August 1st, we brought home a kitten and if you would have told me 25 years ago that I would be writing a blog post about how a tiny grey kitten became one of the most calming parts of our home… I would have laughed. Even more so, teenage Nikki would not have believed adult Nikki had two dogs and a cat.
I grew up with cats, we had them on and off throughout my childhood. But at some point, our allergies took over and we always had to give the cats away. Then in high school, we had a cat named Bear, who we had until he passed when I was an adult with a baby, but this time in high school my OCD got really intense, to the point where I wouldn’t even pet him with my hands, I would literally only use my feet. So yeah… I wasn’t exactly the “cat mom” type in my teens or twenties.
Then I had kids, and my kids were all about dogs, so we became a dog house. I got used to the rhythm of dogs, the energy, the routines, the walks, the chaos, the unconditional love.
This summer was different. In June, my youngest had spinal fusion surgery. It was a lot, physically, emotionally, and mentally. She was basically out for most of the summer recovering, and out of sports for 6 months! During that time, we decided to get her a kitten. We adopted her from the Cleveland APL, and for a full month, we had two dogs and a kitten in our house, which honestly sounds like a children’s movie now that I think about it.
On September 1st, our sweet dog Coco passed away, that loss hit us hard, harder than I was expecting it to hit and I still get sad thinking of her 4 months later. But what is wild is that our kitten reminds us so much of Coco. Not in the obvious ways, because she’s a cat and Coco was a dog, but in her presence, her energy, in the comfort she brings to our home.
Even though Coco was still with us when we adopted the kitten, I swear Coco knew her time was coming to a close and sent us this little tiny soul to soften the grief that was about to land. The crazy part is, we weren’t even planning to choose her. At the APL, we were looking in the front kitten room, and my daughter had narrowed it down between two kittens, we were trying to decide, and then someone told us there was another room in the back with more cats and kittens. So we walked back there, and that’s where we found her. This grey kitten who was so scared… but so insanely sweet.
She looked terrified, like she wanted to disappear into the wall, but the second we got close, she came right to us and sniffed our hands, and we melted. She was gentle, soft, loving, and it was like she was just waiting for someone to be safe with.
The girls and I fell in love. It’s been five months now, and she is still attached to us like glue… but she’s still scared of other people.
What I didn’t expect, is how much she would help all of us regulate. Especially me, I didn’t even set out to write an article about cats and the healing properties of their purrs, or about how their purrs are literally frequencies measured in Hertz.
However, once I started noticing how calm I felt when she curled up next to me, I needed to know why, what I found was honestly incredible.
The Healing Power of a Cat’s Purr (Yes, It’s a Real Thing)
Cats purr at a frequency range of about 25 to 150 Hz.
And research suggests that vibrations in this frequency range may support things like:
- Tissue regeneration
- Bone healing
- Reduced pain and swelling
- Relaxation and endorphin release
That’s why some people describe purring as a form of “natural feline therapy.”
Even if you’re someone who doesn’t care about the science, you’ve probably felt it.
That deep exhale you didn’t realize you were holding.
That moment where your shoulders soften.
That little shift in your mood when a cat curls up near you like, you’re safe now.
That’s not in your head.
That’s your nervous system responding to rhythm, vibration, and connection.
- Stress and Anxiety Relief (The Nervous System Reset You Didn’t Know You Needed)
When you’re around a purring cat, your body hears that steady, rhythmic vibration and interprets it as soothing.
It’s almost like real life white noise.
Your breathing slows down.
Your heart rate settles.
Your body starts coming out of fight-or-flight.
And for people like me, who have lived with anxiety, stress, OCD tendencies, and the constant mental load that comes with being a mom, a working woman, and a person who cares deeply… that kind of nervous system “permission slip” is everything. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m overstimulated until she’s laying on my chest purring, and I feel myself come back into my body.
- Bonding and Comfort (Why Her Purr Feels Like Love)
Kittens actually purr to bond with their mothers, even while nursing. It’s one of their earliest signals of safety and connection. As they grow, they continue to purr around the people they trust. So when your kitten purrs near you, it’s not just “cute.”
It’s communication.
It’s her saying:
I’m safe.
You’re safe.
I trust you.
This is home.
What’s beautiful is your body responds to that. That’s where the emotional comfort comes in, the feeling of connection, softness, and calm. It’s why so many people say their pets saved them during hard seasons, because in a world that feels loud and heavy, animals bring us back to the present moment.
- Purring Isn’t Just for Happiness (Cats Purr When They’re Hurt Too)
This part surprised me the most. Cats don’t only purr when they’re happy. They also purr when they’re injured, stressed, or in pain. Scientists believe purring may help cats heal themselves, through calming the nervous system and supporting the body’s recovery processes. So it’s kind of amazing to realize that your cat might purr for you…
She’s also purring for herself.
It’s self-soothing.
It’s emotional regulation.
It’s survival.
It’s comfort.
Honestly… it’s a reminder that sometimes healing doesn’t look loud, sometimes healing looks like resting, being close, and letting your body settle.
I didn’t think I needed a kitten, I thought we were getting her for my daughter, because she deserved something sweet after such a huge surgery and hard summer. The truth is, I think we all needed her. She became this quiet comfort in a season of recovery and grief.
Sometimes the thing you never planned for becomes the thing that helps you breathe again. So yes, we adopted a kitten, but what we really brought home was calm. In a world that constantly demands more, I’ll take that kind of medicine any day.
If you’re going through a season where your nervous system feels fried, your heart feels tender, or you’re carrying more than you expected…
Let this be your reminder:
Healing isn’t always a huge transformation.
Sometimes it’s small.
Sometimes it’s quiet.
Sometimes it’s a tiny grey kitten curling up beside you and purring like she knows exactly what you need.
Nikki Lanigan
Nikki Lanigan is a yoga, HIIT, and Barre instructor, she is also a Holistic Health Coach through Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Nikki is trained in Yoga Shred, Yoga Psychology, meditation, chakra balancing, and EFT/Tapping. She has done trainings with Sadie Nardini and Ashley Turner. She got her 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2017 at the Carrie Treister School Of Yoga. Nikki takes a holistic view of health, helping her students and clients reach a place of self-love not just through movement, but with mindset and lifestyle guidance as well. Nikki is also show prep writer for The McVay Media Show Prep and host of the podcast Fit, Fun, and Frazzled. Connect with Nikki on Instagram. www.instagram.com/nikkilanigan.yogaandwellness www.instagram.com/fitfunandfrazzledpodcast
