Kattens maling har lenge vært et mysterium. Tidligere trodde man for eksempel at katten hadde et eget male-organ, og man hadde ikke snøring på hvorfor katter maler. I dag vet vi at maling er forårsaket av en dings i hjernen, som sender nerveimpulser som gir opphav til vibrasjoner i kattens larynx med en frekvens på mellom 27 og 44 hertz. Når katten så puster jevnt danner dette den velkjente malingen, både på innpust og utpust.

Men hvorfor i alle dager gjør katten dette? Vi vet at katter maler når de har det fint og blir kost med, men hvordan brukes malingen når det ikke er mennesker til stede? Det er naturligvis vanskelig å svare på, men noe vet vi om temaet. Jeg hiver inn litt tekst jeg har stjålet fra wikipedia:

It is, however, not entirely clear to scientists whether this really is one of the cat's reasons for making the sound; it is well established that a cat also purrs when it is uneasy, nervous or in great pain, perhaps to comfort itself or to express submission. Other theories suggest that a cat purrs when it wants, needs, or is receiving attention, whether it be affection or medical treatment. Purring may also reduce pain, help a wounded cat to heal, or even help to keep a cat's bones strong.

Ethologist Paul Leyhousen, in his book Cat Behavior, interprets purring as a signal meaning "I am not a threat" to explain the otherwise differing circumstances that elicit the sound.

Men ligger det noe mer bak? Ja, kanskje. Jeg fant en annen side, www.i-pets.com, som underbygger at maling har bortimot magiske legende egenskaper:

It is commonly believed that cats purr when content. However, cats also purr when they are severely injured, frightened or giving birth. So if cats were purring solely out of happiness they would not purr when injured, especially as the generation of the purr requires energy, and an injured animal will generally not expend precious energy needed for healing on an activity not directly connected with their survival. Since the purr has lasted through hundreds of generations of cats, there must be a survival mechanism behind its continued existence[...]

omestic cats and some wild cats, like pumas and mountain lions (almost any big cat that cannot roar), are all able to purr. A scientific research study recorded the purrs of five species of cats - cheetah, puma, serval, ocelot and the domestic cat. The purring of the subject cats was recorded to be at a frequency between 25 and 150 Hertz. Medical investigators have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing in humans as well as other animals.

Wow. Liten tvil om at det er best å skaffe seg en katt. Og jaggu er det håp for allergikere også. Ganske ofte vil en person venne seg til en katt, og slutte å reagere på den, mens man fortsatt er allergisk mot katter generelt. Ved å bade katten regelmessig kan man dessuten redusere mengden allergifremkallende katteavfall med 90%. Og om man begynner med dette fra katten er liten vil den ofte bli glad i bading.

-Tor Nordam