If you’ve ever wondered who’s in control, you or your cat, a new study points to the obvious. It’s your cat.
Household cats exercise this control with a certain type of urgent-sounding, high-pitched meow, according to the findings.
This meow is actually a purr mixed with a high-pitched cry. While people usually think of cat purring as a sign of happiness, some cats make this purr-cry sound when they want to be fed.
[snip]
Previous research has shown similarities between cat cries and human infant cries.
McComb suggests that the purr-cry may subtly take advantage of humans’ sensitivity to cries they associate with nurturing offspring. Also, including the cry within the purr could make the sound “less harmonic and thus more difficult to habituate to,” she said.
Cunning little fuckers, aren’t they? Ah, well. I always knew “cat owner” was a complete misnomer anyway.
(Tip o’ the shot glass to John Amato at Crooks and Liars, who also has the exquisite good taste to be owned by a tuxedo cat.)
2 comments
Nicole
July 15, 2009 at 12:50 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
There was never a doubt in my mind.
Cujo359
July 17, 2009 at 10:36 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Cats may rule us, but I'm sure they always have our best interests at heart.