Everyone Was Wrong About Why Cats Purr

Feline researchers have long believed that purring is produced by voluntary muscle contractions, but a new report indicates that this vibration in the larynx of cats may be explained by the myoelastic aerodynamic theory of phonation.

Studies on the complex action that produces a unique vibration in the larynx of cats—known as purring to most of us—have taken an important turn. It turns out that the biomechanics of the sounds emitted by domestic cats when they feel comfortable or stressed may be closer to a snore than a voluntary muscle spasm.

New research published in Current Biology suggests that connective tissue masses are embedded in the

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