tend to have fewer complications after surgeries than dogs.
The cat’s purr has been compared to the human smile. People smile for a variety of reasons. People smile when happy, nervous, unsure or when trying to make someone else feel comfortable. It’s that way with the purr as well. Cats may purr when happy but also they use it for self-soothing. Cats may purr in an attempt to soothe a potential opponent when they know there’s no means of escape. They may purr when nervous, sick, in pain or even when close to death. This makes sense because of the endorphin release.
Many cats really know how to maximise the purr to their advantage. A study at the University of Sussex in the UK identified that cats have developed a specialised purr referred to as a “soliciting purr.” The specialised purr includes cries at similar frequencies to a human baby cry. Cats seem to be able to ramp up the high frequency in order to get their human family members to feed them. Pretty smart, wouldn’t you agree?
Purring is also believed to be used by the cat for healing. Purrs vibrate at 25-150HZ which is also the frequency that assists in physical healing and bone mending. It may also be that purring during resting is a form of physical therapy to keep the cat’s bones strong since the frequency range of 25-150HZ increases bone density. So even as a cat is napping or resting, he might be keeping his bones strong and healthy and ready for the next opportunity to pounce on prey.
We love to hear our cats purr. There is nothing better than a cat curled up on your lap, satisfied and happy, but have you ever wondered just how cats purr and why they do it?
Humans smile, dogs wag their tails and cats purr. All of us show our contentment in different ways. So it’s not surprising that when your cat is curled up beside you, or you are stroking them, they express their feelings by purring. However, purring is not always a sign of happiness. Sometimes it is an emotional response, indicative of pain or distress. Indeed, cats may purr while giving birth, so purring is more likely to be a mechanism that helps cats rest and repair.
Purring may be feline self-comforting behaviour. It is first expressed when kittens are only a few days old, perhaps signalling their presence to their mother, encouraging her to feed them. This form of communication continues into their adult lives.
How do cats purr?
What is most surprising is that cats have no special apparatus in their body to enable them to purr. Purring involves the rapid movement of the muscles of the larynx (voice box), combined with movement of the diaphragm (the muscle at the base of the chest cavity). The muscles move at around 20 to 30 times per second.
As the cat breathes, air touches the vibrating muscles, producing a purr. Each cat’s purr is unique with some high pitched and others emitting a low rumble. Some purrs are so faint you have to be extremely close to your cat to hear it while others are extraordinarily loud.
The purr and meow combination
Cats have a special type of purr that they use when they want our attention, especially when they wish to be fed. This purr is known as a ‘solicitation purr’ and involves a combination of the purr and meow. Cat owners respond to this sound in a similar way that parent’s respond to the cry of their baby. This is a wonderful example of how our domesticated feline friends have evolved to live with and be nurtured by us.
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