Purring Machines: Minnie & Nara's Unique Personalities

Hi, I'm Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat person.

Cats love to purr, at least most of them. It’s a way to express content, relax, but also a means to self-soothe when not feeling great. And it can be combined with head-butting and kneading, my all-time favorite. It’s interesting to see how different cats use purrs in different situations, and how some of them rely on purring almost all the time. Miki is a moderate purrer, although he prefers head butts and gentle meows when he interacts with me. Nara is a silent purrer. I rarely catch her purring, and it doesn't last long. She is more secretive in everything she does. And Minnie is a different story altogether.

Minnie And Her Purring

Before getting Minnie, I figured cats purred now and then, when relaxed and being cuddled. Miki likes to purr, but in many ways, he interacts with me more like a dog, as he was raised alongside two. After Minnie came to me, I realized how powerful purring can be. As she was very small and not in the greatest health, she soon started cuddling up to me, sleeping on my neck and chest, in my lap, and standing on my shoulder while I was doing chores around the house. She became, more or less, attached to me, in the literal sense, as well as figuratively.

And her purrs are lengthy and profound. They bring me a sense of calm and relaxation, and they carry on for more than 20 minutes at a time. As soon as I touch her, whether deliberately or by accident, she starts again. If I’ve been away for a day or two, she will run up to meet me as soon as I enter the house, while the other two are not as fussed. She’ll be up on my shoulder, purring, head butting, kneading, the whole package. And the first night after my absence, there she is, sleeping on my chest, sometimes even resting her head next to mine.

Nara and Miki

Growing this special kind of bond with Minnie, I do regret that Miki is no longer as affectionate as he used to be when he was only a kitten. But even then, he was never as close to me as Minnie is now. I guess it all depends on their character. That’s not to say that he doesn’t show affection; he does, by jumping up in my lap, purring, and giving me love bites, but the moments he shares with me are generally only a few minutes long, several times a day.

Nara is the timid one, and despite coming a long way, it takes a lot of patience to get her to cuddle. She will jump up in my lap now, and will even sleep on top of my legs, but she is not a great purrer, more like a secret and composed one. But she is a chatterbox. She will make more versatile noises than Miki and Minnie combined, and at times, it sounds like she’s got a lot to say. Shame I can’t understand a single squick.

Unique Personalities

It’s interesting watching the three of them interact with one another, with me, and with the dogs, as they are so different in interpreting the world around them. To Nara, everything starts off as a threat, before she realizes it’s not always that bad. Miki likes to observe from a distance and think things through before reacting. Minnie, on the other hand, is the most reckless and fearless one, or really, the most careless. She will try everything at least once, whether it’s a good idea or not.

It’s peculiar how similar living conditions and lifestyles still eventually lead to such different personalities and responses to everyday life situations, possibly also based on early experiences imprinted on the cats while they were still with their mother and littermates. However, seeing their unique personalities and the ways they communicate with me brings me joy and makes me appreciate the extent of their intelligence, as well as their approach to nurturing our bond. Despite having a seemingly aloof cat like Nara, I understand now that cats are so much more complex than the unfair prejudice established against them that classes them as aloof.