No purrs - ever...

I got Boo! about 2 months ago from the shelter. She was dropped off there in a cage - and they didn't know about her past history. She's a little over a year old and was kind of skittish when I brought her home.

She's become more affectionate over time, but doesn't like a lot of petting (too much leads to biting).

The only time she lets me hold her is when I'm on the computer - and she jumps up on the keyboard or the desk. Then she'll let me pick her up and hold her as long as I turn around so she can watch TV with me (and have me forget the computer!)


Here's the thing: she NEVER purrs. She rarely vocalizes at all (only during play - and then only 'chirping'). Will she grow into purring, or is this just something she'll never do?

Thanks...

I used to have a cat who was adopted from a shelter and didn't like to be petted much either, and would also bite if she was petted too much. My cat did improve over time and grew to really enjoy being petted. Just be patient with your cat and give her more time to adjust to you.

Also, some cats purr very quietly, you could try gently placing your fingers against your cat's throat to see if you can feel any vibrations.

I too had a cat who hardly purred. He did when he was a kitten but then grew out of it. He could and would spend most of his day aloof from everyone, but when he wanted attention he would jump in our laps, no matter what we were doing and knead on us. You could hear very little to nothing in the way of purring, but if you placed your finger gently to his throat, you could feel it! He didn't mind being petted at these times. However, he always hated being restricted or held. If you tried to place your arms around him he would growl while purring! But, he was the greatest cat and we miss him terribly. Good luck with your cat.

I too had a cat who hardly purred. Tiger did when he was a kitten but then grew out of it. He could and would spend most of his day aloof from everyone, but when he wanted attention he would jump in our laps, no matter what we were doing and knead on us. You could hear very little to nothing in the way of purring, but if you placed your finger gently to his throat, you could feel it! He didn't mind being petted at these times. However, he always hated being restricted or held. If you tried to place your arms around him he would growl while purring! But, he was the greatest cat and we miss him terribly. Good luck with your cat.

We have a 7 month old kitten who is just learning to purr, but I think she does it just to imitate her older "sisters", it's like a fake purr, and she only does it while she kneads, another suspected "learned" behavior. This kitten was a feral who was taken into human care at the age of 1 week, so didn't have a lot of time to learn from Mom.

Maybe your cat never learned - not knowing her background, it's hard to tell.

We have had Poppy for about 4 years now. She came to us from a rescue and had a rough life previously. It took a lot of time and patience, but she is now a much more well-adjusted cat. She's still a little skittish, but she even purrs sometimes now! Your cat may purr someday too!

My baby is 16 years old & has never been much for purring. We got her at 8 weeks old. She had been born in a barn (litterally) and had very little human interaction. She was not one for much attention when she was young and almost never purred. When she did it was often so quiet that you couldn't hear it. She would let me hold her, but no one else could actually pick her up. Often if I was holding her when she didn't want to be held she would growl to let me know she was mad. Now in her old age she has calmed down a lot. She wants to be petted at least a little every day, she often sleeps at the head of the bed with me (used to be she would never get any where near my face unless there was food involved.) She still does not purr a whole lot, but it's actually loud enough sometimes that you can hear her. I also have often thought that purring was difficult for her. Her breathing pattern changes when she purrs. That's just the way she's always been.

As with just about everyone else here, I've had cats and taken care of cats who are like the above discribed. Some grow out of it, or get more affectionate as they get better aquianted with you.
But then again, some cats are just that way.
I know a lot of cats who will bite (but softly) if you don't pet them "the right way" or in the right spot, or they just get sick of being touched, and that's how they tell you.

Is this cat declawed by any chance?

About the purring, some cats just don't really purr, it's only been in recent months that my 3 year old Asim has purred, and it's a very soft purr you can't ever really hear him, but you can feel it at times.

As for not talking, consider yourself lucky! It's better then having one that wont keep quiet in the middle of the night! There's nothing wrong with a cat that doesn't talk much, or at all. My first cat DC, he would open his mouth to meow (very rarely) but nothing would come out. But I know he COULD speak, when someone stepped on his tail, or he got in a fight.

No, Boo! is not declawed. My last cat was, and she loved to knead. She had come to me declawed - it wasn't my choice (although I have to admit, it was easier on me, my hands and arms, and my furniture). I had always been told the kneading thing was something that cats who were weaned too early exhibited. Something about them still being focused on suckling. I'm not sure - could be just an old wives' tale...

My last cat also was a talker, but only when someone started the conversation. She'd talk back, just like she was having a conversation with you. It was the cutest thing. I really miss her. She died at age 16, which I guess is pretty old for a cat. I know I was pretty devastated when she left me.

I know I shouldn't expect the same out of my new kitty. She definitely has a different personality, and I've definitely come to love her for all her good points and despite her (few) bad habits.

cats knead because they have scent glands in their feet. This is their way of marking something(you)as theirs. My cat does this all the time, and he has claws and was with his mother until he was 4 months old. Also, we have a cat at work who i thought never purred, until she jumped on my lap and i felt her throat. And she was!!

I posted a question about purring regarding my Duke, who was a kitten only a few months old. He also would not purr whatsoever. I was told to listen closely to his neck, etc., and could never hear him. However, he is now five months old and has been purring very loudly for a while now.
It took him a long time to become tame; he was a very shy and skittish kitten. Now he has adjusted to me a lot; he doesn't hide as often, and likes to be petted more...
Time can help!