Why Doesn’t My Cat Purr? 6 Reasons You Should Know

Thinking “my cat is weird because it doesn’t purr when I pet it” is understandable, since we have always associated purring with caresses and the fact that the feline feels comfortable. However, it usually has a very logical explanation, even if we don’t think about it at first or we don’t know about it. These are the main reasons why a feline stops purring or never does:

• Some cats purr very softly., in such a way that it is very difficult to hear them. To achieve this, you will have to get very close or put your hand on his neck and feel the vibration of his vocal cords.
• Other cats never purr. Due to their character, they do not make this sound. Just as it happens in people, each feline communicates as it sees fit and purring is just one more option. If he is less affectionate or expressive, it is normal that he does not express himself in this way.
• The temperament and behavior of cats change over time. Therefore, if you think “my cat doesn’t purr anymore, why is that?”, keep in mind that many stop purring over the years and vice versa (they purr as adults while they didn’t when they were little). You would only have to worry if it stops doing it due to some transfer, change of flat or pathology (for which you would detect more symptoms and not just this change). In these situations, take him to the vet as soon as possible.

In many cases, the sound of a cat purring expresses a degree of satisfaction that he reaches when he feels confident and is in a comfortable environment. Among his social relationships, surely, you are the main one, so it is not surprising that he only expresses himself in this way with you.

Other reasons why your feline may purr is to feel caresses like sign of affection, so it’s easier for me to do it with you. Furthermore, if do you want food or watersometimes it will also communicate it to you like this and will purr with you for this reason because it knows that you are the one who provides it with food and water.

We encourage you to read this other OneHOWTO post on How to communicate with my cat so you can learn some tips to understand him better and help him understand you better.

If you think something like “my cat doesn’t purr when I pet him because he isn’t very affectionate”, think that this doesn’t always correspond to reality, as we have already seen in the first section of this post. For example, he may meow, expressing much of his feelings in this way, and use meow more than purr to communicate with you. But, What does it mean if a cat meows and doesn’t purr?

• Claim your attention: The feline will call you by meowing so that you pay attention to it, either to play because it is bored or to claim caresses. You can also ask for food or water in this way, but the meow will be more intense and will not stop until you provide the food.
• It makes you see that it is there: For your cat, meowing is one more way of communicating with you, but it is usually one of the most common. In this way, he can greet you when you arrive home or when you pass each other in a room to attract your attention and make you notice that he is there.
• You want to go through a closed door: If your cat wants to enter or exit through the door or window and cannot, it will meow for you to open it and may even do so continuously until it achieves its purpose. It is one of the reasons why they usually attract our attention.
• She is a cat in heat: this meow is specific to felines that have not been sterilized and, during heat intervals, they meow in very high tones that resemble screams. Here we explain more about How to know if my cat is in heat.
• He is not well and he lets you know: Some cats meow to express pain or discomfort due to illness or a negative event. It is not very common, although there are always exceptions, for cats to complain of discomfort, as they usually do so when they are already very ill or even if the problem is very serious. If you don’t understand, consult a veterinarian to rule out possible pathologies.
• Meows when petted: this can mean that he is liking it a lot and instead of using the purr he does it with a meow or, that he is not liking it or wanting you to caress him and he lets you know that way. To differentiate it, look for more signs: if it tries to leave, throws its ears far back, snorts, etc., it probably does not want you to caress it at this moment. We recommend you take a look at this other post about Why my cat meows a lot.

It is possible that if you have encountered this behavior in your feline, at some time, you have thought something similar to “is it bad if my cat never purrs?”. As you may have seen throughout the article, there are cats that do not do it without this causing any bad symptoms.

Therefore, it is not bad that a cat does not purr: will simply communicate with you in another way. If it has stopped doing it after a drastic change in its environment you will have to consult with a veterinarian this aspect, but otherwise it will have evolved in its behavior and will express itself differently.

To know What does the purr of cats mean?it is enough to observe his attitude when making the sound: satisfaction when caressing him, affection when rubbing with you if you are pampering him or playing with him and request if he does not have water or feed.

In any case, when you wonder why your cat does not purr despite giving him affection and covering the above factors, always keep in mind that it is one more way of communicating. He will opt for meowing and other sounds to express himself. However, whenever you see this behavior and some other different sign or that you find strange in it, take it to the vet or call the clinic to discuss it and have the expert give you the opinion of it.

Now that you know the reasons why a cat stops purring or never does, you may be interested in knowing How to make my cat purr, but think that it may be that in the end it may or may not.

If you want to read more articles similar to Why doesn’t my cat purr?we recommend that you enter our Pets category.