Smokey is a very happy cat. In fact, the 12-year-old tabby so happy that she purrs nearly all the time.

While this trait is adorable, it’s also deafening.

Most cats purr at around 25 decibels, but Smokey has been recorded at an average of 80 decibels. When measured at close range, her purrs reach 92 decibels, equal to a lawnmower, a hair dryer, or a Boeing 737 coming in to land.

Smokey’s owners, Ruth and Mark Adams, say the cat’s deafening purrs make it nearly impossible for them to hear the television or radio when she is in the room.

“Its either adorable or annoying, depending on what mood youre in,” said Ruth, who adopted Smokey from an animal shelter for her 10-year-old daughter. “You dont even have to stroke her to start a purring session — often shell do it for no reason.”

Even telephone conversations aren’t safe from Smokey’s roars of contentment. “When Im on the phone, friends often ask what the loud noise is. They cant believe it is coming from a cat,” says Ruth

The only one who doesn’t seem fazed by the noise is Smokey herself.

“She has always been very vocal and purrs at some level nearly all the time,” Ruth says. “She even manages to purr while she eats. The only time she is quiet is when she is asleep.”

It’s not just the volume of her purr that’s unusual. She makes a unique sound “as if she has a dove stuck in her throat,” says Ruth. “My daughter thinks it is adorable.”

The Norhampton family has now submitted an application to Guinness World Records.

A spokesman for the organization says, “The record for the loudest scream by a human is 129 decibels. If Smokey can purr at over 80 decibels, it would be a really astonishing feat.”

“She’s very happy and content, just very loud,” Ruth says.

[Sources: The Metro, The Daily Record, and The Telegraph]

See — and hear — Smokey’s amazing purr: