From the BBC science desk: Cats 'exploit' humans by purring

[40hz]

At last! The Truth can finally be told! 

Link to story: http://news.bbc.co.u...e/nature/8147566.stm

Cat owners may have suspected as much, but it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.

Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food.

Unlike regular purring, this sound incorporates a "cry", with a similar frequency to a human baby's.

The team said cats have "tapped into" a human bias - producing a sound that humans find very difficult to ignore.

 

[dementedmuppet]

I am not surprised.  I have always been suspicious of Mouser. 

[Whereismyangel]

it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.

-40hz (July 14, 2009, 01:20 PM)

...well...I think it's clear since a very long time (remember Egyptian) that cats have mastered ALL possible ways to totally manipulate humans !!!
 

[SKesselman]

Oh, not my owner cat. She would never manipulate me.
She makes this sound once in a while; but it's not annoying, it's...like a lullaby...

[justice]

Microsoft will release a patch on tuesday for this latest exploit affecting windows owners.

[Lashiec]

Microsoft will release a patch on tuesday for this latest exploit affecting windows owners.

-justice (July 15, 2009, 07:59 AM)

Cat owners using Mac OS or Linux are unaffected, I presume

[justice]

Yes they're advising any windows cat owners to mute the sound until then.

[40hz]

Microsoft will release a patch on tuesday for this latest exploit affecting windows owners.

-justice (July 15, 2009, 07:59 AM)

Cat owners using Mac OS or Linux are unaffected, I presume

-Lashiec (July 15, 2009, 08:43 AM)

Well...most versions of Linux are.

But that's more thanks to the fact that Pulse Audio delivers such poor sound quality, assuming you can get it to work at all. All those sub and harmonic overtones just get distorted to the point that The Cat Wave no longer effects humans.
 
It's my understanding that there has been some discussion as to whether or not this should be viewed as a "feature."
 

[Stoic Joker]

Once again proving that we are not the smartest animals on this planet.