By Maddy Higgins
The famous soothing nature of cat purrs is not the only intriguing thing about them; recent studies have found that cats have the ability to heal themselves and their owners with the power of their purrs.
Cats purr not only when they are content, but when they are injured, stressed, ill, in labor, or even dying, causing scientists to believe the act of purring must somehow be beneficial to the cat’s physical health. What they found was extraordinary; across all feline species, with the exception of the cheetah, all purrs fall between the frequencies of 25 Hz and 150 Hz, which correspond to the vibrational frequencies used in medical vibrational therapy, which is used to help physical healing processes and relieve stress.
Furthermore, domestic cats have been found to produce frequencies at exactly 25 Hz and 50 Hz, which are optimal for promoting bone healing and growth, mimicking the frequencies that bone growth stimulators use to promote bone healing.
These frequencies can also help with pain, edema, muscle strain, stress relief, and dyspnea (trouble breathing); when cats hyperventilate, they often purr to regulate their own breathing. They can lower their blood pressure, reducing their chances of heart disease and heart attacks. Cats can extend all of these benefits to their humans by purring on their lap or in close proximity to them; cat owners are up to 40% less likely to have a heart attack!
So, why have cats developed this superpower? Scientists believe that the ability to upkeep and restore their bone tissue was most advantageous for felines, whose predatory tactics involve sitting still for long periods of time to catch prey.
So the next time a cat purrs in your lap, know that they may very well be secretly helping to restore your body and relieve your stress.
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