The mechanism behind cats' purring has been solved

Scientifically, it was not known how cats produce the purring sound. However, a new study brings a significant perspective to the purring sound cats make.

The mechanism behind the purring sound cats make has remained a mystery until today. It is known that felines produce three different types of sounds: meowing, hissing, and purring. While the mechanisms behind meowing and hissing were known, the process behind purring was not fully understood.

A new study published in Current Biology has revealed how cats manage to produce the low-frequency characteristic sounds that are soothing to humans. In the study, it was discovered that a special pad embedded in the vocal cords of felines enables their purring.

Previous studies had shown that purring was produced by a special mechanism located in the vocal cords of the larynx. It was known that these sounds were produced as a result of the relaxation of the muscles in the vocal cords.

The new study, conducted by researchers from the University of Vienna, indicates that these special muscle contractions are not needed for cat purring to occur.

The new study shows that the larynx of domestic cats can produce impressively low-pitched sounds at purring frequencies without requiring any neural input or repetitive muscle contractions.

The sound production mechanism is said to resemble a creaky voice. Scientists state, "It was long believed that cats produced low-frequency purring sounds through a completely different mechanism involving active muscle contractions."

The significant part of the new research is that cat larynges can easily produce sounds in a purring pattern with a fundamental frequency of 25-30Hz without neural input or muscle contraction. With this, the mystery of how cats purr is solved.