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Fact check: Viral meme is inaccurate on cat purrs and emotions

The claim: Purring is the sound of a cat's heartbeat; the only emotion a cat can feel is contempt

While people generally link a cat purring with being content, a recent viral Facebook post claims that's not the case.

"When you hear a cat purr, it may sound like the cat is happy," reads a Feb. 18 Facebook post by Barry Catfish Farmer that has over 1,100 reactions and over 300 shares. "That's impossible since the only emotion a cat feels is contempt."

The post, which was shared to the Facebook group Pet Jokes & Puns, claims purring is actually the sound of a cat's heartbeat and the reason why it speeds up when you pet a cat is because the cat senses "you're close enough to be attacked."

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While the original post might have been meant as a joke given it was shared to a pet meme group, many users have since shared similar versions of the meme and presented it as fact. USA TODAY reached out to them for comment.

The cat meme has been circulating on the internet for quite some time. Some of the earliest versions of the claim, which have been posted to meme sites and Pinterest boards, date back to at least eight years ago.

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Cats purr in happy and stressful situations

There are several different reasons a cat purrs, ranging from contentment, hunger and discomfort to motherly bonding and self-soothing.

Purring is a way for cats to keep calm in stressful situations when they are feeling distressed or afraid, according to Purina.

For newborn kittens that are blind and deaf, purring is the first form of communication between them and their mother. Adults purr when they are happy, want food or attention from humans, or when they're frightened or injured, according to Animal Behavior College.

Though Moose the long-haired cat is game for long hikes, he'd much rather ride in his owner's backpack on snowshoeing expeditions.
Though Moose the long-haired cat is game for long hikes, he'd much rather ride in his owner's backpack on snowshoeing expeditions.

Cats purr with a frequency between 25 and 150 hertz, and sounds within this range can improve bone density and promote healing. Because wild cats spend long periods of time sleeping or being inactive, the purr serves as a way to keep bones and muscles strong without exerting too much energy, the Animal Behavior College notes.

What experts say

In a 2007 interview with NPR, cat expert Leslie Lyons of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine compared cats purring to humans humming.

"We can hum when we're very happy, but also we hum when we're a little nervous and frightened to calm ourselves down. So maybe that's how a cat uses their purring," Lyons told NPR.

Tony Buffington, a cat expert and veterinarian at Ohio State University told Wired in 2015 that it's "naive to think that cats can only purr for one reason – it's like thinking that people can only laugh for one reason."

To understand why a cat is purring, Buffington recommends paying attention to what prompted the purring and seeing what it leads to.

Gary Weitzman, a veterinarian and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society, told BBC that it is likely purring has communication, appeasement and healing properties. He added that while the purr typically represents contentment, it can also express nervousness, fear and stress.

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Cats' emotions

It is false to claim that the only emotion a cat feels is contempt. According to animal behaviorist Vicky Halls, cats have real, complex emotions including fear and anxiety that motivate much of their behavior.

"We know that cats make positive associations with their owner through pleasant experiences," Halls told Petplan. "So your cat will associate your smile with good things such as mealtimes, affectionate head rubs, feelings of security and play, for example."

Purina states that research suggests all mammals including cats have seven fundamental emotional systems that provide the ability to react in certain situations.

For example, a negative emotion can cause a cat to run and hide while a positive emotion of happiness will cause a cat to be more loving and affectionate.

According to a 2019 study published in the Journal Current Biology conducted by researchers at Oregon State University, cats often form emotional attachments to their caregivers.

"Cats, like dogs, can be found living in social groups or solitarily, depending on early developmental factors, resource distribution, and lifetime experiences such as human interaction," the authors of the study wrote, adding that "we may be underestimating cats' socio-cognitive abilities."

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Our rating: False

The claim that purring is the sound of a cat's heartbeat and it speeds up when you pet the animal because it senses you're close enough to be attacked is FALSE, based on our research. Experts and studies state cats purr to express emotions including happiness, stress, hunger and self-healing. It is also false to claim that the only emotion a cat feels is contempt as scientists agree that cats feel negative and positive emotions.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Viral meme is inaccurate on cat purrs and emotions