"Cats' Purring Technique Linked to Vocal Fry and Ancient Predators"
Scientists have discovered that cats produce their purring sound using a technique similar to "vocal fry," as seen in singers like Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian. Previous theories suggested a unique mechanism involving constant neural input from the brain, but new research from the University of Vienna found that purring requires less effort. By dissecting the voice boxes of cats and pumping humid air through their vocal cords, self-sustained oscillations or purrs were produced, indicating that the sound does not require constant brain input. The presence of fibrous tissue embedded in the vocal cords may explain how small cats can produce low-frequency sounds. This finding challenges the previous theory of quick and continuous bursts of signals from the brain causing muscle contractions in the throat to produce a purr.