1,001 Things You Always Wanted To Know About Cats
Chapter One
How They Behave,
and Why
The Habits We Like
1 The purr-fect sound of contentment
To a cat lover, it is one of the most pleasant sensations
in the world: the contented vibration that we
know as purring. Why do they do it? Scientists
think it is a kind of "homing device" used by a
mother cat to help her newborn kittens (whose
sight, hearing and sense of smell are all underdeveloped)
locate her when it's time to nurse. Purring is
a kind of "dinner bell" to young kittens. A mother
cat purrs, the kittens fasten on, and the purring
stops. We can't be sure, but it appears that from kittenhood
on they associate purring with pleasure.
2 Share the purr
Your contented cat may purr in your lap or lying near
you, but you won't hear (or feel) him purr as he lies
contented in the sun. Purring is never a solitary act;
cats only purr in the close pr ... read full excerpt from 1,001 Things You Always Wanted To Know About Cats ebook
