A cat’s purr

Jennifer Vanderau
Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter

(1/2021) I’ve decided to start out 2021 with a crazy cat lady rant. You might want to strap in.

This is going to get a little scientific and outer-worldly at the same time.

Enticing, huh?

I’ll start with science. My dad perked up right about now. That 77-year-old Sheldon Cooper, retired chemistry teacher must be kind of proud at the moment. Hi Pops! *waves*

So, scientifically speaking every physical thing on this planet (including this planet) is made of atoms. Every atom has a vibrational frequency to it – even what appears solid to us, like a chair or a table, actually vibrates. The electrons in the atom move around and give the object a frequency – even if it’s too low for humans to detect.

Speaking of humans, we have a vibrational frequency as well that changes pretty constantly. Every one of our cells vibrate and (as I understand it) different cells for different parts of the body vibrate at different rates.

Are you dizzy yet? I warned you about the strapping in.

Anyway, the healthy human body vibrates (with all the different cells in good shape and vibrating at their optimum, peak levels) between 62 and 72 megahertz. If it drops to, say 58 megahertz, you could be susceptible to catching a cold.

With this theory, it stands to reason we should attempt to keep our vibrational frequency in the healthy range if we want to remain free from disease.

We can maintain that frequency in a whole lot of ways: acupuncture, massage, essential oils, meditation, the kind of foods we eat, getting enough sleep at night, music therapy, positive thinking, laughing, sharing good times with friends and family.

And for some of us, we can help maintain a healthy frequency with our animals.

Studies have shown that our pets can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and allow us a moment in our hectic world to simply sit and be.

I’m going to take this a little bit farther with our friend, the feline.

Cats, in so very many ways, are kind of an animal unto themselves. From their sometimes independent nature to their stubborn streaks to what occasionally seems like deliberate attempts to disobey anything we want them to do, having a cat in your life will likely never be dull.

Cats also absorb and process food and medication differently than other animals. Their liver function is lacking one of the enzymes that detoxes the body, so they respond much differently to medications than humans and dogs would. That’s why you have to be incredibly careful with the kinds and doses of medication you give to your cat.

They also have the magical phenomenon of the purr.

And this is where we get back to the earlier discussion of frequencies.

A cat’s purr can range from 20 to 140 hertz. It’s important to note here that that’s NOT megahertz, so it is relatively low on the frequency scale, but it’s also one of the major reasons humans can HEAR a cat’s purr.

Despite the low frequency, don’t think for a minute there aren’t advantages to that sound.

In fact, it’s been discovered in recent years that a purr doesn’t necessarily mean a cat is happy. Indeed, sick and injured cats use the purr to soothe themselves and relive pain. Pregnant females have even been known to purr while giving birth because of the somewhat anesthetic qualities it produces in their bodies (it’s believed that the purr actually releases a hormone responsible for pain relief in a cat).

The vibrational level of that purr can help with joint pain and swelling and even restore muscles, tendons and ligaments. I think it’s one of the reasons that cats are so agile – purring keeps their joints and muscles limber for jumping and landing on their feet.

The purr is also, most definitely, a source of contentment. Mother cats purr to keep their babies free from stress and even siblings will purr with one another while they snuggle together.

What this means for cat owners is that if we hang around while our felines are purring up a storm, we can also receive those benefits. In fact, petting or cuddling with a cat can have the same relaxing properties as meditation. Hey! That’s one of the ways we can keep our body frequency on a healthy level. Imagine that.

I’m taking it even one step further because a study found that people who had cats and snuggled with them were at a 40% less risk of having a heart attack. How about that? Forty percent!

A purring cat can heal our muscles and bones and joints and swelling just from the vibrations. The sound alone can definitely reduce stress in people. I know when I have rough days, I’ll find a cage full of kittens at the shelter, open the door and just hang out with all the purring. Never fails to calm me down.

So this all begs the question: what if the crazy cat ladies and fellows in the world are actually the most mellow and relaxed of us all?

Certainly something to think about when I sit with one of my feline kids later tonight for a snuggle session – and an incredibly good way to welcome 2021.

*****

Jennifer Vanderau is the Director of Communications for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter in Chambersburg, Pa., and can be reached at cvasoc@innernet.net. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at (717) 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org.