Cats usually purr when they’re happy and relaxed, self-healing, dreaming, and even when they’re feeling sick. Therefore, if your cat’s purring while sleeping, don’t worry. It’s a natural and normal thing.
Moreover, cats can’t control their purring and I will discuss why below. So, let’s dive right in and learn all about cats and purring.
Why Do Cats Purr in the First Place?
Purring in cats typically represents happiness and relaxation. However, felines also purr when sick, giving birth, and stressed because purring actually strengthens and heals their bodies.
Researchers have determined that a cat’s purr resonates within the range of 20-150 Hz. At those frequencies, vibration can help fix bones and tissue damage. In simpler words, purring helps healing.
Purring also helps build stronger muscles and decreases pain. Sounds incredible, I know. And here I was thinking that cats purr in their owners’ presence only but I was very wrong.
The increased pressure on the musculoskeletal system improves the density of the bones. Take astronauts who stay in space for a longer time for example. They have loose bone mass.
Cats purr from deep within the diaphragm which causes their entire body to vibrate. And scientists believe this gentle vibration helps the body to regenerate tissues and preserve the healthy ones.
How Do Cats Purr: Cat Purring Explained
If you’re wondering what’s the mechanism behind purring in cats, you’re in luck as I will explain how they produce this adorable noise in detail.
The cat’s larynx, also known as a voice box, is responsible for the purring noise you know and love. The vibrations in their voice box produce the cat purring.
The voice box is located in their neck and is enclosed by laryngeal muscles so when purring, these muscles relax and contract at a pace of 25-150 times per minute.
The constriction and dilation of the muscles cause the separation of vocal cords. At the same time, the diaphragm goes up and down with the movement of the muscles and releases the cat purring sound all cat owners know and love so much.
The number of vibrations per minute sets the sound tone and level of the purr which is why cats’ purrs can differ, but here’s the real kicker. Cats don’t have control when they purr.
The movement of their laryngeal muscles happens due to a neural circuit that starts in your cat’s brain. In other words, their brain sends signals straight to the voice box which causes the muscles to start moving as a reflex to certain situations.
Usually, the feeling or situation that activates the beginning of this automatic neural circuit is happiness. This is why cat owners have long assumed purring is a result of happiness. However, feeling stressed or scared can also set off cat purring.
Can Cats Purr in Their Sleep?
Cats can definitely purr in their sleep, especially when they’re dreaming. When your cat enters the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, they can dream and show that they’re dreaming by purring.
However, just because they’re purring doesn’t signify that they’re having a pleasant dream. Purring only reveals that they’re comfortable enough to sleep peacefully.
If your cat sleeps in a “belly-up” position or they sleep on their side with legs spread out, they’re probably relaxed because they rarely expose their belly very often as it’s a vulnerable part of their body.
Sick or injured felines can sleep in these positions as well but they rarely purr in their sleep when they’re feeling sick or experiencing pain.
Moreover, since cat owners confuse snoring with purring, I feel like I have to set the record straight. Cats also snore, especially overweight cats or cats with flatter faces. Snoring in cats can also be a result of chronic nasal floor problems.
If your feline snores frequently, it’s usually nothing serious. However, if their snoring is followed by drainage from the nose and eyes, it’s time for a vet check.
Do Cats Purr When They Sleep?
Cats purr when they sleep because they feel happy and safe in your presence. And they usually express their content and satisfaction by purring in their sleep.
However, in some instances, cats purr when they sleep because they’re in pain and injured and they need to “sleep off” their tiredness as purring has healing properties. In fact, purring helps their body heal by regenerating their bones and tissues.
Why Do Cats Purr When They Sleep: 5 Possible Reasons
Although cats purr when they’re both happy and scared, when sleeping, it’s unlikely that your feline is purring because they’re scared or feeling uncomfortable.
Cats usually purr when they sleep as they’re happy and relaxed, dreaming, bonding with other felines, or self-healing. Let’s discuss all of these causes in detail.
1. Happiness
In the wild, felines will usually find a “safe” sleeping area because when asleep, cats aren’t alert and ready to run away.
On the contrary, they’re in their most vulnerable state and although domestic felines aren’t exposed to any danger whatsoever, they’re still looking for a sleeping place in which they feel safe within your home.
Moreover, if your feline takes naps, they’re likely stressed. Or experience some type of pain. They practically follow the same steps as people who feel stressed, tired, or sick.
Remember those sleepless nights because of stomach cramps or headaches? Well, cats experience the same issues and cope with the lack of sleep at night by napping during the day.
However, cats only purr while they’re sleeping if they’re feeling okay. In other words, they don’t purr while sleeping when they’re stressed or experience pain.
Therefore, if your feline purrs while sleeping, don’t worry as they’re probably feeling safe and happy in your home.
Sick or Unhappy Cat Purring While Sleeping: Is it Possible?
Sick, ill, or unhappy kittens still sleep, but they rarely purr while sleeping.
Furthermore, their sleeping position can help determine if your cat has some type of issue as cats don’t express signs of discomfort, illness, pain, or sickness. They hide their conditions very well, but they still “show” common signs that they’re unwell.
For instance, sick cats lose or gain weight rapidly, sleep more than usual, hide more than usual, and drink water more than usual.
So, if you notice any of these common signs in your cat, schedule a vet appointment right away as there’s probably something wrong with their health.
2. Entering the REM Stage of Sleep
When your cat enters the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, they’re dreaming just like humans do when they enter this stage of sleep. And you can often tell when they’re dreaming by watching for obvious signs such as their paws, legs, or mouth moving.
Additionally, some cats make sounds when they dream including purring-like noises and sighs. If your cat purrs while sleeping, they’re either having a pleasant dream in which they’re eating a whole can of tuna or a nightmare.
You can never know for sure as they can’t talk and discuss their dreams. In simpler words, you can only speculate about the content of their dreams.
Either way, you shouldn’t worry if your cat purrs while sleeping as they probably feel safe in your home, in general. Otherwise, they wouldn’t purr even when they’re wide awake in your presence.
3. They’re Bonding With Mother Cats or Other Cats
If you have more than one cat, you can notice that they purr together while sleeping. It’s a very adorable sight that represents bonding.
When cats purr together while sleeping, they’re actually bonding with each other. In fact, kittens start purring when they’re just a few weeks old to signal the moms their location and overall state.
Cat mothers will purr back in a lullaby-like manner, letting their kittens know they’re nearby. And that’s how they actually bond and strengthen their relationship.
If you have a mother cat with babies, you will likely notice this bonding behavior.
Moreover, even senior cats still use purring as a way of communicating and making friendships. So, if you see your cats sleeping and purring together, don’t fret, as it’s a bonding behavior that will result in a close friendship.
4. When Cats Sleep and Purr, They Self-Heal
Purring isn’t just the cute sound cats make when they’re happy and secure. It’s also a magical power they have that helps their bodies heal and grow.
As I already explained above, purring is actually a result of the fast vibrations of the laryngeal muscles.
In fact, the precise vibration frequency of their purr sits at around 26 Hz. And when exposed to these vibrations, both the bones and muscles in your kitten’s body heal and become much stronger.
And since recovery and sleep go hand-in-hand, don’t get surprised when you notice that your tired or unwell cat sleeps more than usual while also purring.
Purring helps your cat self-heal and recharge during their sleep and improves your cat’s mood. The best part? You can also enjoy the benefits of this self-healing behavior every time your cat rests on your chest and purrs.
When your cat purrs nearby or onto you, they’re sending healing vibrations through your body as well as their own.
This is why many cat owners claim to recover from stress or disease much quicker than people who don’t have feline friends.
5. They’re Actually Snoring
Sometimes, pet owners mistake a snoring cat for a purring cat as they release something similar. but still different sounds. However, cats purring isn’t the same as cat snoring.
The purring sound symbolizes happiness, dreaming, self-healing, or bonding, while snoring is a sign that your feline friend is in a very deep sleep.
However, snoring can also be a symptom of various respiratory problems, allergies, and other health problems. Therefore, it’s very important to know how to distinguish between snoring and purring as a pet owner.
For instance, purring typically happens when your feline sleeps in your presence. Or when you pet them. Moreover, they purr while they dream or sleep with other felines in the household.
Snoring, on the other hand, is more common in overweight cats as well as cats with flat faces. Some cats snore frequently, so if this is a normal occurrence in your cat, don’t worry. It’s likely a result of certain sleeping positions.
If you suspect that your feline is snoring because of a medical issue, look for other symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, discharge from the nose and eyes, etc.
Cat Purr in Their Sleep: Conclusion
Overall, cats purr while sleeping because they feel safe, happy, and comfortable in your presence and home.
They also purr when you’re petting them. However, they can also purr when they’re nervous, stressed, sick, or in pain as purring has self-healing properties.
If they’re purring and meowing at the same time, they’re probably hungry.
As you can notice, purring has different meanings in different situations. It’s actually a way of communication in cats that they learn at a very young age.
Therefore, when trying to find out why your cat purrs, it’s best to consider the whole situation and draw conclusions accordingly.
See more:
- Do cats breathe faster when purring?
- Why does my cat purr when he sees me?
- Why do cats purr when they are dying?
*image by Prystai/depositphotos