Studies have shown that a cat’s purr can help to keep humans healthy, cats purr when they are enjoying the petting sessions or a tasty treat! However, that’s not the only situation, some cats also purr in pain. So is something wrong with your cat if you never heard her purr?
Reasons cat does not purr might depend on the cat’s mood and physical behavior, if you look closely you will be able to connect the dots.
Let’s find out some reasons’ cat does not purr:
1. Purring: Not Every Cat’s Thing!
Somewhere, we all have been subjected to believe that cats purr when they are very happy! It’s a way of showing the happiness they get from a particular situation or their humans! But what your cat does not purr? It doesn’t mean that she’s sad.
Sometimes, the Reason a cat doesn’t purr could also be that she does not feel like doing so. It’s not necessary that purring is the only way for a cat’s way of communication.
Every cat has its way of presenting emotions. So don’t get sad or worried if other cats’ parents always talk about their cats purring. However, if your cat used to purr, and she had suddenly stopped doing it, then there might be other reasons behind it!
2. A Stressed Feline Will Not Purr
Reasons cat does not purr could be if your cat is stressed. If your cat is unhappy, scared, or stressed, it’s very less likely for her to purr. Stress is usually followed by aggression or withdrawal from being social.
We have mentioned a few situations in which your cats can get stressed, one of the reasons cat does not purr:
- Bringing new pets to home, which can make your cat stress.
- Noisy surroundings
- Changing your cat’s diet
- Change in your cat’s daily routine
- Death of loved one (kittens, other dear cats/pets, human)
3. Injured Cats Don’t Purr!
If your cat used to purr cheerfully, and one day she just stops doing it, then one of the reasons cat does not purr would be injury or illness! You need to pay attention as it’s a cause of concern.
When cats are ill or injured, they go silent, some cats also hide from their humans to a place that is quite unreachable or dark. So if your cat is showing such signs, you need to check if she’s okay! Injuries like, infected teeth and fractures will make your cat very unhappy.
On the other hand, illness like upper respiratory infections or vocal cords infection can cause pain to cats, making them incapable to purr. If you notice lower energy, it’s time to take your cat to the vet.
4. Satisfied Cat
The simple reason for your cat not to purr is that she’s satisfied, and purring is not her way of showing gratitude! All domestic cats display individual personalities and purring is not their thing to show love or affection, instead, they might just display another sign of being grateful to you!
If you pay attention, you will find the alternatives your cats use instead of purring, it could be visible through their body language or facial expression.
So basically a cat who is not suffering from any illness or injury can feel that there’s no need to purr when she’s feeling content, hungry, or seeking affection.
5. Your Cat Is Getting Old
When cats get old, they tend to lose interest in exhibiting to show their affection by purring, they try to invest such energy into other activities.
So does that mean they would turn into grumpy cats after getting old? No! Old cats can be just as content as younger cats.
Advantages of a Purring Cat
Why cat owners are so concerned about their cats purring? Mostly because it is widely spread that a cat purrs when she’s happy, satisfied, or just showing how much she is in love with her human.
With that, it also claimed that a cat purr has multiple advantages on human health.
Let’s have a look at some advantages of a purring cat:
- Reduces the risk of heart attack in humans
- lower blood pressure
- lower stress
- reduces the bone and muscle healing time
Can You Make Your Cat Purr?
Animal experts say that there’s nothing that effective which you can do, to encourage your cat to purr, especially if she hasn’t purred even for once. But if you have heard your cat purring at a very low frequency, and you want to encourage her more, we have a few steps for you:
- Pet your cat’s chin, back and behind her ears, all of these are most desired places to be petted.
- Cuddle with your cat.
- Using a soft lullaby to your cat.
- Talk with her gently.
Conclusion
Even the slightest meow of your cat can make you all hyped up with a camera in your hand ready to record cherishing moments with your whimsical cats. So when it comes to purring, we can understand your excitement level! But not all cats use purring as a medium of showing their happiness.
The reasons’ cat does not purr can be either due to illness, stress, or your cat’s getting old, only if your cat has suddenly stopped to purr like she used to do before! Purring depends on the cat. All you need to do is make sure that they are happy!
References
- Why Do Cats Knead?— PetMD
- The complicated truth about a cat’s purr — BBC
- Why Do Cats Purr? — Pet WebMD