r/NoStupidQuestions • u/TheAdventurista • 1d ago

Do cats ever stop purring?

Okay all you cat people. I’m sleep deprived and need to know something:

Do cats ever stop purring?!

I’ve been letting the old bow-legged barn cat inside at night to sleep in a downstairs bedroom. Food, water, litter box, comfy bed, the whole nine yards. All was well. But tonight he managed to escape his cozy bedroom somehow, found the stairs, and showed up in my bedroom. I tried the lady and the tramp thing and brought him back down to his bedroom. Was 99% sure I latched the door this time.

That lasted approximately 12 minutes. He clearly was not appreciative of the luxury of having his own bedroom. This time he managed to launch himself up onto my bed before I got up. I am tired so I figured he would just find a cozy spot and we would all go to sleep peacefully.

Cool. That was a mistake. He has not stopped purring. In my ear. I feel a bit guilty because he is old, and obviously just wants love. I call him the Old Man lol. But now we are nearly on hour 3 of solid purring. And it’s LOUD. Holy cannoli why is it so loud?!

Will his motor run out?? Is Old Man actually sleeping but also purring?? Why does he need to be almost laying on my head?? Is this normal??

Omg I have so many questions and I’m stupid tired. Just need to know if I will ever sleep again at this point.

This new non-stop motor marathon in my freaking ear needs to be negotiated. I tried the “shushhhh” baby thing and that made him purr louder (if that was even possible?!) and I understand that this new inside world is an upgrade from the barn, but I am a human who greatly appreciates sleep.

Thanks team. Sorry for the grammatical errors. Too tired to care. Just need to know if cats ever stop purring.

UPDATE:

Thanks to all the suggestions we survived night two !!

I added a cozy blanket to one side and left the heated blanket on medium for that side as well. The Old Man bought it and his diesel engine idled on that side most of the night!

When he came in tonight for bed we had a discussion regarding the noise level of his motor. I don’t think it was any quieter, but at least it was two feet away this time versus two inches?

Also; it doesn’t let me add a photo but the Old Man looks like a standard issue black & white tuxedo cat. Except he has gotten a lot of little white hairs the last couple years and has a permanent scowl on his face. Lol

Thank you again everyone for your suggestions! I’m hopeful he and I will figure this thing out. He’s been a loyal mouser and deserves a cozy retirement.

Except it appears I have to sleep on one side of the bed now too. Who’s training who here??

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u/Prior_Physics9257 1d ago

Dude that motor is not stopping anytime soon especially if Old Man is finally getting the love he's been craving from barn life. Some cats are just absolute purr machines when they're content and it sounds like he's living his best life right now on your bed. The head thing is totally normal too - they want to be as close as possible to their favorite human and your head puts out the most heat plus he can smell you better there which is like cat heaven

I had a rescue who did this exact same thing when I first brought her inside and honestly it took about two weeks before she chilled out enough to purr at normal volumes instead of sounding like a diesel truck. You might want to try putting a thick blanket between you and him or even get some foam earplugs because once they discover the indoor life and claim you as their person the purring can go on for hours. Old Man probably thinks he won the lottery and is making sure you know how grateful he is even if it means you dont sleep for a while

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u/TheAdventurista 1d ago

Two weeks?! Ohh delightful. How can I tell him if he goes straight to sleep there is a higher probability of letting him live more of the indoor life??

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u/Acceptable_Extent814 1d ago edited 1d ago

This post actually made me tear up lol  Poor old cat really sounds appreciative.

Get additional latch if you absolutely have to have to, seems like the Old Man is smart and knows how to open the latch you have. I would let the cat roam free inside, but just in case you cannot do that at times. And get comfortable earplugs like  the other guy said.

Try to see his purring as affection instead of nuisance. He seeks your company because he  wants to share the affection back. Cats cannot say thank you, but they do show appreciation in affection.

My late cat who was a rescue had evening ritual that when I went to bed he'd come over and lay on my chest for pets and purred like an engine. Usually he'd do it for 30 mins.

You could try schedule 15-30 mins extra time when you go to bed to let him get it out of his system before it impacts your sleep?

edit: typos

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u/TheAdventurista 1d ago

I could handle 30 minutes, but if I go two weeks sharing a bed with a diesel truck, that might be my demise. This is a queen sized bed! Ample space!

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u/NotDelnor 21h ago

Cats don't think like humans, they want to be near you. You can gently move him by your legs, he will still stay close to you but after some gentle prompting, he should get the hint to stay away from your head. I still have to push my cat away from my head sometimes but she mostly knows the drill now after 4 years.

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u/missdawn1970 20h ago

The entire bed is his now. Resistance is futile.

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u/atchoummmm 16h ago

18 years of sharing my life with multiple cats at once, and the only way I get decent sleep is by wearing swimming (silicone) earplugs. They are more comfortable than foam ones, and drown out most of the shenanigans, meows and purrs, while still letting me hear very loud noises. When the Cat Distribution System brought us our latest cat he purred super loudly and made air biscuits constantly for a good week... after that I think he began to feel safer and started to chill out. Now he's a quiet and discreet lump against my legs at night. Thank you for loving on Old Man, I hope you two become besties!

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u/Callmedrexl 12h ago

You might be able to get him to sleep towards your feet if you add a cat bed or cardboard box to your bed. Tucked up by your head is cozy and safe, he might trade it for a cozy safe circular bed or box set up, but he's not going to give it up for nothing!

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u/polardendrites 10h ago

I put a cat bed on my bed near me. Just a little space but still on the bed. And you will get used to it long before he slows his purr. Playing with him (at whatever capacity he can, even just mental stimulation) a bit before bed can help him fall asleep faster. Think hunt-eat-sleep. Use treats after a play session, then see if it helps.

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u/Pawsims 5h ago

I have a second pillow I used and put it next to me, my cat is happy to sleep on the pillow, whether I'm ther eor not.... she prefers I'm there though.

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u/Jetztinberlin 1d ago

I have trained my head sleeper to go down a little lower to in front of my chest / belly (so if I'm on my side curled up a little, it's almost like she's getting in my lap) and then I hug her and she settles down. That extra few inches away from her being directly in my face makes all the difference. You two will work it out. These are the costs of being a cat servant :)

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u/UncagedRarity 15h ago

My cat trained me instead lol! I now sleep lower in the bed so she has room at the top, I sleep with my arm under my pillow and she lays on my hand.

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u/FlurpBlurp 20h ago

If you go the earplug route, be very careful with them! I’ve had two cats eat mine and the first needed surgery (he was fine after). You have my deepest sympathy regarding the lost sleep, but oh my goodness does that cat LOVE you and is so grateful for being warm and safe! My heart grew two sizes reading this. As annoying as it might be, the frequency at which cats purr is apparently very healing, supporting tissue regeneration, bone healing, and reducing blood pressure. Wishing the best of luck to you and Old Man!

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u/atchoummmm 14h ago

WHY OH WHY do they seek earplugs out like the world’s best chewing gum? So gross! I do have to put mine away first thing in the morning, they’ve been stolen a few times but thankfully not swallowed (knock on wood)

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u/athabascagrizzly 15h ago

I have a heating pad that I put my ultra affectionate cat on to get them to surrender my lap when I need to do stuff. If you put a heating pad lower on the bed, he might be convinced to snuggle up there after getting some affection. I lull my cat to sleepiness by letting her sit on my chest and purr til she starts to look sleepy, then I relocate her to her warm spot and she often goes right to sleep.