# Is a cat's purr voluntary or involuntary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660 "2005-01-14T03:57:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/1 "2005-01-14T03:57:48Z")
The title is pretty self explanatory. Is it a voluntary or involuntary response? And while I’m thinking about it, what exactly does it mean when my cat purrs anyway? Is it because he’s happy? Content? Excited? Something else? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/2 "2005-01-14T04:01:28Z")
The purr is voluntary. But they have no idea why cats purr. They even purr when they are in pain. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/3 "2005-01-14T04:16:46Z")
Just one view … [Why & How Do Cats Purr?](http://cats.about.com/cs/catmanagement101/a/why_cats_purr.htm) I do know when any one of our cherubs purr, it due to contentment. We humans must be doing something correctly because we often have a home that sounds like a Formula I race, accompanied by head butts, licks and affectionate scratching. Oh, yeah. And and cats do that, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/4 "2005-01-14T13:27:04Z")
Our cat purrs when he wants something from us. He gets very affectionate around dinner time. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/5 "2005-01-14T13:37:24Z")
Purring is _taught_ in infancy; a kitten that does not learn to purr from hearing its mother purr will not learn to purr. So it’s not quite instinctive; rather, a learned reflex. Purring means comfort and solace. It’s a sign of contentment, to be sure – but a cat in pain purrs to attempt to comfort itself, to ease its suffering. Like some human reflexes, e.g., getting an erection, coughing, it’s on the borderline between voluntary and involuntary – it can be **done** when appropriate, but sometimes _happens_ without conscious volition, as the proper response to a given set of stimuli. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/6 "2005-01-14T14:56:49Z")
The purrfect master on [why cats purr](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_007.html). ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/7 "2005-01-14T17:31:42Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > The purrfect master on [why cats purr](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_007.html). :smack: Why oh why didn’t I check the SD Classics? Thanks, **Squink** (and all others who responded). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/8 "2005-01-14T19:52:41Z")
And a cat’s purr doesn’t echo. Honestly, have you ever heard one echo? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/9 "2005-01-14T20:52:53Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Purring is _taught_ in infancy; a kitten that does not learn to purr from hearing its mother purr will not learn to purr. So it’s not quite instinctive; rather, a learned reflex. From my own experience, this is not quite true; my cat is congenitally deaf (white with blue eyes), but she still purrs. However, her purr is very quiet, almost anemic, and doesn’t sound quite right compared to all the other cats I’ve known. (Caveat: I didn’t own this cat as a kitten, so I’m not 100% sure she was deaf then; but given the white-with-blue-eyes thing I doubt it’s anything but a congenital thing.) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/10 "2005-01-15T12:38:53Z")
> [@Max Carnage](#): > > And a cat’s purr doesn’t echo. > Honestly, have you ever heard one echo? You never heard SmudgeKitty purring. Think of a fleet of Macks and Peterbilts and Kenworths all idling in a big metal-sided garage. ---
**Author:** ![jester21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jester21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jester21)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/11 "2005-01-15T13:01:52Z")
here: [Kitter Purr Boxes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288154) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/12 "2005-01-15T13:08:03Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > The title is pretty self explanatory. Is it a voluntary or involuntary response? > > And while I’m thinking about it, what exactly does it mean when my cat purrs anyway? Is it because he’s happy? Content? Excited? Something else? Is a moan from a human voluntary or involuntary? And what does it mean when a human moans? Is it because he’s happy? Content? Excited? Something else? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/13 "2005-01-15T13:45:28Z")
> [@Max Carnage](#): > > And a cat’s purr doesn’t echo. > > Honestly, have you ever heard one echo? This is only true if the cat has chased and eaten a duckling! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/14 "2005-01-15T13:52:27Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > From my own experience, this is not quite true; my cat is congenitally deaf (white with blue eyes), but she still purrs. However, her purr is very quiet, almost anemic, and doesn’t sound quite right compared to all the other cats I’ve known. > > (Caveat: I didn’t own this cat as a kitten, so I’m not 100% sure she was deaf then; but given the white-with-blue-eyes thing I doubt it’s anything but a congenital thing.) Perhaps it learned from the vibrations of its mother purring? ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/15 "2005-01-15T14:44:20Z")
Moaning is taught in infancy; a kitten that does not learn to moan from hearing its mother moan will not learn to moan. So it’s not quite instinctive; rather, a learned reflex. Moaning means comfort and solace. It’s a sign of contentment, to be sure – but a cat in pain purrs to attempt to comfort itself, to ease its suffering. Like some human reflexes, e.g., getting an erection, coughing, it’s on the borderline between voluntary and involuntary – it can be done when appropriate, but sometimes happens without conscious volition, as the proper response to a given set of stimuli. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/16 "2005-01-16T02:27:41Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Is a moan from a human voluntary or involuntary? > > And what does it mean when a human moans? Is it because he’s happy? Content? Excited? Something else? > > 😃 Touche. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cats-purr-voluntary-or-involuntary/284660/17 "2005-01-16T04:01:21Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Is a moan from a human voluntary or involuntary? > > And what does it mean when a human moans? Is it because he’s happy? Content? Excited? Something else? > > 😃 > [@chaoticdonkey](#): > > Moaning is taught in infancy; a kitten that does not learn to moan from hearing its mother moan will not learn to moan. So it’s not quite instinctive; rather, a learned reflex. > > Moaning means comfort and solace. It’s a sign of contentment, to be sure – but a cat in pain purrs to attempt to comfort itself, to ease its suffering. > > Like some human reflexes, e.g., getting an erection, coughing, it’s on the borderline between voluntary and involuntary – it can be done when appropriate, but sometimes happens without conscious volition, as the proper response to a given set of stimuli. A purr-fect parallel! Good moaning, Vietnam!!! 🙂