Hi there! Have you ever wondered why cats purr? Let’s dive into this fun and interesting topic together!
My niece, Madeline, has a cat named Harry Winston. He’s not just any cat; he can play the piano and looks adorable in a sweater! But today, we’re going to talk about something else that’s cool about cats—purring!
Jaelynn asked a great question: “Why do cats purr?” If you have a cat, you might have heard this sound before. It’s like a soft, rumbling noise, almost like a little motor inside the cat. But why do they do it?
We can’t ask cats why they purr, but we can watch them to find out. Most of the time, cats purr when they’re happy. They purr when you rub their chin, when they’re snuggled on your lap, or when they’re with their mom as kittens. So, purring seems to be related to happiness.
But wait! Cats also purr when they’re not feeling great, like when they’re sick or nervous. So, purring might not be just about being happy. It could be something else too.
Have you ever seen a cat kneading with its paws? It looks like they’re making biscuits! This is called kneading, and cats do it when they’re happy. Kittens knead their mom to get more milk. Even when they grow up, cats still knead because it makes them feel calm and safe, like when they were little kittens.
So, why do cats purr? It might be a way for them to feel better, whether they’re happy, sick, or nervous. Purring could be a soothing behavior that helps them feel calm and safe.
Thanks for the awesome question, Jaelynn! Remember, there are mysteries all around us. Keep asking questions and stay curious. See you next time!
Cat Observation Journal: Spend some time observing a cat, either your own or a friend’s. Pay attention to when the cat purrs. Is it when they’re being petted, eating, or just relaxing? Write down your observations in a journal. Try to notice if the cat purrs in different situations and think about how the cat might be feeling in each one.
Purring Experiment: Create a simple experiment to see what makes a cat purr. With the help of an adult, try gently petting the cat in different spots, like under the chin, behind the ears, or on the back. Note which spots make the cat purr the most. Discuss why you think these spots might make the cat happy or comfortable.
Feelings and Sounds: Think about other animals or even people and the sounds they make when they are happy, sad, or scared. Draw a picture of an animal and write down the sounds it makes when it feels different emotions. Share your drawing with the class and talk about how these sounds are similar or different from a cat’s purr.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing) – Hi, it’s Doug! My niece, Madeline, recently got her first cat. His name is Harry Winston. It turns out he’s a talented piano player. (music) And he looks great in a sweater. Someone named Jaelynn has a question about cats. Let’s give her a call now. (phone ringing) – Hi, Doug. – Hi, Jaelynn! – I have a question for you. Why do cats purr? – That’s an interesting question. If you have a cat at home, then you’re probably familiar with what purring is. But growing up, my family only ever had dogs, and I remember clearly the first time I was around a cat. I was staying over at a friend’s house, and I remember because the cat came right up to me, and all of a sudden I heard this loud rumbling noise. I was like, what is that? Wait, that’s your cat? Whoa, what’s going on with your cat? Your cat’s vibrating. It’s not just any sound. I mean, I knew that cats made sounds like meow and meow, but with a purr, the whole cat vibrates. It’s like a motor going off inside the cat’s throat. Why do cats do this? What do you think? Before I say anything more, now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss. Why do you think cats purr? Okay, you ready? Well, one of the things that makes this such an interesting question is that we can’t just ask a cat, “Hey, cat, why do you purr?” We don’t really know what’s going on inside a cat’s head. But what we can do is observe. We can watch when a cat purrs and look for any patterns. Maybe that will at least give us some ideas of why cats might purr.
One thing that any cat owner can tell you is that most of the time when a cat purrs, it’s when it’s doing things that seem happy. Cats purr when they’re getting their chin rubbed, which they love. They purr when they’re cuddled up on your lap. They purr when they’re kittens snuggling with their mother. So it seems that purring must have something to do with being happy. But that said, some people have observed that cats will purr in other situations too—situations that aren’t very happy at all, like when a cat is hurt, sick, or seems nervous about something. So, maybe purring isn’t all about being happy.
So, why do cats purr? Here’s another clue: it’s something else you can observe about cats, and it’s one of my favorite things that cats do. Sometimes, when a cat is purring and looking happy, you’ll also see it doing this. It’s called kneading, or as some cat owners call it, making biscuits, because it’s the same motion someone does when they’re kneading dough to make bread. When cats do it, I like to imagine them with a little chef’s hat on. Although making biscuits might seem silly, it turns out to have a pretty clear reason why cats do it. Making biscuits is a movement that cats start doing when they’re tiny kittens. Kittens do it when they’re nursing from their mother. Scientists have figured out that this causes the mother to produce more milk for her kittens.
So, why would grown-up cats still make biscuits? They don’t drink milk from their mothers anymore. One idea is that making biscuits is a type of soothing behavior—something that makes the cats feel calm and safe, perhaps reminding them of the warm, fuzzy feeling of cuddling next to their mother when they were tiny kittens. Purring itself might be one of these soothing behaviors. If so, that could explain why cats purr not only when they’re happy, but also when they’re sick, hurt, or nervous. It might be that the cat is purring in order to help itself feel happy again.
That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Jaelynn, for asking it. Now, for the next episode, I reached into my question jar and chose three questions submitted to me that I’m thinking about answering. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: How are potato chips made? Where does water from the faucet come from? Or why are people saying Pluto isn’t a planet? So submit your vote when the video’s over. I want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us, stay curious, and see you next week.
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