Purr-fect Purring Trivia Quiz

Answer: To scare away predators

Cats purr for a variety of reasons, such as when they feel safe and relaxed and when they are being petted. Mother cats purr to help their blind and deaf babies to locate them. Cats also purr as a greeting, to solicit feeding, or as a self-soothing mechanism when badly injured, frightened, or sick.

Answer: 1-3 days

Kittens have been known to purr from two days old, although some begin to purr when they are a bit older. Kittens and their mothers purr back and forth to locate one another, to strengthen their bond and to signal to the mother that the kitten is getting milk.

Answer: Both

Cats are capable of purring on both the inhale and the exhale. Also known as true purring, it is totally uninterrupted across the entire respiratory cycle. In the eyes of science, purring on the in and out breath, is a defining characteristic of true purring.

Answer: True

Every cat's purr is different because of their individual anatomy, vocal cord structure, and volume levels. Like in humans, the shape and tension of vocal folds and throat structures varies in cats. Cats can modify the pitch of their purr to solicit food or attention from humans.

Answer: TENS machine

Some studies have shown domestic cats to purr up to a frequency of 150 hertz. Scientists believe that purring can help reduce pain, ease breathing, and repair bones and muscles.

Cervical neck collars and heated belts don't operate in hertz. Infrared therapy's natural electromagnetic frequency is between 300 GHz and 430 THz, a much higher frequency than purring.

Answer: Put the cat near running water

Some cats have very loud purrs which makes it hard for a vet to hear their hearts and lungs. Simply turning on a faucet momentarily stops the cat from purring without hurting or distressing it. The other choices are simply cruel and should not be attempted.

Answer: Roar

The four big cat species, namely tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards, can roar but cannot purr, as their specialized larynx and throat structure precludes purring. The one exception to this is the snow leopard which cannot roar or true purr due to the structure of their throats and vocal cords; they can however emit chuffs, meows, moans, growls, as well as high-pitched yowls.

Answer: True

A cat's purr is a blend of conscious, intentional communication and involuntary, reflexive responses. The ability to switch into manual override allows a cat to control how loud, when, and for what purpose they purr. Scientists compare purring to a human smiling. It is an automatic response to emotions but it can be consciously started, stopped, or changed.

Answer: Viverridae (genets, civets)

In addition to felines, the Viverridae family, including: genets, civets, and binturongs, engages in true purring as well. Both felines and Viverridae belong belong to the same suborder of cat-like carnivores called Feliformia.

Science recognizes a true purr to be a low-frequency rhythmic vibration which occurs during both inhalation and exhalation. Other animals can produce sounds similar to purring but are actually teeth chattering or grinding, trilling, nasal rumbling, chirping, grunting and so on.

Answer: Hyoid bone

In all feline species, the hyoid bone is located in the upper neck between the mandibles, and it supports the tongue and larynx. In purring cats, the hyoid bone is completely ossified (bony). It allows the purr vibrations to resonate. In contrast, the hyoid bone in large cats is partly cartilaginous, allowing them to roar rather than purr.