# Which animals purr (besides cats)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 10, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149 "2003-08-10T04:39:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149/21 "2013-03-06T07:59:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve personally known at least two dogs who made a purr-like noise when contented (both were raised in a house with multiple cats, and were probably imitating them). Interestingly, the two dogs chose different ways of doing it: The one used a modified growl, while the other used a modified grumble. Catdogs. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Mavic\_Chen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mavic\_Chen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavic_Chen)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149/22 "2013-03-06T09:59:36Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > Many pet rabbits “purr” when they are calm and happy and you pet them the way they like, whatever way that happens to be for the particular bunny. It’s actually a noise made by making sort of nibbling motions with their teeth, but it sounds like purring. They make a similar but much louder and more disturbing noise, more like grinding than nibbling, when they’re in pain. > > BTW, bunnies can also growl. Mine did, usually while also lunging. She scared the crap out of not a few humans, cats, and dogs doing so. Bunnies can also make little grunting or chirping noises if they’re excited and happy, usually while running in circles around their favorite human, with pauses to nudge said human to demand petting. Bunnies can be very bossy. Pet rats also do the nibbling-purring thing when they are contented. Their eyes also bug out at the same time which can be amusing… ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149/23 "2013-03-06T14:41:06Z")
[Ringtailed lemurs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring-tailed_lemur_vocalizations) have a purr-like vocalization. Apparently used to indicate contentment. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149/24 "2013-03-06T16:36:19Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > Many pet rabbits “purr” when they are calm and happy and you pet them the way they like, whatever way that happens to be for the particular bunny. It’s actually a noise made by making sort of nibbling motions with their teeth, but it sounds like purring. They make a similar but much louder and more disturbing noise, more like grinding than nibbling, when they’re in pain. > > BTW, bunnies can also growl. Mine did, usually while also lunging. She scared the crap out of not a few humans, cats, and dogs doing so. Bunnies can also make little grunting or chirping noises if they’re excited and happy, usually while running in circles around their favorite human, with pauses to nudge said human to demand petting. Bunnies can be very bossy. Bruxing is the term of art, I believe. > [@](#): > > Soft, repetitive grinding of the incisors against each other. Serves the sharpen the incisors and may be given in times of relaxation or stress (Rosales et al 2002, Pohto 1979). cite: [Ratbehavior.org](http://www.ratbehavior.org/Glossary.htm) > [@Mavic\_Chen](#): > > Pet rats also do the nibbling-purring thing when they are contented. Their eyes also bug out at the same time which can be amusing… The eye thing (which appears to be called “boggling”) is news to me, though. Youtube has examples. Interestingly, our pet cockatiels (small parrots) will grind their beaks (“beak crunchies”) when they are content (especially when settling down in the evening). ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149/25 "2013-03-06T17:04:39Z")
I had a doberman who would ‘purr’ when you pet him. It would scare people who didn’t know him, they thought he was growling. I would tell them that’s not a growl, then I’d slide my arm under his belly and life up his hind legs. He’d go off on me and I’d say, THIS is a growl. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149/26 "2013-03-07T03:41:01Z")
> [@Dijon\_Warlock](#): > > Raccoons Raccoons and skunks _churr._ Foxes _murr._ ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149/27 "2013-03-07T05:37:26Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Yes, for all of the above. In fact all cats can purr, however the big cats in genus Panthera can only do so on exhalation ( apparently due to an anatomical difference in the hyoid apparatus ). > > ‘True’ purring appears to be limited to the Felidae and Viverridae ( civets, genets, and such ). Their are analogous sounds produced by other mammal groups, but via a different mechanism, so some have argued it should be called something else. > > - Tamerlane What is “true purring,” animal-physiologically? (Others up thread I think asked also.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animals-purr-besides-cats/194149.md?page=1)