# Do You Purr?



## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

It occurred to me to ask this question this evening, as I sat on the sofa, Snowball on my lap, purring, and I started purring back to her--again. I wondered, I'm not alone in doing this, am I? Am I? Isn't it a natural reaction, since our cats often understand us at least as well as we understand them, to try to speak to them in their language?

I suppose it is mimicking a mother cat to purr when the kitties are near. I suppose I also do it to encourage them to keep on purring. It does seem to work. And it's very satisfying. Maybe there's something to this purring thing for humans as well.

Am I off the deep end? Probably, but this would not be the only example with the Fab Four. And I don't do it with company present.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Yes, you _are_ off the deep end.

Thanks for joining the rest of us. :grin:

I tried to purr to Cleo the other day while she was purring, but I can't really do it well.


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## Meeowmie (Sep 21, 2010)

I wish I knew how to purr! I would do it all the time, even if I wasn't around Meowmie, haha. I meow at her and she doesn't pay attention to me unfortunately.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

Oh, no, yeah, perfectly normal......


*backs away slowly from the crazy person*


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## azcat (Oct 10, 2010)

Of course. And meow. And hiss.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I mimic almost every sound I hear from our cats. 
I mmmrrrrt, mrrrrp, merp, me-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ackackackackack, meow, meyaaaahn, mm-mm-mmm, trill, purr and 'mert-myrtle' to call to food just like a mother cat does to call her kittens. I feel I mostly understand the intention of their vocalizations and I hope they understand what I 'say' back to them. 
With Shasta, we have conversations where she vocalizes and I 'answer back' with the same vocalization with an added 'up-tick' at the end, like making it a question and when she vocalizes back to me, her vocalization seems deeper and more ... confident? ... almost like she is confirming what I 'said'.
Example:
_S ~ Meyah!_
_h ~ Meyah?_
_S ~ Meeyaah._

I fully embrace Crazy Cat Lady status.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Well, you've asked a few questions here, but I shall focus on two. Do I purr? Are you off the deep end? The correct answers are No and Yes. I'll leave it up to you to figure out which answer matches which question!

Hint: My cats don't purr...


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I'd love to know how to purr! Do you kind of rattle your tongue or what? We need an audio thread on here teaching humans to purr. 

I respond to Murphy's sounds all the time, and let's not forget the nonverbal slow-blink that always works, too. Hey, if they can teach Coco the ape to do sign language, they can teach humans to meow.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

October said:


> I'd love to know how to purr! Do you kind of rattle your tongue or what? We need an audio thread on here teaching humans to purr.


Well, October has thrown down the gauntlet...get to work NewRescueDad!


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Ah, I see Heidi is multilingual, a polyglot.

OK, gauntlet throwers, no audio, definitely no video, but one tip--it's all in the larynx, not the mouth. Just make the larynx vibrate softly.

And I also slow-blink at my Fab Four, think they get it, but I've never had one of them blink back. Can't have everything.

Deep end? So be it, the water's fine. Still doesn't mean they obey the rules of the house very often, like not jumping in the trash can, together.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

No I don't. But not for lack of trying.


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Occasionally, and I imitate her funny little mews. I draw the line at washing like her though.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Funny you should mention that. I faked paw washing my face last night when Fay was washing her face next to me. I figured it would show how relaxed I was. 

I have gotten on my knees and stretched when they greet me because they usually do a greeting stretch as they aprroach after I've been gone all day.

I'm hoping to get a series on NatGeo Wild, "_A Man Among House Cats_",
documenting my amazing knowledge of cat communication and my ability to live among these predators for years without being attacked.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

NewRescueDad said:


> OK, gauntlet throwers, no audio, definitely no video, but one tip--it's all in the larynx, not the mouth. Just make the larynx vibrate softly.


I tried that and it sounds like I'm gargling. Now I'm just going to scare him.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

October said:


> I tried that and it sounds like I'm gargling. Now I'm just going to scare him.


OK, October (and hey, it's October now, have a great month!), one free purring lesson:

keep mouth closed, try to say "mmmmmmm" quietly with your larynx, and just relax as you do it. Like "mmmm, mmmm, good" in the soup commercial.

That's all. I am not an expert, will not put "cat purrer" on my resume, for all I know, my kitties think I have an impaired purr--but they are very forgiving.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I need remedial purring lessons. That didn't work either.

Oh well, I make a few other sounds that Murphy must associate with happiness, like a little chuckle kind of sound. We do communicate pretty well considering we're different species.


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## Janis (Aug 26, 2010)

Heidi n Q said:


> I mimic almost every sound I hear from our cats.
> 
> So do I. I think I purr quite well! (I'm trying to teach my Lucky feral how to purr, but hasn't worked yet. He does meow a liiiiiiiiiiiittle now, when he is begging for his wet dinner.)


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

NewRescueDad said:


> keep mouth closed, try to say "mmmmmmm" quietly with your larynx, and just relax as you do it.


I now sound like a Buddhist monk in meditation. Abby is giving me dirty looks, and Muffs ran under the coffee table. She's not coming out anytime soon. I think I shall stick to "Meow". :?


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I purr on a regular basis. However, being half Scottish, I naturally do it with my tongue and lips. The combination sounds fairly authentic. I'm not a fan of the laryngial purr; I'm sorry.  Nina loves every sound I make, as long as I'm communicating with her...unless it's the word, "no."


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## NinjaCat (Oct 6, 2010)

Nah, you're not off the deep end. 
The only sounds I can mimic correctly are meowing and purring. atback
I can purr. It's just hard for me to do for very long correctly. I'm told I used to be able to purr very well when I was a little kid.


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## Rissa (Aug 1, 2010)

I don't normally purr at them, but I ofter do the "bbbbbrrrrow" sound back to them because it sounds so much like they are asking me a question! So I say it back to them.


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## Janis (Aug 26, 2010)

Jeanie, funny you should mention being Scottish & purring, cause I too am of Scottish descent, and as I mentioned before, purr well. Don't use the larynx method either. When I try that it sounds like I'm growling...


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Here's some more Kittese!

I love you:make eye contact and slowly blink.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

*I am of Spanish Descent and...*

because the r sound is so very strong in Spanish, I just roll my r's and relax my tongue as I vibrate it. It sounds like purring. Egypt just looks at me when I do it like Wow! you can do that, too? 

Too cute 

I totally blink at the also with my gaze relaxed and eyes half closed.


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

People who speak languages with lot's of " rolling r" sounds (French, Spanish, Portuguese and the Scottish accent) will find it much easier to purr.

I sound like a blocked drain....


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

It's a hairball, Huge, cough it up. On the carpet is best. Even better if you can do it as a projectile while running so you cover more territory.


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## Olivers-Slave (Jul 25, 2010)

hehe I don't purr back but when oliver comes in chirping I chirp back at him... I mean >.> I give him a stern look of disaproval at his noise disturbing my tv experience and go back to watching tv like a normal human being >.> yeah


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I can do a cat in fighting mode...a nasal and throaty MMMMRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOWWWWSSSSSSSSSSSSS, and it sounds genuine, but I won't do it to Nina. She's too sweet. When I had the fabulous four, I used to do it and watch the reaction. Shame on me.  They all looked, but no one hissed back.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

If I try to roll my R's I just sound silly. I can't pur.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

LOL Heidi! I try to repeat what my kitties say to me, and they usually say it back again, more emphatically also! But I think its because they're like...."No, I said MROW!" Get it right human!"


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## SlightChanceOfFurries (Oct 1, 2010)

Historically humans have mimicked their feline counterparts both consciously and unconsciously. This can be observed in the aforementioned purring as well as other not-so-subtle traits like increased facial hair growth in humans as well as accelerated nail growth.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Well, I don't have facial hair, and I don't know any woman cat owner who does. I have met two women with that problem, and it was a hormone imbalance.


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

I speak catanese, too, all the time. It's hysterical that so many of us are confessing to the same thing. 

I have also groomed myself for their amusement and "fake" groomed them (they get face, but no tongue). I often find myself compelled to lick them back when they groom me, but I have so far successfully resisted the urge. LOL!!

AC


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

It's just the positive reinforcement I was hoping would emerge, but one never knows. And of course, folks are "confessing" to a lot more communication than purring! I actually did try a meow back to Hersh the other night. Even though I was right next to him and no one else was around, when I did that, he looked alarmed! Talk about lol. I did it again, and again he looked alarmed, looked around, as if he was thinking "that odd sound could not POSSIBLY be coming from you!"

So I stopped. I'm sticking to purring.


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## NinjaCat (Oct 6, 2010)

NewRescueDad said:


> It's just the positive reinforcement I was hoping would emerge, but one never knows. And of course, folks are "confessing" to a lot more communication than purring! I actually did try a meow back to Hersh the other night. Even though I was right next to him and no one else was around, when I did that, he looked alarmed! Talk about lol. I did it again, and again he looked alarmed, looked around, as if he was thinking "that odd sound could not POSSIBLY be coming from you!"
> 
> So I stopped. I'm sticking to purring.



Hahaha!

If you come to my house you'll hear a lot of people meowing back at the cats. And hissing sometimes. I'm not sure if any of us have ever got it right, but who cares? I've held a conversation with Rocky many times, though I'm not sure what about.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Well either we are all crazy or we are all sane! I do blinkies and meowies with my kitties but most of the time I have full conversations with them and change words to songs and sing about them. My boyfriend's sister (who lives in the same apartment building as us) says that when she comes downstairs to do laundry she can often hear me all the way in the hallway carrying on to them. I don't mind though because she is cat crazy too, and I don't care what my neighbors think


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## Janis (Aug 26, 2010)

Used to use all meows to 'sing' 'Somewhere My Love' to Slate, our vocal part siamese. It seemed to calm him, and last note I would point to him & he would give last 'meow'. He was a nervous sort,but had had a hard life before coming to us.


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## NinjaCat (Oct 6, 2010)

Sinatra-Butters said:


> Well either we are all crazy or we are all sane! I do blinkies and meowies with my kitties but most of the time I have full conversations with them and change words to songs and sing about them. My boyfriend's sister (who lives in the same apartment building as us) says that when she comes downstairs to do laundry she can often hear me all the way in the hallway carrying on to them. I don't mind though because she is cat crazy too, and I don't care what my neighbors think


I vote that we are all sane.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

This is one of the best threads ever. Very funny. And I thought *I* was off my rocker. I love having a conversation with Miu. It's quite amusing when she answers back. Usually we'll have a conversation in our respective languages though. It's like I'm talking human and she talks cat but somehow it's a conversation. 

I haven't managed to purrfect my purring ability though. I'm unable to make myself sound like a diesel engine to purrfection.


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

I have purred to my cats for 16 years. I rub my head against them and purr or I purr and pet them. I purr and my cats rub their heads against my head. My cats like it and I love it. I even purr to some of my friends except one because she says I'm too involved with my cats. I told her I didn't care. My cats give me great love and company. I have a meowing conversation with my friend's cat. Wish I knew what we were both saying to each other. People have told me I'm very good at purring I guess because I have had lots of practice and I was probably a cat in my former life or I will be a cat in my next life. 

Kathy


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

razzle said:


> I rub my head against them and purr or I purr and pet them. I purr and my cats rub their heads against my head. My cats like it and I love it. I even purr to some of my friends except one....
> Kathy


When you purr to your friends, do they also rub their heads against yours?:smile:


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

No but maybe they should to show more emotional relationship. I think cats are purrrfect. I can even purr they way cats do by purring in and out. I must be part cat which is fine with me. I hope if I am reborn and come back as a cat that I have me as an owner (or more appropreately as a slave). My cats don't appreciate me. I treat them so well, better than I do myself. I keep telling them how lucky they are to have a slave like me to take care of them. I remind them they could have been in a household that abuses them or just ignores them. Of course they don't listen to me but I love them with all my heart.

Kathy


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