The question that has troubled generations of cat lovers: where is the cat's "purr" located? Scientists have found the answer, but even they are not entirely sure that they are right.
The actual sound of purring comes from the animal's vocal cords.
The air coming out of the lungs goes through the mouth and nose, and we hear the cat inhale and exhale. Everything is obvious here.
But with vibrations, things are more complicated. Scientists have proven that they appear after the animal's body receives a corresponding signal from the brain. But to which specific organ the signal is directed, experts find it difficult to answer.
Some of them suggest that the vibration during purring comes from the muscles of the diaphragm, which supposedly create sound vibrations of different amplitudes during breathing. But most experts find this theory untenable, because the intensity of purring during inhalation and exhalation remains unchanged.
Another theory is that the vibration is created by false cords. The change in pressure in the bloodstream causes the chest to vibrate, the sound from which is transmitted to the negative sinuses. But this assumption also has its opponents.
Much more popular in the world of scientists is the assertion that cats purr thanks to specially shaped hyoid bones.
This is confirmed by the fact that representatives of the cat family, having a rectangular bone, cannot purr, while domestic fluffy creatures and some of their purring relatives have a bone in the shape of a triangle.
This theory is also supported by the fact that cats suffering from laryngeal paralysis also lose the ability to purr, although both the diaphragm and vocal cords in these animals work properly.
Our smaller brothers, who have lived next to us for thousands of years, still remain a mystery to us in many ways. And we, humans, have yet to answer the questions posed to us by nature. But we seem to have already answered one of them – where is the cat’s “purr”?
Previously, we talked about what you need to know to get a husky .
