What if humans could purr?

[kimi]

Okay, weird question, maybe.

But I've been going through a kind of difficult time emotionally lately (and I ain't the only one here who can say that!) but just a bit ago when I found myself crying again and my cat Mitts came up and stroked my face with his paw and purred at me - I just thought that life would
be easier if more people knew that healing power of the purr. JMHO of course.

[sarge43]

1. We can't purr, but we sing sweetly and we can do great hugs.

:hug:

[kayakjohnny]

2. I agree, kimi.

Not weird at all.

[dawg]

3. It'd be o.k. as long as we could control it.

I would not want to start purring involuntarily. (Although it would be kinda cool to see who might purr around me!)

[Lisa0825]

4. My kitties have done that before too. I purr back at them :-)

:loveya:

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I can purr, but I run out of breath while doing it. :^)

[Forkboy]

6. Heavy petting would be even cooler.

[applegrove]

7. If only you could train cats to purr on cue you could open a 'healing centre' featuring

multiple cat purr therapy. But alas, you would have to get all your clients to each feed your cats before each session, to make them purr for that person, and they'd get fat.

[Lorien]

8. It would be great if we could purr, and if purring is really an involuntary reflex

then you would always know where you stood with someone!

[KT2000]

9. we should be so lucky

cats are known to be very fast healers. Some think that their purr is like a body massage that speeds healing. One woman measured the frequency of the cat purr in several different cats. They all had similar purr frequency except the jaguar. Coincidentally, a vibrating device has been used for years for people who have had orthopedic surgery. It increases blood flow to the affected area. The frequency used as it turns out, is the same as cats' purrs.

I went through a period of having trouble getting to sleep. My cat (who has since passed) could tell this so she would sit at the top of my pillow and put her chin on my head and purr. If she quit, my head would get cold and I would pet her to start her up again. It didn't take long before I was asleep. A vibrating skull has a way of clearing the mind.
She was my nurse cat.

[kimi]

10. Wow, this is so sweet

Condolences that your lady cat isn't there to nurse you still.

I guess I never thought of purrs as a type of massage, but yes, that makes sense. I love massage, love giving and receiving them, but hadn't really considered the healing measure of purrs or massages. And the frequency device to help patients in medical situations is very interesting.

I learn so much here at DU. Thanks!!

[MiddleFingerMom]

11. Is it vibrations -- or is it electric pulses of some kind?

.
.
.
My leg was broken (clean break both lower bones) and, after 6 months -- NO sign
of healing on x-rays. This technology was new then, so only for the wealthy OR
if the bone was like mine -- long-term absence of bone growth.
.
About 5 weeks with these paddles on the outside of my cast at night and I was
out of the cast and off the crutches (I did buy a hollow cane loaded with 5 test
tubes -- 4 filled with peppermint schnapps and 1 with pot -- I made LOTS and
LOTS of friends when traveling by train!!!)
.
.
.
They had labeled what was going on as "micro-voltage".
.
.
.

[KT2000]

12. Don't know

the woman who did the testing probably assumed vibrations. She was mainly looking at the effect of purring on the cats. It would be interesting to test micro-voltage too.

Cool story about your leg!

[Moondog]

13. Well, hell, if the right person

pets me in the right way, I purr . . . .

:D