cat purring

Question
Our 8 mo. old cat is quite a character--probably at least part feral--only likes to be held short time--very friendly with strangers--fetches--chews stuff.  We give her a lot of attention and are sensitive to when she has had enough petting, etc.  My question is--why does she never purr?  Does it mean she is not happy, or do some cats just not purr?

Answer
Rose,

All domestic cats are born with the ability to purr, but there are different frequency ranges and sounds. I have cat that "coos" when he purrs, and it sounds JUST like a pigeon! I also had a cat that I didn't think purred either. You couldn't hear it or feel it when you petted him. But he WAS purring. The only way I could tell was to put my hand against his throat where I felt the faint vibrations.

Scientists STILL do not know for sure what makes a cat purr. A dead cat doesn't purr...so when researchers explore the cats they can't find anything physical that makes a cat purr. There are lots of differents speculations but nothing has been proven. A cat doesn't have a "purr box" so it is generally thought that it is the blood vessels vibrating that makes the "purring" sound when the cat is happy, scared, or hurt.

I hope this answered your question.

Carol