Holly loves cats and for one of her classes at UT, she had to write about a scientific fact. She chose the mechanics of a cat’s purr – or more broadly put, why they purr.
She sets a lovely scene to start her article about a person in a cozy house on a damp, dreary day. The person gets all comfy and cozy when a kitty hops up on their lap for a long nap and begins to purr.
It’s a scene that would make any cat lover smile.
Roger, however, is not such a cat. He’s definitely not a lovable cat. He’ll purr but it is usually what Lisa calls a ‘solicitation purr’ (as in “Aren’t I pretty? Won’t you give me some of the secret food now?’).
Roger is one of the most interesting cats I have ever been around. In describing the Big Orange tabby, I’d say he:
- is very intelligent
- has a big personality
- can be quite feisty
But, I’d never describe him as ‘sweet’ or ‘lovable.’ Other cats from my past, including famous ‘Dave’ were much ‘nicer.’
Roger is who is he and he makes no apologies for it. It’s not unusual for him to just ‘give us the business.’ Rather than purr for the secret food, he’ll give us a very animated series of meows – that sound more like ‘Raaah’ – and order us. I rather imagine he’s saying, “Hey, dolt. Get up. Go downstairs and give me the secret food.”
At times, I think, Holly laments his lack of sweetness.
On the other hand, we’re all intrigued by his smarts – both intelligence and streetwise ways. For example, he must have had some negative encounters on some of his trips into the woods. So, on some occasions, he’ll ask to go outside and then, immediately, freeze when the door is open.
He’ll ‘bob and weave,’ as I call it (really, I think, at that point he has picked up some dangerous scent) and then back out of the door way, as if to say, “No thanks. I’ve changed my mind.”
Seems like he has been doing this much more frequently.
Roger has reached middle age now. He came to live with us as a ‘teenager’ eight years ago. He’s not as playful as he once was (though at times he can’t help himself).
Still, in any case, it’s just not in his nature to be a purry lap cat. He’ll do it on occasion, but only on his terms (and usually for a short period of time). It’s more likely to see it happen this time of year when his outdoor activities are curtailed and he is getting bored.
Alas, if Holly wants to test any of the theories from her purr research, she’ll probably need to try it out on future felines.
JG
Originally posted 1/31/2013
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