puring

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Another group of adorable persians 

[Harna]

There was a little booklet in the Guardian saturday newspaper a couple of months ago that was all about interesting facts you might not already know - one of the ones that I remember is that apparently, cats purr permanently and just adjust the volume depending on how happy (or scared, as they purr as a calming mechanism when in stressful situations) they are. I'll have to see if I can dig it out to see how they actually do this . . . . . .

[tryme]

cool i knew it was something to do with breathing but i was thinking how can they breathe at the same time etc lol

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

How do cats produce a purring noise?

A. Experiments have shown that purring is a reflex, originating from the central system, and not a voluntary act. It is caused by rapid, rhythmic pressure changes in the windpipe, which are superimposed on normal breathing.

The stimulation of muscles in the larynx and diaphragm that control the widening and narrowing of the opening between the vocal cords causes the change in pressure. As air passes through the rapidly opening and closing valve it creates a purring sound and vibrating chest.

The muscles work both during inhalation and exhalation, creating the impression that cats purr continuously


http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Article528.html
 

[JackSpratt]

That's actually non conclusive!

Here's one theory:

"One hypothesis, backed up by electromyographic studies, is that cats produce the purring noise by fast twitching of the muscles in their larynx, which rapidly dilate and constrict the glottis, thus causing vibrations in the air both during inhalation and exhalation. Combined with the steady inhalation and exhalation of air as the cat breathes, a purring noise is produced with strong harmonics."

[tryme]

how exactly DO  cats purr?