We associate purring with happiness, but cats can also be in pain or injured. Here are some common signs of happiness and pain, along with their significance to cats. Interestingly, cats also squirm at cucumbers, but this is unusual for cats. It is much more common to associate a purring sound with contentment. Here are a few other signs your cat may be purring for.
It’s a sign of submission
Cats purr for a variety of reasons. The purr indicates that they need human affection and social interaction. Cats purr for comfort and when they feel sad or threatened. If you have a cat and you see him or her purring around you, the cat is likely to like you and trust you. Cats usually prefer human contact over other forms of affection. You might also see a cat purring at a stranger and think it’s a sign of submission.
If you think a cat is submitting by purring, it might be time to rethink your assumptions. While cats sometimes make tickling sounds, they aren’t really biting. A kitty may use your body as a chew toy or a scratching post to signal that it’s feeling threatened. In any case, it’s important to understand that these sounds indicate a strong bond between a cat and its human.
It’s a sign of healing
There are many benefits of a cat purr. Not only does a cat’s purr help heal physical ailments, but it can also help with emotional issues, too. Here are just some of them. When a cat purrs, it’s a good sign that it’s healing. It’s important to know what to expect after a cat purr session, though, and how you can make the most of your time with your feline friend.
One of the reasons cats purr is for their own preventative health. It might be to keep their bones and muscles from deteriorating. In the same way that humans lose muscle mass from over-resting, cats may be purring to stimulate their bones and muscles. Purring has multiple benefits. For example, it might help a cat heal a wound. In addition to cuddling with their owners, it may help them heal after a medical procedure.
It’s a sign of self-soothing
Did you know that cats purr to soothe themselves? It’s a behavior very similar to how we self-soothe when we feel stressed or anxious. Purring releases endorphins, which ease tension and promote healing. Research suggests that cats’ low-frequency purrs are also able to repair and regenerate bones, tendons, and tissue. This makes it an excellent tool for self-soothing.
Although many people associate cat purring with happiness, cats actually purr to signal other states of mind, such as hunger and contentment. Moreover, purring may be a warning that a cat is in discomfort, injured, or uncomfortable. A cat that purrs involuntarily may also be alerting you to a problem or to a major change in your home. But the best way to interpret cat purring is to look for the different signals that it gives you.
