• Question: Why do cats purr and is it natural or have they just learnt to do it for humans

    Asked by anon-263459 on 14 Oct 2020.
    • Photo: James Smallcombe

      James Smallcombe answered on 14 Oct 2020:

      I know some wild cat species purr, so I assume it is natural and not an adaptation from living with or being bread by humans. I assume
      I have absolutely know idea why they evolved to do it, its presumably for communication/signalling between cats.

    • Photo: Richard Fielder

      Richard Fielder answered on 14 Oct 2020:

      Purring isn’t very well understood; we’re not even sure exactly how cats make the noise at all. It seems to be related to childhood behaviour and bonding between kittens and their parents. Domestic cats never really become independant since they’re always looked after by humans, so they seem to keep the same behaviour into adulthood, while other species that also purr do it much less when they get older. However, purring is also used when cats are injured or upset, so it also seems to play a role in comforting and painkilling – it seems to actually affect the brain in some way that causes the body to release natural painkillers.

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