“Why Does My Cat Purr When He Sees Me?” Unpopular Opinion…
I’m not going to lie, I don’t think many people are out there wondering why their cats purr when they see them.
Most people just accept cats purring and don’t really read much into it, at least that’s what I believe.
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But some cats purr very sparsely, and some cats purr a lot.
And some cats purr when they’re by themselves almost exclusively, while others will purr, not even when they’re on your lap, but when they even just see you walk into the room.
That’s quite varied behaviour.
Honestly I feel like if you Google this, you come across a lot of people with the opinion that seems great on face value, but I personally don’t believe to be true.
It seems to be the biggest explanation given for why cats purr when they see you:
They want to show you that they are happy and pleased, so they purr when they see you.
Almost like a greeting. I guess it might make sense on some level, but I honestly don’t think it rings true to me.
Why? I just don’t think cats purr as a form of communication. Like I really don’t.
Could I be wrong? Absolutely, 100%.
Actually, my opinion could even change tomorrow, but based on my experiences right now, I’d say this is what I believe is most likely to be true about cat purrs.
Could it be that cats actually purr as a form of communication just like they’d meow or reach out their paw at you, or politely lick then bite you for a cuddle?
Yeah sure. I just don’t think there are.
To me, cats strike me as purring when they are actually just happy, or comfortable, or anxious and trying to gain comfort. I feel like it’s weird because my perspective has changed on this a lot.
Actually when I wrote my article on why cats purr way back when, I listed communication in a bunch of my explanations.
But that was back when I was doing research and not going with my experience as much because I only had one cat.
Now that I’ve had experience with a lot more, I actually think there’s less to do with purring and communication and more to do with actual pleasure and comfort.
So my unpopular opinion… is that the reasons go something more like this…
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Why I Believe Cats Purr When They See Their Humans
1. Your cat isn’t trying to communicate they’re happy, they actually are just purring because they’re happy.
Happy cat = purring cat, a lot of times.
Though this definitely isn’t true always, and it took one of my cats, Bjorn, ages before he would regularly purr with me.
And boy oh boy has he been stuck to me like glue since the day he met me.
So it’s not a matter of him not loving me enough, I think he just needed his anxiety levels down in my house enough to be able to get his purr game on. Which leads me to my next point.
2. Cats usually purr when they’re not stressed – so seeing you may relieve that stress.
My cat Bjorn was stressed out when he lived outside, basically because there were always neighbouring cats who could stroll onto our property at any time and whom he’d had to fight to defend his territory.
Then he came inside and my first cat, Avery, did not get along with him at first.
Don’t worry, that’s long since been put to rest, I figured out how to make them get along, and they’re peas in a pod these days.
But before that, the only time I’d noticed Bjorn would purr was if he and I were by ourselves and I was petting him.
That signaled to me that just enough stress could make him uncomfortable enough not to purr near me.
So now I believe that when a cat purrs out of happiness, and purrs when they see you for instance, they are doing so because they are super chill, and seeing you may have triggered that even more so because they feel so safe around you.
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3. Your cat may purr when they see you because they expect good things to come.
You know the good things I’m talking about, loads of cuddles, loads of attention, affection, a warm lap to sit on, what fun for a kitty who loves their owner!
I don’t think your cat’s trying to communicate anything with you, really.
When they see you and they expect cuddles, I think they’re just happy in the anticipation, and that bubbles over into their purrs.
Like when you’re super excited because you get to go to your favourite restaurant for dinner so you spend the whole day content about that.
Or when you have the perfect evening planned and it’s almost as good waiting to get to that point as it will be to go out and do the things themselves.
I think the anticipation is what makes your kitty purr in happy expectation when he or she sees you.
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Your Thoughts on Cats Purring When They See Their Human?
Now it’s your turn. What do you think is the most likely reason behind cats purring when they see their humans?
Do you think it’s likely cats purr to communicate? Or more likely they purr like you would smile to yourself when you’re happy, even if no one’s in the room?
Do you have any stories about cats that begin to purr when they see you? Why do you think your cat does it? Is it at a specific time? Do you think your cat is expecting something good to happen?
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section down below!
Elise Xavier
Have three pet cats, Avery, Bjorn, & Athos whom I love to bits. Obsessed with cats. Figured I might as well blog about ’em.
Fond of my fluffies? See more of them on my personal blog, E&T. Dig KittyClysm? Check out all the other blogs I pen & photograph.
Elise’s Favourite Tip
One of the most frustrating problems I’ve had to deal with as a pet parent is staying on top of my cats’ desire to play. While this is typically hard to do, toys like these that allow cats to play by themselves make the job one heck of a lot easier.
The hits in my household are ridiculously affordable: cat springs, ball track toys, & kick sticks. I have a slew scattered around the house, so when my cats get bored, even if I’m busy or not even home, my furries are able to actively play.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
I always thought that cats purr only when they are content, comfortable and feel happy. That certainly describes my current cat, Casper.
But I learned with my previous cat, Boots, that that is not the only time cats purr.
Boots unfortunately had to be taken to a feline specialist for a medical issue. He had a non-healing wound of unknown etiology on the back of his neck. The specialist diagnosed it as an “eosinophilic plaque” and it required surgery.
The whole experience for Boots was very traumatic as you might imagine (cats hate being put into a cat carrier!!).
When i left him off at the vet, I could hear him purring. I was shocked and so I asked the technician why that would be. She said that cats sometimes purr to make themselves feel better when they are in pain or under extreme stress.
So I got a purring education that day!
Christina
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Hi, I’m Elise! Welcome to KittyClysm – a blog for cat lovers & kitty keepers. Join me & my furries in our little corner of the feline-obsessed world. Facts about cats, training tips, odd behaviours, pet care advice – I talk as much as I can about it all here!
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