Alaska Does Not Purr.

[MistyDawn]

For those of you that remember me, my Maine Coon boy, Alaska, is a year old now. He's at least 23lbs. Our scale only goes to 11lbs and he hasn't been to the vet for a month or two.

Anyway, Alaska never purred. When he was a kitten, I thought he just wasn't into that mushy stuff; he's very active and was a delightfully insane kitten. But as he got older, calmed down, became more affectionate, and we developed a very strong bond, still no purr.

Is it possible that he just can't purr? Is that a thing that happens?

 

[duncanmac]

My boy Barry has a very deep purr - often I can only feel it and not hear it

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I thought for YEARS that Hekitty didn't purr, and wondered if she was happy. Then one day I had my hand on her just right and felt it...a tiny vibration, like the heartbeat of a hummingbird. SHE PURRS! And she's shorthaired...with a boy like yours, and that long, lush coat, you might not feel a gentle, soft purr. That said, every inch of him looks relaxed, serene, and happy in that picture.

 

[Lari]

Alaska's looking big and handsome these days!

I've had Lelia over a year now and I thought she didn't purr either (she was born feral, so I assumed that was why). Meanwhile, my bf's cat sounds like a motor.

But just the other day when I woke up and it was quiet and she was on my legs, I could hear her. It was very quiet, but there.

So it may happen yet.

 

[RajaNMizu]

When Mizu and Raja were first adopted, they purred a lot the first week and then I thought it disappeared. While I haven't heard Mizu purr much recently, Raja does it so quietly that I have to be on top of her and in a totally quiet environment to hear it. Alaska looks beautiful btw!

 

[MistyDawn]

You know what's nuts?

I woke up this morning, to Alaska on my husband's pillow, where he usually sleeps the 5ish days of the week my husband is off trucking, and greeted him by scratching his big ol' head and neck, his favorite place. He got up and, as is common, plopped down on me, lying across my body. He does that every night and every morning. But this time, I was lying on my side, so he just lied across my head (luckily the chest part was over my face!) and I could hear it. It's very low and quiet, probably muffled by his massive body (he is already bigger than I ever thought he would be, and I'm fairly certain he isn't finished.) but it's there. I always just rely on body language and physical tells to make sure he's happy and relaxed, but at least now I know he can purr.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

WHOOOOO HOOOOOO! We have PURR! I kinda thought it was buried in there under all that gorgeous coat!

 

[sargon]

What a pretty cat, if we don't get a rescue, our next cat is probably going to be a main coon ( my wife loves them.) Anyhow, likr others have said, soem cats are just quiet when they Purr. I rarely can hear Freya purring unless my ear is on her, which si ironic, since in other ways she is... very easy to hear.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

What a pretty cat, if we don't get a rescue, our next cat is probably going to be a main coon ( my wife loves them.)

Not to hijack the thread, but there are any number of Maine Coon cat rescues...you can do both, you know!

 

[sargon]

Not to hijack the thread, but there are any number of Maine Coon cat rescues...you can do both, you know!

Also not to hijack, but the thread seems to be done, so...

I looked into it a bit, and while we won't get a second cat until we move, I didn't really find any rescue maine coons when I looked a bit. The closest we found was maybe a former breeder cat. It could be that we looked in the wrong places, so if you have any suggestions, I'll keep it in mind or the future.

 

[krystab]

My rainbow bridge boy Charlie didn’t purr until he was about 3... then one day he plopped down on my chest and started purring his head off Cats are weird

 

[MistyDawn]

Also not to hijack, but the thread seems to be done, so...

I looked into it a bit, and while we won't get a second cat until we move, I didn't really find any rescue maine coons when I looked a bit. The closest we found was maybe a former breeder cat. It could be that we looked in the wrong places, so if you have any suggestions, I'll keep it in mind or the future.

First, love the name. A fascinating historical figure, and an excellent analytical mind.

Second, that cat is a stud! His first litter of kittens with this queen will be next spring around her first birthday. Are you in the US?

Still, I would advise you to adopt your first Maine Coon. I fell in love with the breed via an adopted MC/Siamese mix, and I'm so glad I did. It really cultivated my love of the breed and their unique personalities, plus, it was just rewarding to save such a fascinating cat.