A good answer is truthful and understandable to the child. Tell that cats can be happy, sad, afraid, experience different emotions. They do not know how to laugh, cry and talk, so they communicate differently. With a purr, the cat “talks” about how she feels. Usually pleasant sensations are implied: the cat likes to be stroked; she is glad to have returned home from work or from a walk; she was treated to her favorite treat. This purr is “translated” from the cat’s tongue as “Hooray, great, I'm very pleased.” This explanation will be enough for the baby who communicates with pets only under the supervision of adults.
Explain to older children that sometimes cats purr if they are very frightened and / or hurt. Anxious purr is distinguished from joyful behavior of the animal. If it huddled in a corner, hid under the bed, does not respond to its name and purrs - not everything is in order with the cat, it may have become ill. Need to call adults.
A preschooler may wonder why cats cannot pronounce human words. Tell him how a person speaks and makes an animal sound. Commands come from the brain, they are performed by the language and vocal cords. The human brain gives commands for the reproduction of words, the brain of a cat - meowing and purring. Cats do not have the brain that is responsible for speech. Another reason is the structure of the larynx and tongue, which is different from the human one. A cat physically cannot pronounce most of our sounds, their combinations and words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dJfUAe9d2Y
A good answer is truthful and understandable to the child. Tell that cats can be happy, sad, afraid, experience different emotions. They do not know how to laugh, cry and talk, so they communicate differently. With a purr, the cat “talks” about how she feels. Usually pleasant sensations are implied: the cat likes to be stroked; she is glad to have returned home from work or from a walk; she was treated to her favorite treat. This purr is “translated” from the cat’s tongue as “Hooray, great, I'm very pleased.” This explanation will be enough for the baby who communicates with pets only under the supervision of adults.
Explain to older children that sometimes cats purr if they are very frightened and / or hurt. Anxious purr is distinguished from joyful behavior of the animal. If it huddled in a corner, hid under the bed, does not respond to its name and purrs - not everything is in order with the cat, it may have become ill. Need to call adults.
A preschooler may wonder why cats cannot pronounce human words. Tell him how a person speaks and makes an animal sound. Commands come from the brain, they are performed by the language and vocal cords. The human brain gives commands for the reproduction of words, the brain of a cat - meowing and purring. Cats do not have the brain that is responsible for speech. Another reason is the structure of the larynx and tongue, which is different from the human one. A cat physically cannot pronounce most of our sounds, their combinations and words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dJfUAe9d2Y