The Healing Power of a Cat’s Purr

They Purr Us Back to Health

"If you put a cat and a bunch of broken bones in a room, the bones will heal"

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Many cat lovers argue vociferously and lovingly that it is their cats who healed them and rescued them; never the other way around. The simple act of our cats deciding to snuggle with us carries a very powerful healing energy. For example, all it takes is to watch a cat sleep under the sun – and our worries and cares melt away.

After all nothing heals better than unconditional love and a sense of connection. The common thread in all energy healing modalities such as Reiki and Scalar Wave is the inter-connection of all life-forms. It is this connection and the bond of love which creates the space for healing to occur for both. In summary, cats have their inner compass set on the healing mode – by simply being.

Several have narrated stories on how their cats insisted on sitting next to their area of injury. It is as if they purr us back to health. Furthermore, I have been fortunate to experience this on innumerable occasions. When I fall ill, my cats start hovering around the area that is causing the problem. One of my cats seems to enjoy sitting next to my stomach when that area is in need of healing. I will never know for sure, how she knows; but bless her for all the healing that she does for me.

Cats' Purr Helps Decrease Risk of Heart-attacks

In 2008, the University of Minnesota conducted a study on the correlation of cats to heart attacks. The conclusion on the research paper reads – “A decreased risk for death due to MI and all cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) was observed among persons with cats. Acquisition of cats as domestic pets may represent a novel strategy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in high-risk individuals.” 

A Purring Cat Soothes Stress and Sadness

In 2012, Frontiers of Psychology conducted another research on human-animal interaction (HAI). The reported psychological and psycho-physiological effects include:

  • Reduced depression and increased positive mind-set
  • Lowered stress, fear and anxiety 
  • Diminished aggression
  • Enhanced empathy

In addition, the research surmised that the effect of being with animals is the same as the effect produced by oxytocin, the love hormone. Additional research is still in progress to provide evidence that animals trigger the production of oxytocin in humans.

And thus it does not come as a surprise that scientific research has found evidence that a cat’s purr has the power to heal humans.

Healing Power of Cat's Purr

The mechanism of the purr mystified scientists for long. It was much later that studies discovered that the cat controlled the muscles in the larynx to generate a purr. Cats can dilate and constrict the glottis – the part of the larynx that surrounds the vocal cords. Consequently, this causes the air to vibrate with each inhale and exhale. The sound is triggered by a neural oscillator in the brain in response to both pleasure and pain (physical and emotional).

 

The Acoustical Society of America recorded the purring of several species of cats. They found that these purrs have a consistent frequency ranging from 25 to 150 Hz. These purr-frequencies match the frequencies used in treating several medical conditions including:

  • Helps bone growth and heals fractures
  • Helps muscle growth and heals strains
  • Improves joint flexibility
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Assists in faster healing of wounds and pain
  • Aids reduce migraines
  • Eases breathing (Dyspnea)

 

Furthermore, domestic cats, pumas, ocelots and servals produce a dominant strong frequency at exactly 25 Hz and 50 Hz. These two low frequencies are best for healing fractures and broken bones. These four species also have a strong harmony at around 2 Hz and 100 Hz, a frequency used for healing pain, edema, wounds and dyspnea.

Conclusion

Just as much as we love our feline companions, they give us back all that unconditional love and healing multiplied many times over. May we learn to be there for them and allow them to be our teachers and guides.

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