Our black cat, Rosie, has the quietest purr known to felinehood, a barely-perceptible, hushed hum of happiness. When I am petting him, sometimes I gently rest my head on his body to check if he is purring. Without being that close to him, I would never be able to hear him.
One day, Dove, who is 6, came up to me and rested her head on my chest. I thought she was affectionately snuggling with me, but then she lifted her head and informed me, “I was checking to see if you are purring.”
Since I was not, in fact, purring, she gave me a look of slight disappointment and even disapproval, then went off in search of the cat, who was likely to offer up far more satisfactory results in the purring department.
The things kids say. 🙂