The prusten is a sound made by certain wildcats when in close proximity with other cats that is of low intensity and short. It is a snorting call. The wildcats that make this sound are: clouded leopard, tigers, snow leopards and jaguars. The clouded leopard makes similar sounds to the tiger.
The prusten sound lasts less than one second. It is a soft sound a bit like a horse snorting. Air is expelled through the nostrils. The larynx plays a part too. It is used in friendly encounters. It serves a similar function to gurgling and puffing. In the early part of the video below the tiger does a prusten. Note: videos are sometimes removed by YouTube without notice.
My bengal cat actually does this, so it's not exclusive for wild cats. The sound come in short bursts through her nose and is very much like the sound the tiger makes - only with a somewhat "higher pitch" as her smaller nostrils 'flap' a little faster. It's a happy greeting sound.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. It is interesting. I'm not surprised though because there is a little bit of wildcat within the Bengal cat.
DeleteAnother Bengal owner here who's cat does this exact same thing. Very cute!
DeleteThanks K for sharing. It is nice to know the prusten is not (it appears) uncommon in the Bengal cat.
DeleteMy long haired domestic cat does it. But only to me, I've never heard him chuff/prusten to the others. They're all rescues, but he came from a particularly bad situation.
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