Do You Know What the Largest Cat Is That Can Still Purr and Meow?

We all love it when our cats rub up against us and start purring. Sometimes we even get annoyed when they constantly meow for food right after they’ve eaten a meal. But did you know that even cougars can purr and meow? These huge cats, also known as pumas, mountain lions, or panthers, may be dangerous predators – but they are also pretty cuddly. This Big Cat Rescue video shows cougars purring and meowing to their hearts’ content.

Big Cat Rescue is a wildlife sanctuary in Tampa, Florida, and houses several captive pumas. These fierce animals act like big softies when their human handlers come around, mewling and purring in response to human voices. Still, their meows sound quite a bit louder than your average cat! You might even be likely to mistake their purring for a growl.

However, cougars are still classified as lesser cats. This means that in some ways pumas are more similar to our own domesticated kitties than true big cats like tigers, leopards, or lions. So despite their intimidating meowing, there might be a house pet underneath!

Even so, make sure to always be careful around cougars. They might like their trained human handlers, but in the wild they are still very much beasts of prey. They are agile, with great hearing, and can jump up to 18 feet vertically and 30 feet horizontally to catch their meals. It’s best to enjoy their purring from a distance and cuddle up to your smaller fur babies instead.

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(H/T: Big Cat Rescue)