Cats "exploit" people... by purring

Research conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Sussex reveals that cats use specific types of purring to attract the attention of their owners. Some of these sounds resemble the cries of a human baby, making them difficult to ignore. Dr. Karen McComb, who led the study, noted that cats can manipulate their owners, which can lead to faster satisfaction of their needs, such as food. The findings of this study shed new light on the relationship between humans and their pets.

Cat owners may have suspected this, but it seems our fluffy friends have actually found a way to manipulate us.

Researchers from the University of Sussex (UK) have discovered that cats use "pleasing purrs" to tame their owners and attract their attention - along with food.

Unlike a simple purr, this sound contains a "cry" with a frequency similar to that of a human baby.

A team of researchers has found that cats "knock" on the human mind by producing a sound that is very difficult for humans to ignore.

Dr. Karen McComb, lead author of the study recently published in the journal Current Biology, said she was inspired to do the research by her own cat, Pepo.

"He would wake me up early in the morning with his persistent purring, which could be really annoying," Dr. McComb told BBC News. "After a little investigation, I discovered that other cat owners were bombarded with similar early morning sounds."

While meowing might get a cat chased out of the bedroom, Dr. McComb says the persistent purring often prompted cat lovers to get out of bed and fill their pet's bowl.

To find out why this happens, the research team asked cat owners to record their cats' vocal tactics on a voice recorder – both "requesting" and "unrequesting" purrs were recorded.

"Even when we played the recordings to volunteers, even those who didn't own cats said the pleading purr was more annoying and less pleasant," Dr. McComb said.