Paws Up for Wednesday – New Breakthrough on a Cat’s Purr

You’ve probably read numerous articles stating that no one actually knows what makes a cat purr—how it is mechanically possible.

Finally researchers decided that the purr is caused by the relaxing of muscles around the larynx. Makes sense. But there are new answers to this age-old mystery, and you might find them interesting. They have to do with a small pad evidently recently discovered in the cat’s throat that is what creates the purr sound. Here’s a report with details. It’s interesting, but really, who needs to know how it happens when they’re curled up with a sweetly purring cat. It’s enough just to feel and hear the purr. I guess the next question will be why does a cat’s purr affect us so greatly—make us relax and smile, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.