Why Doesn’t My Cat Purr? 10 Reasons Behind Invisible Worry And How To Make Them Purr Again

You might have noticed sometimes your cat making some pleasant sounds and sometimes not. These sounds are referred to as purr. Does your cat not purr or stopped purring now? Is it making you worry all the time? If you want to know answers for “why doesn't my cat purr”, read further below!

My cat Lousie used to purr all the time and on a sudden, she just stopped doing this and this got me worried for a while. Then, I look for answers regarding the same and now, sharing my experience with you all. It is not a thing to worry about. Phew!

Why Do Cats Purr?

When these feline beings want or need something, they purr in order to let their owners know about it. It is their way of communicating with other beings and cats do this all the time. If you have a cat, then you might know this better.

But it is also true that all cats do not purr. The cats that roar do not purr and those who purr does not roar due to their different larynx structures. The cats who roar have developed this feature in order to protect them and their loved ones. The act of roaring can be easily seen in the wild cats when they try to catch their prey and have to fight with others to get their prey.

While various cats purr in order to communicate with their owners. During a study conducted by the University of Sussex’s researchers that most cats also hide their cries in purrs that irritates their owners. The cats’ cries sound similar to babies’ cries as per in the same range 300-600 Hz.

Cats even purr when they want to get feed and let their owners know through continuous purring sounds. It is their way of telling that they need food or feeling hungry at that time.

It is even found in the study that purring helps in repairing bones, muscles, and tendons. Along with that, aids ease breathing and reduce swelling and pain due to series of vibrations take place in the whole body of cats while purring. That is the reason that cats survive even after falling from high places and even, face fewer complications after any kind of surgery than dogs. It helps to lower their blood pressure and relieve stress in them too. Purring could be also effective for the cat owners as well. It is found in another study conducted by the University of Minnesota Stroke Centre that the cat owners have 40 percent fewer chances of getting a heart attack than the non-cats one.

So, purring is a stimulus that in turn attributes to calmness and peacefulness. It reflects in overall relaxation in cats as well as their owners.

Why Doesn’t My Cat Purr?

There might be certain reasons behind your cat’s not purring at all. It is not as if something wrong has happened to your cat. It happens with a lot of cats. The causes that might be responsible for not purring in your cats are listed below:

1. A deficit in physiology

If your cat does not produce purrs at all, then you cannot do anything to make them otherwise. It is just that they purr or not. A deficiency on their parts could result in not producing purrs such as a deficit in areas like respiratory system, vocal cord or in their larynx.Their larynxes might be different or not stiff enough to produce these sounds. However, there is nothing wrong with your cats if they do not purr. It does not mean that your cat is lacking something in any way, endured an emotional trauma, or unhealthy.

But it can be disappointing for you as I know how much pleasure you feel when your feline friends purr contently when they feel happy and relaxed. Meanwhile, you cannot do anything to make your cats purr except making them happy in this case.

2. Other alternative ways for communication

It might be due to the fact that your cat uses different methods for communication. The other ways in which cats communicate can be facial expressions, vocalizations, and body language. It is due to these other methods of communication that cats do not need purrs.

3. Soft purrs

Sometimes, cats purr but you might not have noticed the same due to their low intensity. It could be due to their soft sounds, you could not hear purrs produced by your cat. You can check this by putting a hand on its chest and throat, then feel if there is any kind of vibration or something.

While checking this, you should also look for any kind of bump, hard growth, or unusual lump that might need checking by your vet. I am asking you to do this as my friend Ranveer has faced a horror experience. His beloved cat PiPi was gifted at purring and his purrs could be heard under covers of the bed or across the room. Unfortunately, he couldn’t live longer and died unexpectedly when he was eight due to “spindle cell” carcinoma. His vet told my friend that the tumor was discovered too late and hence, treatment is not possible. So, you should look for things like this so as to provide any kind of treatment as soon as possible.

4. Influence from feral mothers

It is even founded that kittens who are born to feral cats do not generally purr. Some wild cats teach their young ones to keep quiet as not to attract predators. It is their way to protect their loved ones from not getting attacked by other beings. So, if your cat does not purr then this might be one of the reasons for it. These wild cats roar instead of producing pleasant sounds.

5. Getting separated from loved ones

6. A sore throat

If your cat has recently stopped making purrs, then their sore throat might be the reason behind it. Just wait for some days to get their throat healed as these sounds are produced from a throat and hence, they will be back on the track of producing these pleasant sounds.

This is just what has happened to my lovely Lousie and then, she started purring on her own. It just made me happier once more.

7. Affected from any Injury

It could be another reason behind the sudden stoppage of purring. If your cat has recently stopped making purrs then you should look for some kind of injury that might have affected your feline friend. So, check for injuries!

8. Sense of fear

It can also be seen in kittens born to wild cats. Some cats run away, hide, and even stop purring on getting frightened. It is in cats’ nature that they remain silent while hiding and hence, your cats may be exhibiting signs of their species.

I have noticed over a period of ten years that my cats have not ever purred while outdoors in the colony but indoors. They purr coming back home as usual as they do not feel any kind of fear from predators or other such threats anymore.

9. As they age

It is seen in various kittensthatpurr often orloudly. But as they grow and become adults; they do not produce these sounds anymore, especially maturemale cats. They might have learned other ways to communicate with their owners. So, aging could be one of the reasons for not purring.

10. Change in behavior

If your cat used to produce purrs but recently due to some change in their behavior have stopped doing so, then it is advised to take them to a veterinarian as to know what has happened to your lovely cat so suddenly. Your pet’s veterinarian might be able to give you some reasons for the same.

List of Things To Make Them Purr Again

If your cat used to purr earlier but now due to some reasons and have stopped to make purrs, then you can do certain things to make them happy again. So, you can do the following things to make them purr again in case they have just stopped making these sounds suddenly:

Should You Worry When Your Cat Doesn't Purr?

It is absolutely not a thing to worry if your cat does not purr at all. You cannot do anything about your cat is she/he does not purr at all. In this case, there is not even a need to consult your vet. It is quite normal and happens with other cats as well.

However, you can bring a new companion for your cat that purrs normally. One of my friends, Lally has never heard any pleasant sounds from her cat until she brought another member to her family. Her cat learned to purr after hearing the other mate doing so.

The other thing that you can do is to give a lot of attention to your feline friend whether he purrs or not. Who knows someday you might hear a purr that you have not before! If anything happens like this, it would be quite a thing to happy about for everyone as your patience and trust will get rewarded in the end.

But if she used to purr and recently just stopped doing this, and then in this case, you should look for the apt reasons behind their sudden change in behavior. The reasons are all listed above and you can look for the perfect answer for your question “Why doesn't my cat purr”.

Conclusion

Now, you might get an idea why your cat does not purr. If you still cannot find the exact reason from the ones listed above, then you should take your cat to your vet and make them feel better if there is any kind of injury or stress-related issue. Just comment below if you have any queries or comments. You can even share your personal experience regarding the same and Iwould appreciate it and would love to solve your queries as well!