• Question: how does a cat purr?

    Asked by cathkidston to Martin, Rob, Suzanne on 22 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Suzanne McEndoo

      Suzanne McEndoo answered on 22 Mar 2012:

      I’m not a zoologist, so this is the best I understand it….

      Cat’s purr because they can vibrate their voice box in a way that humans and most other animals can’t. It’s kinda the same rumble noise that a car can make, just a long, smooth vibration noise. They can do it when the breathe in and when the breathe out, so it just sounds like a continuous purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr noise.

    • Photo: Robert Thompson

      Robert Thompson answered on 22 Mar 2012:

      I would go with Suzanne’s first answer, I’m not a zoologist, I really don’t know sorry but the physics and engineering type principles in Suzanne’s answer seem sound.

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