In the case of lions, their roar can easily be heard and “felt” up to five miles away-their deep roar is loud enough to almost reach a human’s pain threshold if they’re standing nearby. This tough cartilage prevents purring but gives the larynx enough flexibility to produce a full-throated, terrifying roar. ![]() When it comes to big cats and roaring, a length of tough cartilage runs up the hyoid bones to the skull. If you listen to your own cat carefully, you will notice that their purr is one continuous sound that they make while breathing both in and out. No one knows for sure why smaller cat species developed this ability, but one theory is that a mother’s purr helps to camouflage the mewing of her nursing kittens-thus avoiding the attention of possible predators. The hyoid is a U-shaped bone directly above the thyroid cartilage also known as an Adam’s Apple in humans. When a cat vibrates its larynx, or voice box, it sets the twig-like, bones called hyoid bones to resonating. Purring is possible because of tightly connected links of delicate bones that run from the back of a small cat’s tongue up to the base of the skull. Cougars and smaller cats (bobcats, ocelots, lynxes, and house cats, among others) can purr, but they can’t roar. Here are some of the main methods of communication of both wild and domestic cats: Roaring and Purringįor the most part, big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars) can roar, but they can’t purr. Vocalizing helps cats in a variety of ways-from social bonding, to showing off, and even for self-defense. ![]() The way all cat species communicate is different than the methods used by humans yet the ways they vocalize are effective and deeply significant to each other. But, when it comes to vocalizing, your pet actually has more in common with their wild relatives than you may realize. Whether they are greeting you at the door, asking for a meal, or letting you know you’re interrupting their fifteenth nap of the day, most cats have no qualms about speaking up and telling you how they feel.
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