Have you ever been lying in bed trying to sleep when the cat jumps up on your chest and
starts, like, kneading you, getting all up in your face rumbling like a Corvette
and drooling into your mouth? And you're kind of annoyed because, like, you don't love the
taste of cat spit, and you have to get up early. And you're also like
"Awww... that's very cute. This cat has genuine affection for me."
Well, don't be fooled! Sheriff Fluffy is probably happen to be cuddling you, but cats don't
just purr when they're content; they also do it when they're in pain,
giving birth and even dying.
(INTRO PLAYING)
The smaller members of the felidae family including lynx, cougar, ocelot and domestic cat
can purr. And they do it by pulsing muscles in their larynx and diaphragm.
The resulting vibrations come in a rhythmic pattern during both
inhalation and exhalation at a frequency between 25 and 150 hertz. And cats make all
kinds of interesting sounds, hisses, growls, mews, meows and (CAT NOISE), which is one
of my favorites; all communicating specific feelings like "feed me" or
"you better better recognize", while purring could mean
"I'm so happy" or "Crap! I'm dying!"
Since purring occurs in such different emotional states, it's not
considered a true communicative vocalization. Instead,
it turns out, it's a kind of self-medication.
Veterinarians have long known that cats are quicker to heal than dogs; especially from bone trauma.
It's not uncommon for distracted cats to fall from upper level windows in a
condition called the "high-rise syndrome."
But what's incredible, is that these poor broken cats have a 90 percent
chance for survival, no matter how messed up they are, in part because they have a
built-in method of physical therapy. In the late 1990s, Doctor
Clinton Rubin of the State University of New York and his colleagues
discovered that exposure to low-level frequencies
helps build bone density, and a cat's purr
falls exactly within that frequency sweet spot.
So it could be that cats' purring helps cats
heal and keep them healthy. And people who have gone through physical therapy
can attest to this. Sitting there purring
beats the other way to build bone density–
actually moving around. Let's face it: cats are kinda lazy, and purring may help
take the place of good ol' fashioned exercise.
Other animals need to, like, run after balls, or chase cars to maintain healthy
bones, but a cat need only put up its paws and purr!
And those perfect hertz vibrations may help humans too. Turkeys, rats and sheep
strapped to vibrating plates at purr frequency for 10 to 20 minutes a day
showed a marked increase in bone strength.
Researchers are now looking at how this technology could benefit astronauts
who suffered bone density loss under low gravity conditions in
space. Maybe Canadians Jack and Donna Wright, the dubious world record holders
for most cats owned by one household, should call NASA
because they have 689 cats.
689! I was picturing a mountain of cats, all in one enormous bean bag
just rehabilitating visiting astronauts with their positive vibrations.
So crazy, it just might work! Also, who cares?
It's adorable! Thanks for watching this episode of SciShow. If you have any
questions or comments or suggestions, you can find us on Facebook and Twitter, and
of course, in the comments below.
And if you want to continue getting smarter with us here at SciShow, you can go to
youtube.com/SciShow and subscribe!