Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!turpin
From: turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: a cat's purr
Summary: Does it really indicate contentedness?
Keywords: evolution, feline
Message-ID: <5587@cs.utexas.edu>
Date: 25 May 89 17:06:40 GMT
References: <2765@scolex.sco.COM>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 10

In article <2765@scolex.sco.COM>, tracyr@sco.COM (Tracy Roberts) writes:
> ....  why was/is it useful for cats to display
> contented-ness?  ...

I have observed cat's purring when they are obviously not
content, for example, when very sick.  Perhaps rather than
contentedness, it indicates sociability: a willingness or desire
to be around other cats or cat surrogates (this means you.)

Russell