How do cats purr?
Humans seem to be fascinated by animals who can do things that we cannot. For example, we’ve answered questions ranging from camel humps and Hawk vision, to night vision and fish gills.
And so it is with cats purring.
It turns out that cats have special wiring! The wiring travels from the brain to the muscles in the voice box, and this wiring is able to vibrate the muscles so that they act as a valve for air flowing past the voice box. The muscles work both during inhalation and exhalation, which creates the impression that cats can purr continuously. The air passes through the valve, which opens and closes rapidly to create the purring sound.
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