The Scared Purr
The purr of a cat has also been found by animal behaviorists to be a kind of calming technique used in stressful situations. This can be compared to whistling as you walk down a dark alley, or chanting “Ohmmmm,” while sitting in the lotus position. The vibrations of the purr can be an attempt to relax or focus on a less-stressful stimulus.
The scared purr may also be used when a cat is feeling threatened, by either a larger animal or another cat, in an unfamiliar situation. A purr can indicate to other animals that your pet is not aggressive and doesn’t want to hurt them. The friendly greeting can be kind of a way to say, “See, I’m purring. We’re cool. Let’s not fight.”
The Pain Purr
Cats will also purr when they have been severely injured, are recovering from an injury, while birthing a litter of kittens, and sometimes when they are near death. However, there have been some incredibly interesting scientific findings that could explain this phenomenon, aside from the relaxing and meditative benefits of the purr.
The sound frequency of a cat’s purr falls between 25 and 150 Hertz. What does this mean? According to Scientific American, “Various investigators have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing.” Scientists believe that this is one reason that cats are so physically resilient and heal broken bones quickly (prompting the “nine lives” myth).
