Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Purring Heals Cats and Their Human Families





Are you a cat person?  Perhaps that’s because a cat’s purring is healing for you and for your cat.  We all know that having our favorite cat purr in our lap reduces our stress and anxiety and makes us feel good.  But did you know that cat’s purring between 20 and 140 Hz heals bones, muscles, reduces pain and even makes an impact on our respiratory diseases. 

Cat--including not only domestic cats but pumas, cheetahs, ocelots, bobcats, lynx, and wild cats--purr when they are content as most of us cat lovers witness, but also when they are in pain, injured, giving birth and even when they are dying.  They purr to their kittens and the kittens purr back after only a few days. This helps with the bonding process between mother cat and the kittens.

Given how much energy purring takes, if it wasn’t important for survival, cats just wouldn’t waste their energy purring.  We have all heard the expression “cats have nine lives”.  This may be because of their purring.  In one study of high rise syndrome cats, they found that among the cats who plummeted an average of 5.5 apartment building stories, although some were severely injured, an amazing 90% survived.  Sorry dog lovers, this would be impossible for dogs.  And cats are less likely to be sick and to die from illnesses early in their lives than dogs are.  Arthritis, a big problem for dogs, is nonexistent in cats.

Next time you have a broken leg, or even an ache or a pain, make sure that your cat sits in your lap--purring away.

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