What’s in a purr? Well, purring in cats first occurs at around a week of age. It works as a signal to the nursing mother cat that all is well with her babies and that the milk supply is getting through. She, in turn, purrs, letting the kittens know that she is also in a relaxed and co-operative mood. One theory is that purring among adult cats and between adult cats and humans is derived from this primal parent-offspring context.
Contentment is not the only signal for purring, however. Purring can indicate a friendly, social mood and can be used by an injured cat to show the need for friendship. Cats in great pain after an injury can purr very loudly and can’t really be considered to be contented.
Small domestic cats purr with both inward and outward breaths (with their mouths firmly shut), while their large relatives - the lions and tigers - can only produce a friendly 'one-way purr' when greeting friends. Nevertheless, big cats have a feature that compensates for their inability to purr—the almighty roar! (Though there are probably times when domestic cats wish to send a few shivers down the spine of a rival cat or two with this characteristic!)
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