| The answer seems obvious enough. A purring cat is a | | | | Purring first occurs when kittens are only a week old |
| contented cat. This surely must be true. But it is not. | | | | and its primary use is when they are being suckled |
| Repeated observation has revealed that cats in great | | | | by their mother. It acts then as a signal to her that all |
| pain, injured, in labor and even dying often purr loud | | | | is well and that the milk supply is successfully reaching |
| and long. These can hardly be called contented cats. | | | | its destination. She can lie there, listening to the |
| It is true, of course, that contented cats do also | | | | grateful purrs, and know without looking up that |
| purr, but contentment is by no means the sole | | | | nothing has gone amiss. She in turn purrs to her |
| condition for purring. A more precise explanation, | | | | kittens as they feed, telling them that she too is in a |
| which fits all cases, is that purring signals a friendly | | | | relaxed, co-operative mood. The use of purring |
| social mood, and it can be given as a signal to, say, a | | | | among adult cats (and between adult cats and |
| vet from an injured cat indicating the need for | | | | humans) is almost certainly secondary and is derived |
| friendship, or as a signal to an owner, saying thank | | | | from this primal parent-offspring context. |
| you for friendship given. | | | | |