As any cat lover knows, felines can be affectionate and loving. But one has to wonder what these amazing creatures would say if they could talk. Most likely they wouldn't be spilling any cat secrets if they had the chance, but most cats seem to take pleasure in their own mysterious nature. Unlike dogs, cats usually like to maintain a bit of distance, except of course, when their inner goofball decides to grace us with its presence. With that in mind, consider these two interesting points: why and how cats purr and what are those beautiful whiskers for anyway?
First, what's causing that purr? If you sit down and think about it, a human smile can be more mysterious than we actually think. An example can be how some people smile when they are actually exasperated, angry, or even anxious. Similarly, dogs occasionally wag their tail when they become alarmed. Purring cats can generally mean the same things. If a felines hair is raised, that purr may not mean an invite to pet them, but may actually be a threat.
Since our feline friends lack the complex voice boxes to speak with us, it is not at all surprising cats need to double up on the purposes of purring. An interesting fact provided by Animal Planet explains special wiring connects a cat's brain to his or her voice box. It actually vibrates the muscles contained within the voice box to act as valves to flow air in and out during normal breathing. The opening and closing of these muscles and the valves they control is what creates the sound a purr makes.
Now that we understand why and how cats purr, the next area to cover are the whiskers. No matter your age or if you're a cat person or not, we have all seen the whiskers on either side of a cats mouth and possibly wondered what purpose they serve. Besides being the iconic image of a cat, their whiskers provide important sensory information. Petside.com explains that cat whiskers are an essential aspect of a cat's navigational equipment and obviously implies that trimming or cutting your cats whiskers should never happen. Interestingly, the source also reports that cats use their whiskers for communicating their moods. Much like observing whether your cat's hackles are raised, you can read a certain amount of body language into the whiskers. When pulled back, the whiskers indicate that a cat is angry or defensive. Relaxed or pushed forward means your cat's curious and/or happy - willing to explore and possibly hang out.
