Can tigers purr?

Purr. The cat family, known as Felidae, is split between bigger cats who can roar and smaller cats who purr. The roaring cats are part of the sub-family called Pantherinae and the purring cats are in the sub-family Felinae. In fact, only four species of cats can actually roar. These are lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars. read more

Lesser cats are all of the cat species who are capable of purring. The cougar is the largest lesser cat. (In other words, they are the biggest cat who can purr). In conclusion, lions, tigers, jaguars, or leopards can roar but cannot purr; however, all other cat species can in fact purr. read more

Many textbooks state that only small cats, members of the Felix genus, can purr. However, it appears that cats in the genus Panthera, such as lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars, also do so. It also believed these big cats may not be able to purr while meowing, growling, or eating, unlike smaller cats. read more

No. There are two subfamilies of cats, one which can purr and one which cannot. Pantherine cats, like tigers, lions, and leopards, cannot purr. However, they can roar thanks to a special bone in their skull called a hyoid bone. Feline cats, like house cats, mountain lions, and cheetahs, don't have a hyoid bone and do not roar, but they can purr. read more