Big cats can't purr.
Only small cats - not only domestic cats, but also their wild relatives (servals, ocelots, lynxes, pumas and others) - have that same “purr” that gives them a unique charm and allows them to create coziness in the home.
The apparatus is a tightly knit bunch of delicate bones that extend from the back of the cat's tongue to the base of the skull. When purring, the larynx vibrates, which in turn causes the bones to resonate.
Why do cats purr? No one knows exactly what benefit they will get from this. One theory is that the mother's purring helps mask the squeaks and meows the kittens make from other predators. According to another version, this soothing sound has a therapeutic effect: high-frequency vibrations relieve pain and accelerate regeneration. Be that as it may, all purring cats can make this characteristic sound continuously, both inhaling and exhaling.
Why does a cat have no voice from birth?
If your pet refuses to meow, this does not mean that the kitten does not have a voice. There are more talkative and completely silent cat breeds. They behave quietly:
- British;
- Scots;
- Maine Coons;
- Norwegian forest;
- Siberian;
- Cornish Rex;
- Devon Rex.
Of course, there may be exceptions here, but among these breeds there were often cases when cats did not meow for 10-15 years, they only purred. And in old age, animals used to become overly talkative.
There is no need to look for reasons for a cat’s deafness or muteness; deaf cats meow beautifully, but dumb cats are practically never found. Most often, if a cat doesn't meow, he just doesn't want to do it. And there is no need to worry about silence, unlike situations when the voice suddenly disappeared.
However, even here the “muteness” may turn out to be transitory, and if the kitten meowed “something wrong” a couple of times, and then everything was restored, this is not a reason to worry.
So, wondering why the cat lost his voice makes sense solely out of curiosity. If you are afraid of illness, then the animal will show more noticeable symptoms, except for missing sounds. And to protect your pet from the deadly disease rabies, just get vaccinated annually.
Why doesn't a cat roar like a lion?
Only the largest cats can roar: lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar . What's so special about them? The fact is that only in these species the ossified part of the vocal box (hyoid bone) is replaced by a flexible ligament. It can expand, giving large cats extraordinary vocal abilities. This acts like a trombone's expanding trumpet: the more the chord expands, the lower and deeper the sound. And another difference in the vocal cords: in howling cats they are flat and close to a square shape instead of the typical triangle shape. This structure helps big cats growl very loudly while using less lung pressure. The volume of a lion's roar can exceed a hundred decibels! This is comparable to the sound of a chainsaw or jackhammer. But big cats of the Panther genus cannot meow and purr even at a young age: they still produce the same roar.
Cougars and cheetahs cannot roar
With their hard hyoid bone, a cougar or cheetah cannot growl. Only 5 species of cats can do this: tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard. But this same hard hyoid bone, which is scientifically called the hyoid bone, prevents big cats from purring.
The main difference between large and small cats is not in size, but in the structure of the hyoid bone. In small cats, the hyoid bone is only partially ossified. The “purring apparatus” (thin hyoid bone) in cats is located between the base of the skull and the base of the tongue. Contraction of the muscles near the vocal cords causes it to vibrate.
In small cats the connection is rigid, hence the inability to vibrate. But in big cats the connection is made up of elastic ligaments. As a result, big cats can growl loudly, while small cats can only purr. Because of this trait, perhaps unfairly, small cats include not only pumas, but even large predators such as the cheetah and clouded leopard (which is classified in a separate group from leopards).
But the most interesting thing is that due to the different structure of the throat bones, neither a tiger, nor a lion, nor a jaguar, nor a leopard can meow!
Big cats (except for the leopard) cannot purr. Small ones, on the contrary, do not know how to growl.
Foxes, mongooses, civets, genets, bears, badgers, and hyenas also purr. The same sounds as those of cats, similar to purring, can be made by rabbits, squirrels, tapirs, lemurs, elephants, guinea pigs, raccoons and gorillas.
Currently, there are more than 35 species of cats. Cats live all over the planet except Antarctica and Greenland; there are no cats in Madagascar and on some oceanic islands.
In the 19th century, cats were unofficially divided into “purring” (domestic cats) and “growling” (wild cats), including tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards and others. But later this classification was abandoned, since too many exceptions became obvious: snow leopards, caracals, catopums, ocelots, servals, lynx and other felines, knowledge about which expanded as we studied.
Who is the king of beasts?
The only bone in the human skeleton that is not connected to any other bone is the hyoid bone. The hyoid (also known as hyoid) bone has the shape of a horseshoe and lies under the tongue muscle (in thin people it can be felt through the skin).
Note: if the hyoid bone is broken, this directly indicates death due to suffocation (asphyxia).
Can a snow leopard purr?
Interestingly, the snow leopard is also a member of the Panther genus, along with lions and jaguars. This animal has a flexible hyoid bone, but it can neither fully purr nor truly roar. There is no layer of soft elastic tissue around the vocal cords. In the case of other big cats, it is this that gives vocalizations an uneven hum, which is perceived by ear as a roar. Thus, the snow leopard can roar in its own way, but it does not do it as menacingly as the tiger. It sounds more like a loud meow than a real roar.
How to help a kitten get comfortable at home faster
Meeting with the new tenant
It is not recommended to adopt a kitten if it is not yet one and a half months old. Firstly, it is not good to tear such a baby away from its mother. Secondly, it will be very difficult for you to care for him (especially follow the feeding regime and rules) and protect him from everyday dangers.
When going to pick up a kitten, be sure to take with you a special carrier in which it will be more convenient and safe to carry it. This is especially true for purebred cats. I know of a case where a cattery breeder changed her mind about selling a kitten to new owners as soon as she saw that they had come for him without a carrier and were just going to carry him in their bosom. “I cannot entrust an animal to such careless people,” she said categorically. But even if you buy a kitten not from a nursery, but simply from friends or from a grandmother in transition, this still does not mean that you should be careless about moving it to a new home.
When you bring your kitten home, do not force him out of his carrier. Open it and wait for the moment when the baby becomes interested in something and comes out. If the cat is hiding, don’t try to force it out either. In the end, the baby's curiosity will take its toll.
During the first two to three days, try to create a calm, non-stressful environment for your pet. Don’t throw a festive feast at home in honor of the “new tenant”; don’t invite all your neighbors and friends to see him. It is undesirable to play loud music at home or talk in a raised voice. Remember: the baby is already scared, confused, and confused because he is in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. And then there’s some fuss and hype around it!
Try to reassure him and convince him that the new home is comfortable and safe. It's easy to do. During the first days, carry the kitten in your arms a lot (but not all the time and not with the whole family at once), pet it, play with it. After all, he was just separated from his mother, but he is still very small and needs her affection, love, protection... Let us remind you that in a family where everyone works, it is advisable for one of the household members to take a short vacation or at least a couple of days off for that the period until the animal adapts to the new apartment.
Everything unfamiliar and unknown...
At first, the kitten may meow frequently (especially at night) or hide (for example, under the bed). He may even refuse to go to the toilet and eat almost nothing. This is normal behavior for a baby during the adaptation period. The main thing is that this state does not last too long. Usually after two or three days the kitten gets used to the new conditions and begins to behave as it did before the move.
If you don't want your cat to sleep in bed with you, teach him to sleep separately from the very first days. He will get used to jumping into your bed as a baby, and then you won’t be able to wean him off. However, practice shows that in the case of cats it is more difficult to delimit sleep zones than with dogs. In most cases, even the most principled owners in this matter sooner or later give in and allow their cats to lie with them.
Photo: morguefile.com
In any case, at first it is better for the kitten to sleep alone - he is still very small, and in his sleep you can simply crush him. If, when picking up a kitten from its previous owners, you took his favorite toy, blanket or any other item that has the smell of his home, this is very good. Place this thing in the house or on the bed - in general, in the place where the baby sleeps. In the company of his favorite thing that smells like mom, he will feel more comfortable. If you don’t have such a thing, give the kitten a piece of fur, an old woolen sweater or a soft toy - this will at least partially replace the mother’s warmth for the pet.
For the first day or two, it is advisable not to let the kitten wander throughout the apartment, but to keep it only in one room - where its toilet, bowls of food and water are temporarily located, and where its bed house is equipped. By observing how the animal adapts to new conditions, you yourself can determine when the time comes to expand these boundaries. And then everything will fall into place: he will eat in the kitchen, and relieve himself in the place where you put the cat litter box. By the way, if your litter box is located in the toilet, do not forget to keep the door ajar at all times so that the cat can enter freely. Relatives and guests who come to your home will also have to be constantly warned not to slam the door when leaving the toilet.
Caution first
Since you probably took care of the safety of the animal in your home in advance and removed away all things that could potentially poison it, sharp objects, and also did not leave windows and doors open, there is no need to worry about a kitten roaming freely around the apartment. But still, at first, don’t lose sight of your baby for too long: perhaps you didn’t take something into account, and he will need your help. After all, a kitten’s curiosity knows no bounds!
If there are small children or other animals at home, be especially careful and allow them to interact with the small pet only under your supervision.
Feeding and education
As you know, a sudden change in diet and diet can have a bad effect on the well-being of any animal. Therefore, even if you do not want to feed your kitten the way its previous owners fed it, you will still have to stick to the menu to which it is accustomed for the first time. The animal must be switched to a new food gradually and very carefully. But if you adopted a kitten from a nursery, it is better to follow the menu recommendations that the breeder gave you. A professional will not give bad advice.
When feeding your pet, gently repeat the word “eat” and call him by name. Also, when calling a kitten, at first avoid the common “kiss-kiss-kiss”. Instead, say: “Barsik, come here!”, “Ryzhik, come to me!” or something like that - in general, the more often he hears his name, the faster he will get used to it.
Although cats are independent animals, they are by no means stupid and, with good upbringing, are capable of showing miracles of obedience. Therefore, immediately establish rules of behavior for your pet. If he tries to scratch the furniture, show him with all your appearance that he can’t do that, and bring the kitten to the scratching post every now and then. If he jumped on the dinner table or grabbed your leg, scold him (but don’t yell!), hiss at the naughty guy, lightly spray him with water from a spray bottle, or come up with some other method of punishment. Just don't hit the animal! Every time your pet misbehaves, repeat the word “No” along with the punishment. Very soon, just this “scary” word will signal to the kitten that he is doing something bad, and the need for punishment will disappear by itself. Gradually, the baby will understand what can and cannot be done in the new house. You just need to be a little patient.
Dear readers!
Send your questions and suggestions to [email protected]
High or low sound
Members of the feline family use meows and roars to communicate with other cats over long distances. Larger cats tend to have a deeper voice. But a new study in the biology journal of the Linnean Society says that the animal's habitat is of decisive importance. Gustav Peters and Marcell Peters from the Museum of Zoological Research in Bonn (Germany) looked at the relationship between sound frequency and the cat's habitat. Researchers have discovered a strange pattern: cats that live in open areas, such as the African plains, tend to produce lower sounds. And cats that lived in the forest preferred sharper and higher-pitched sounds. This finding was unexpected because low frequencies have an advantage in dense habitats, but can be disrupted by air turbulence in open spaces. And high-frequency sounds are more easily muffled by vegetation. Thus, for some reason, big cats use “call signs” that are less advantageous in terms of audibility.
Silent from birth
There are as many characters as there are cats - perhaps you just became the owner of a particularly taciturn kitten. If the baby eats well, plays well, and there are no strange things observed in his behavior, the chances that he simply does not like to communicate using his voice are very high. Perhaps, over time, the kitten will become more sociable and will begin to remind itself of itself by loud meowing. There are also “dumb” cats that never vocalize. If the health of the animal is not in doubt, then the owners can only accept it.
Some cat breeds are especially silent - for example, phlegmatic Persians, short-legged munchkins. Many representatives of the Scottish Fold breed, as well as Maine Coons, are taciturn.
If a kitten is picked up on the street, perhaps he is simply afraid to make his voice, trying not to attract unnecessary attention to himself. If the new owners are affectionate and patient, the baby will soon begin to trust them.
You can often see cats opening their mouths silently - it is believed that these animals are able to communicate with each other in the ultrasonic range, emitting sounds of a frequency that people cannot perceive. The kitten, having become accustomed to communicating in this way with its mother, tries to “talk” to people, not yet realizing that it is not being heard.
If you are still alarmed by something in the behavior of an excessively silent pet, it is worth checking his hearing - deaf cats can either meow loudly, often and out of place, or not make any sounds at all.
