The purr switch

[nycats]

My girl cat's purr switch has a hair trigger. I think it's out of her control. She is an outgoing girl, but she does not really like to snuggle or be petted. BUT that does not mean the machine does not get turned on whenever I touch her. Sometimes it even goes off by me simply looking at her. And it's loud! She is also purring like crazy when she is hungry. Seems like it is triggered by excitement.

My boy on the other hand has a very quiet purr that can only be heard when you put your ears against his body at night. He is a sweetheart, but he does not purr much.

Do you have a purr machine? I thought it's really interesting how it varies so much between cats, just like their personalities.

 

[jcat]

It's surprising how much purrs can differ. Our RB cat, Jamie, had a really loud purr that you could hear from across the room. His "switches" were combing, petting and cuddling. Mogli has a very quiet purr that he turns on when being fed, hugged or carried around. Jamie was always very vocal, while Mogli is a squeaker, so their purrs match(ed) their personalities.

 

[nycats]

jcat,

Does Jamie purr when she's hungry or is eating? My girl does. She's crazy about food! She trills a lot but doesn't meow too much. The boy has the really high pitched little meow. It's so cute!

 

[jcat]

Mogli is obsessed with food and starts to purr as soon as you take one of his food bowls out of the cabinet or pick up a can of food.

What's really funny is that he purrs when he sees my husband unloading groceries from the car, even though he doesn't get any supermarket cat food. He recognizes the box his cat food is sent in, and will purr when he sees the mailman bringing it up the walk. Part of that is because the company always adds some cat treats to the package.

 

[nycats]

Awww what a smart boy! He knows food when he sees it, even if it's in boxes and bags! My girl is very very obsessed with food as well. She purrs really loud and drools while eating treats, and her eyes get super black because her pupils are so dilated. Such a funny girl!