Your cat is manipulating you...

[crimsonblue]

From Discovery News:

Cat owners who think their cats control them now have some scientific confirmation: Animal vocalization experts have just identified a special manipulative purr that felines have evolved, in part, to get what they want from people.

The newly identified vocalization, called "solicitation purring," has never been acknowledged or studied before, although cat fanciers, such as the study's lead author Karen McComb, are quite familiar with it.

"In the case of my cat, if he sees you stirring from sleep at all in the early morning he will immediately switch into giving this solicitation purring and position himself next to your head so you get the full impact," McComb, a reader in Behavioral Ecology at the University of Sussex, told Discovery News.

She added, "Asking around, I find I'm not the only one who, if I wake up early, often lie pretending to still be asleep so my cat doesn't start this!"

McComb, who has analyzed communication and cognition of elephants, lions and many other mammals, decided to investigate what could be behind her cat's early morning purring.

The rest of the story can be found here

[SoxFan]

1. This is really not a surprise, is it?

[skygazer]

2. Another study stating the obvious

:eyes:

[WolverineDG]

3. Well, duh

although hats off to McComb who figured out a way to stay home with the kitties & get paid for it. :P

dg

[Heidi]

4. I should hope so.

Otherwise, I might have to tender my resignation from Ginger's staff due to his ineffective feline leadership.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. My feline overlords were disturbed to find that their purr code had been broken.

But it doesn't change anything. They're still in charge.

[TZ]

6. lol actually I just realized that Smokie does this

I'll wake up with her standing on the top of my pillow purring away, louder than she normally does...:)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Listen carefully next time she does it.

You will probably hear a high-pitched, whiny overtone. I always thought my guys were purring only because they were happily anticipating breakfast. Now I know they were manipulating me (again).

[graywarrior]

7. LOL! I am a slave to my cat.

Now he will NOT drink water from a bowl. It MUST be out of a glass...the SPECIAL glass. And when it gets too low, he makes a guttural howl that I respond to like Eloi.