Cats and cats, when they purr, can be a real elixir of health for nervous system disorders, stress and other troubles, and stroking them is a powerful relaxant, especially if you pet them. They calm much more effectively than motherwort and valerian, and their owners, who have earned the love and tenderness of their pets, experience incomparable happiness with these strange sounds that the furry ones make. Why cats purr when you pet them, what lies behind the purring and how you can determine a cat’s mood by sound. It won't hurt to understand the issue.
A few words about the phenomenon
Cats have been accompanying humans since ancient times; these small predators were first domesticated during the first dynasties of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Here, the cat-headed goddess Bast personified joy, fun and love, feminine grace and beauty, fertility and home. Four kittens were sure to frolic, play and purr near her feet as a symbol of motherhood. Later, in the dark Middle Ages, when there was a real rampant of obscurantism, cute cats became the personification of the devil and faithful companions of witches, sorcerers, and Satanists.
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Despite the diametric difference in opinions and views, people have always strived to be friends with these animals. Cats are amazing, especially when you pet them. Scientists have devoted a lot of time to trying to study the phenomenon of these mysterious sounds. However, even today it is still not completely clear why, when you pet cats, they purr. Modern research methods have made it possible to somewhat clarify the theories of the phenomenon of cats purring when you stroke them .
- First of all, it was experimentally established that these animals have strong electromagnetic impulses of natural origin, in particular, if you stroke them;
- The natural biological electric field activates a complex of organs, which allows the animal to reproduce sounds of a strictly defined timbre, strength, and volume.
For people with serious pathologies, modern medicine strongly recommends communicating with a cat that begins to purr when you stroke them. Tips to stroke the soft fluffy fur, cause a rumbling sound from deep within the animal’s body, create an amazing aura that can heal the patient and bring him significant relief.
Hiss
When a cat hisses and even growls, this does not mean that she is angry - most likely, she is scared and thus trying to defend herself. Your pet may hiss at a stranger who comes into your home (or, for that matter, someone he knows but just doesn't like), or even at another cat, warning him that he must “step back.” The cat ends up showing everyone who's boss (hint: it's not you).
“If you can,” advises Animal Planet, “ignore the hiss. Don't yell at her or confuse her." Just wait a little, after that it will stop hissing. Give your pet the space she needs to calm down and she will feel safer.
What does the purring of a cat mean?
Official science has confirmed the possibility of non-linguistic communication between representatives of the animal world. It has been found that the purring sounds of cats and cats when you stroke them allow graceful and affectionate pets to convey their thoughts, feelings, and emotions to us to a much lesser extent than people. In addition, purring when petting them is defined as a quiet, rhythmic, long vibrating sound made by certain types of cats in a good mood.
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Theorists view a cat's purring as a sign of certain conditions.
- Satisfaction from the touch of the hands of a beloved owner or a family member whom the animal itself recognizes. Usually the choice remains with the cat, and not with the person who will pet the cat;
- Getting relief for the animal itself when it is sick and is bothered by certain symptoms, including pain. It has been noticed that if you stroke the back, this allows the expectant mother to produce deep uterine sounds, which greatly calm the cat preparing for childbirth;
- Usually cats rumble and purr when they feed their babies, enjoying their process of quickly growing healthy babies;
- A small domestic predator rolling around on the floor, sofa or bed is a very common sight after eating. Purring sounds only confirm contentment with life and a delicious dinner, care, being stroked, scratched and everyday comfort;
- A purring animal may be in dire need of protection when it feels dangerous, threatened, or simply scared;
- Purring can be an accurate confirmation that the animal feels the proximity of the object of sympathy, it can be either the person who strokes it or a fellow tribesman. In particular, in this way the cat seeks the cat’s favor and tries to draw her attention to his advances;
- A mother cat raises her cubs in this way, and when a hand touches her, scratching and stroking her back, she conveys information about the person to the babies, calms her down, helps them master the world around them, and invites them to eat.
A cat purrs during labor; this allows her to reduce pain, normalize breathing, and even regulate the rhythm of contractions. For example, labor in a cat is almost painless when the expectant mother engages in self-hypnosis and self-soothing, relaxes and improves labor.
In general, we can say that the loud sound that the tummy, chest and throat of a cat makes when you stroke it is gratitude, and it seeks to express this to the owner, in particular, when you stroke it. Everything is elementary simple. You just have to stroke the back, tickle the chin, scratch behind the ears and you will soon hear the familiar purring, its calming sounds. Fans of the cat tribe believe that an even more reliable way to evoke such a sound is to offer their pet a “yummy” - fresh or boiled fish, chicken or a piece of aromatic fresh sausage.
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Meowing, purring and other “normal” cat sounds.
You may come across the statement that cats meow only to people. This is not true, since pets also make this sound when communicating with other cats.
However, when dealing with people, they meow in a certain way. In this case, the cat's sounds take on a slightly whiny and pleading tone. A crying cat is not surprising, because this is how animals want to get your attention and get something.
Besides meowing, the most famous cat sound is purring. However, contrary to stereotypes, cats do not purr only when they are happy. It is believed that this sound simply indicates the need for close contact.
Cat speech also consists of growls, buzzing and screams that accompany aggressive behavior. Animals also hiss and snort. A cat's snort is an attempt to scare off a stronger enemy.
3. The cat makes strange sounds.
To be fair, the terms “normal cat noise” and “weird cat noise” are arbitrary. For our pets they are all completely ordinary. However, to the human ear, some of them may indeed sound surprising. Especially if you don’t have much experience working with cats yet.
What are cat noises and what do they mean? From all their variety, you can choose a few specific ones. The ones that might surprise you. Then let's get to know them.
- Cat sounds - barking.
Barking is probably the strangest cat noise owners hear, and perhaps the least understood. Some call it chattering or clicking, and furry ones most often make it when they're sitting on a windowsill, looking through the glass at the birds bouncing outside the window.
Barking occurs when our purring friend moves his jaws rhythmically and quickly. And it does sound a bit like dogs barking, but can also be associated with chattering teeth.
This amazing cat sound is interpreted as an expression of excitement caused by the sight of potential prey - their eyes are eager to hunt birds. At the same time, this can be considered a sign of disappointment, since the potential victim is out of reach of the furry ones.
Behaviorists consider this barking to be a deliberate movement. This is a term used to describe the behavior of animals that reveal their intentions. In this case we are talking about catching and killing a bird. Cats kill their victims with a quick and powerful bite to the neck, which breaks the spinal cord in the cervical region. Seeing a potential victim, but unable to reach it, the cat makes a death motion, as if imagining itself doing so.
However, our pets also bark in other situations. For example, when an animal sees us when we put food on a plate and wants us to share it. Sometimes we hear this cat sound when the pet is angry.
- Cat sounds - chirping.
Chirping occurs in situations similar to barking, that is, when your pet is watching for out-of-reach prey. Purring pets also chirp when something intriguing appears in their eyes. These may be objects or sounds that the animal somehow associates with its prey or food. So this cat sound has the same meaning as barking.
A cat's chirping sounds a bit like birdsong or rodent squeals, hence its name. There is a claim that the cat's sound was an imitation of the sounds made by rodents and birds. Of course, there can be no question of deliberate imitation.
- Cat sounds - cooing.
Another one on the list of the strangest cat sounds, it is sometimes called trilling - from the English word "thrilling". However, I prefer the more familiar name "cooing". Moreover, this element of a cat’s language really resembles the cooing of pigeons. When cats croak, they often rub against objects, furniture, people or other animals.
Cats coo at both people and other animals with whom they are friends. Cats very often use this sound in contact with their children.
Trilling is one of the cat's signals for expressing positive emotions. You can consider it as one of the elements of the greeting ritual of cats, because they often use it when greeting. It means both joy from the return of the owner or meeting a friendly pet, as well as friendly intentions towards them.
Often cats just coo because they feel good. Or that they are happy in the company of a person or other animal.
In some situations, cooing can be interpreted as a request for attention or as a request for contact, such as affection. Thus, many cats try to convince their owner to follow them when they want to show him something - for example, an empty bowl.
- Cat sounds - singing.
Another strange cat noise. It can be heard mainly performed by unsterilized cats. An inexperienced cat lover may be very surprised when he first encounters one. She may even worry about the health of her ward, because the female also behaves strangely while singing.
Cat singing is an emotional, pathetic call with elements of meowing, cooing and howling. This cat sound is long and swift. It often ends with a loud, guttural howl that seems to come from the cat's guts—when the cat emits it, she sharply sucks in her stomach.
Cats sing in heat. Thus, they announce to the whole world that they are ready to give birth to kittens, and attract potential fathers of their future children. Males who sense that a female is in heat may also sing. In their performance it sounds a little more aggressive. This is how they try to attract the attention of cats.
To be honest, it is not known why someone once called this cat sound singing. This is not very pleasant to the human ear. It can be almost unbearable.
- Cat sounds - squeaking.
Squeaking is also a slightly scary cat noise. This is a modified version of the classic cat meow. Although it sounds sharper. We may get the impression that our pet is hoarse or has a dry throat. The sound produced may be short, intermittent, or long.
Cats use this sound when communicating with people. Creaking most often means that our four-legged student wants something from us or wants to attract our attention. So this cat sound is kind of a question.
- Cat sounds - squeaking.
The squeak of another cat can be considered a brighter and higher form of ordinary meow. It is used by kittens when, for various reasons, they need help from their mother. For example, when they are hungry or feel lost. When a cat hears this cry of her offspring, she immediately runs to him.
Typically, domestic cats, even adults, treat their owners to some extent as their mother. This is why they often treat them like kittens. It's no surprise that adult cats sometimes squeal at people. This happens when they need it, when they feel lonely or afraid of something.
- Cat sounds - moaning.
Moans are a crying and sad version of a regular meow. It also sounds like a more emotional version of a squeak. It sounds darker, deeper. Cat noises such as moaning and squeaking can be heard when a purring pet is feeling lost, unhappy and depressed. Animals may also moan when something is wrong with them - they are in pain or are sick.
A crying cat has a strong influence on the emotions of its owners. This may be because these cat signals are strongly associated with crying in human babies.
This is a unique hunting strategy
Cats are secretive creatures and pride themselves on their ability to sneak up on birds and mammals in the wild, but a cat's ability to hunt may be even more systematic and impressive than previously thought. Cats can imitate the sounds of the birds they are chasing.
This theory dates back to a study published in 2013.
Researchers have discovered that wild cats in the Amazon have learned to imitate the sounds of tamarin monkeys. This strategy gave the local cats an advantage over their prey - it was convenient for the tamarins to know that they were among “theirs” and lure them closer. Jaguars make similar sounds when hunting.
It is not yet clear why domestic cats make the same sounds. If your cat spends long days listening to birds outside and her chatter sounds oddly similar to bird calls, this is certainly a plausible explanation.
Trilling
This word is unusual for us. It is used in specialized foreign literature. It can be translated as “bringing out trills.”
This is the sound cats use to greet.
Sometimes cats make cooing, almost bird-like sounds. They differ in sound and meaning. Cat trills attract attention. It's a way of saying, "Look at me."
Why do cats chirp? And what exactly does a cat chirp sound like?
You'll likely witness a cat chirping as your pet stands guard by the window, looking out at a pesky group of birds. The curious noise coming from your cat can be described as high-octave, similar to a goat's bleat. It also often has some weird, rhythmic clicks mixed in to good effect. As you've probably guessed by now, cat chirping usually occurs as part of a reputable cat hunting tactic.
What is the name of the sound that cats make?
This chirping sound that a cat makes when it sees a bird, insect, small mammal or toy has several names, including:
- Chatter
- tweet
- chirping
- Chirping
This unusual chirping begins when the cat notices a stimulus that piques its interest (or the “target” of its hunt). As is common with hunting behavior in cats, you may notice your cat's pupils dilate and her ears stick out to the side as she assumes a low crouching position.
The chirping sound itself is weak, but distinct.
A cat in hunting mode quickly opens and closes its mouth - just like your teeth "chatter" when you shiver in the winter - and makes a very soft chirping sound, unlike a normal meow.
Cats usually only chirp when there is prey they can't reach (such as a bird on the other side of the window or a bug hanging on the ceiling). Typically, the chirping stops when the bird flies away or, in rare cases, the cat has a chance to chase it.
If you're thinking, "I've never seen my cat chat before," then chances are you don't know what chatter looks or sounds like. Watch the three cats below make this unique sound to a bird on the other side of the window:
Signal to relatives
Despite the fact that the cat is considered an individualist, it has some collective instincts. It is much easier to catch prey together than alone, so this sound is used to attract relatives. The specific signal is not recognized by birds and is intended only for other cats. It is given instinctively, so the animal does not analyze the real possibility of attracting fellow animals to the scene of events.
Tweet
This is one of the strangest sounds made by cats in exceptional cases. Often, a pet may chirp or tremble when it sees a bird, squirrel or rabbit outside the window to warn its owners. According to the Humane Society, it's not a full-fledged "meow" but rather a command for kittens who learn while still very young, and mom uses the sound to keep her kids in line. If you have multiple cats, you may also hear them talking to each other. Finally, the cat performs this “trick” to get you to go to her food bowl or go to bed.
Paying close attention to these cat sounds will create even more of a bond between you and your furry friend, and you'll be able to better understand what your cat wants and give her everything she needs to feel happy, healthy, and safe.
Purr
Cats purr for a variety of reasons, good and bad. Although purring is a very typical sound for pets, there is something mysterious about it. Deep sound, which is usually interpreted positively, has a number of nuances.
Animals nursing newborn kittens purr to attract the attention of blind or deaf cubs, says Cat Behavior Associates, a pet website. The vibrations make the kittens cuddle with their mother.
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As adults, cats purr to express pleasure, concern, or communicate illness, adds Cat Behavior Associates. Animals also purr to calm themselves or someone else.
Karen McComb's 2009 study, "A Cry Embedded in a Purr," is described in a 2009 issue of the British scientific journal Current Biology. It shows that a cat's purr has frequencies similar to a baby's cry, which means that animals can put certain moods and emotions into their "speech." They purr to manipulate people, mainly to get extra portions of their food bowl.
What is the origin of a cat's chirping?
It has been suggested that the origin of cats' chirping comes from the kitten. One theory states that a cat's chirping is a way for a mother to herd her kittens into a group to follow her. It is also said that the cat's chirping can be used in return by the kitten as a way to attract the mother cat's attention.
Surprisingly, the cat's chirping is seductive—and, let's be honest, hilarious as hell—a mixture of excitement and frustration. So think of it like a kid in a candy store trying to convince one of his parents that he wants those sweets.
Signal to relatives
Despite the fact that the cat is considered an individualist, it has some collective instincts. It is much easier to catch prey together than alone, so this sound is used to attract relatives. The specific signal is not recognized by birds and is intended only for other cats. It is given instinctively, so the animal does not analyze the real possibility of attracting fellow animals to the scene of events.
