Our enigmatic little furry friends may have just given up one of their secrets, as scientists think they have discovered the gene which underpins purring in cats.

Cats are believed to purr for various reasons , from expressive contentment and self-soothing to even helping promote bone regeneration and heal fractures.

The study—which was undertaken by Yume Okamoto and colleagues at the Kyoto University Wildlife Research Center in Japan—focused on variations in the so-called androgen receptor gene, which has been linked to various feline behaviors.

"Through our research, we hope to deepen our understanding of cats and contribute to building happier relationships between cats and humans," Okamoto said in a statement.

In their study, the researchers worked with 280 domestic cats, all o

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