There’s nothing quite like the company of a cat. Or cats. I understand, some people have very strong negative feelings on this topic. If you are one of those unfortunate individuals, you doubtless just haven’t met the right cat yet. Luna is a bit on the dense side, it is true, but you’ll not find a more beautiful feline specimen. Ever since he was a few months old, he has looked just like “textbook pictures” of a cat. Gorgeous. And there is almost nothing that I find quite as winsome and heart-entangling as Kashka’s attempts at a meow when she wants attention, or as calming and comforting as her rumbling purr.
Not a lot is known about why or how cats purr – There are suggestions, some of which may have some merit, but it tickles my funny bone that purring is one of those things that just has modern science a little bit bewildered. Then I stumbled across this from the Live Science website: “A domestic cat’s purr has a frequency of between 25 and 150 Hertz, which happens to be the frequency at which muscles and bones best grow and repair themselves. It is, therefore, speculated that cats naturally evolved their purr over time as a survival tactic – a biomechanical healing mechanism that ensured speedier recoveries.”
I read that and just kind of scratched my head. That’s pretty amazing! They just naturally evolved their purr to within a specific frequency as a way to equip the species? (My sister Sarah’s response to this was, “Why don’t we purr?”)
Not to create any tidal waves of controversy here, but I have another idea – What if cats were given the ability to purr specifically at the frequency best for muscle and bone repair by Someone who knew what He was doing? And because God wasn’t driven by rigid practicality in His Creation, He created a sound that human beings in general find to be soothing and relaxing and delightful, simply because He could, because His Creation was meant to be a blessing and a joy, something that causes us to thank and glorify Him. What if what we see around us that seems miraculous actually is miraculous, and is a gift from the hand of a good and loving God? Perhaps that sounds silly and childish. But I find that the more deeply convinced I become that these things are gifts from God, the more beautiful His Creation is to me. I find that my love and appreciation the natural world is enhanced and intensified by the evidence I see of God’s fingerprints all over Creation. It humbles me and overwhelms me.
I got home today from work and found Anna out in the corral playing with her kitties – What fun she (and they!) were having, and what fun it was to watch the antics! The little spectacle was, well…the cat’s meow.
I’ve also read that their purrs are similar to the ultrasound that is performed on tight or sore muscles and that having a purring cat on the part of your body that’s sore is, supposedly, quite good.
One of my cats loves to sleep under the covers curled up right next to my stomach. That was especially nice when I was pregnant as it really honestly helped me sleep better… but once Calliope felt the baby kicking she stopped sleeping there. ~laughs~
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That’s so sweet! I guess the baby kicking wasn’t very therapeutic for the cat (or you…) Well, until I was looking that up last night, I’d never heard about the significance of the frequency of their purr. Pretty amazing!
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We were on the verge of being cat free (our old cat was on his last days) when Charlie walked into our garage one stormy night. He wasn’t even three months old, was days away from starving to death, and was COVERED in fleas and ticks. Now, almost a year later, I can’t imagine a better fit a cat could be for this family. Your cats are beautiful! Very photogenic. 🙂
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Laura, I enjoyed both of your written creations today and can relate to both. I am fascinated by your musings about the cat’s purr. I’m still in the recovery phase of two back surgeries and continue to use a bone-growth stimulater for my neck and another one for my lower back surgery. Petting a purring cat on my lap would be much more enjoyable!
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