Cats have got it right. Although no one has quite figured out exactly why cats purr, I suspect it has something to do with contentment. Cats who feel threatened or who are doing their duties as guard cats in their houses are not likely to purr. I would then extrapolate purring to underlying the common belief that cats have nine lives.
Pixie the Cat waits until breakfast is over and then stretches out in front of me so that I will pet her, stroke her chin and other such delights - while quietly purring away.
Maggie the Cat prefers her petting to occur while she lies on my desk as close to my keyboard as I will allow her. She will reach out with her paw and draw my hand to places she wants me to stroke - such as under her chin and her left front "armpit." (Why there? It's a mystery.) Meanwhile, she loudly purrs away. When she was a kitten, her purring could be heard across the room. As a responsible adult cat she has become a bit more dignified in seeing that her needs are met.
And me? As I am commandeered into this petting and purring routine, I relax and feel so good. Ahhh!
Research has shown that elderly persons (that's not me, of course) benefit, when they are allowed pets in nursing homes and assisted living apartments. A particularly touching photo/article on an online news source some months ago showed a women in clearly in her last days, lying in a hospital bed with her beloved pet snuggled up to her.
Then there is pet therapy (I am diverging from purring-effects momentarily). Benefits are documented about its many values. From helping children relax while learning to read to a whole array of situations calling for healing.
Now about this purring business. I wonder if human beings could learn to purr, would we be happier and healthier?
So just how do cats do this purring thing . . .?
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