Why is it that cats don't purr because of other cats? (kitten, male) - - City-Data Forum

doglover29 · 03-19-2008, 01:55 PM

I have two cats and I've noticed that even though my cats love each other's company, and frequently groom and cuddle together, they never purr in each other's presence/because of the other cat.

On the other hand, they purr all the time when we pet them or they snuggle with us.

Has anyone ever seen their cats purr because of another cat? Or are they not hardwired to do that? I've often wondered why they only seem to purr when with humans.

nancy thereader · 03-19-2008, 07:13 PM

Is that true? How interesting. I only have had one cat at a time so I never knew that.
a rep 4 u. very strange. I wonder why.

jessiegirl_98 · 03-19-2008, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doglover29

I have two cats and I've noticed that even though my cats love each other's company, and frequently groom and cuddle together, they never purr in each other's presence/because of the other cat.

On the other hand, they purr all the time when we pet them or they snuggle with us.

Has anyone ever seen their cats purr because of another cat? Or are they not hardwired to do that? I've often wondered why they only seem to purr when with humans.

Sorry to destroy the theory, but I have 4 cats, and they do purr when they rub and spoon eachother

kshe95girl · 03-20-2008, 12:30 AM

If Chaos is on the bed with me, as usual, and Otis walks into the room, Chaos starts purring, and I can hear Otis from across the room

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Ohiogirl81 · 03-20-2008, 09:34 AM

Our two purr with each other as well when they're curled up together. They are littermates who were abandoned and for awhile all they had was each other.

allforcats · 03-20-2008, 03:36 PM

In my experience, some cats purr with other cats, and some cats don't, and it's an individual personality thing.

My understanding is that the infancy urge to purr is directed to the mother and is either a contentment response or a digestion response when nursing and when being washed by mom -- and therefore is originally entirely involved with "mother". So it follows that cats would purr with the other "big people" in their lives, humans.

My four include a large (neutered, of course) male and a tiny, 6-lb. (spayed, of course) female. When they first met, they instantly fell in love with each other, and have slept wrapped in each others' arms through the years. When all the cats and I first get into bed at night and the light goes out, the little girl nurses on the boy cat, who lets her!, and she purrs so loudly it's hard for me to keep from laughing.

So is that purr love, or is it the kitten nursing response? :-)

enraeh · 03-21-2008, 07:53 AM

How to Communicate With Your Cat - wikiHow

bigcats · 03-15-2009, 10:03 AM

I have one that only purrs in the presence of another cat. In fact, it is one particular other cat that she purrs for, none of the others.

She's still semi-feral, so she never chooses to cuddle with me UNLESS big Rory (tame) is cuddling me. Then she jumps up and has a purr love fest with him, and me by default.

SouthernBelleInUtah · 03-15-2009, 10:41 AM

According to animal behaviorists, cats purr when they are signaling they are sociable. Mothers purr when giving birth - and that can't be happiness! as any mother knows, birth w/o anesthesia ain't no picnic. Since they can be dealy to each other, a purr signals it's safe to approach them.

luvmycat · 03-15-2009, 02:24 PM

My cats purr for me and any other human who talks nicely and pets them...true people cats! They are slowly but surely getting closer to each other, but one is 12 (female) and the other is 5 1/2 months (male), so it is SLOW going! They have been napping near or next to each other for awhile now, and I am just waiting for the day I see their little arms wrapped around each other...it WILL happen! Probably not until after the boy is neutered, though, and calms down considerably...she gets so annoyed at him and his maniacal antics...but she is a VERY affectionate little lady, and snuggling is her forte!