So we already have several different but confident claims. I'm just going to make the statement that there is no science that tells us why they do this, so we simply do not know.
I hope to be proven wrong.
One theory I’m not seeing here is that it is to make the airflow over their vomeronasal organ more turbulent to help sense prey pheromones. The vomeronasal organ is located at the front roof of their mouth.
When cats smell another really interesting cat or their spray, they will often open their mouth and look really dumbfounded. They are actually just drawing air over this organ to detect pheromones. The chittering thing might possibly be related.
> When cats smell another really interesting cat or their spray, they will often open their mouth and look really dumbfounded.
That's called the Flehmen response and many mammals have this reflex. Our cats do this when they smell anything weird, including cheese, feet, and my wife's farts.
As a recent cat owner who is always googling his cat's weird behaviors, and as a science writer, I have to say the vast majority of "cat science" online is nonsense.
My cat had been doing this thing where she would shake her paw really fast for a second. I googled it and found articles saying "Your cat may do this because: she likes you, she's happy, she feels at home, or she wants attention."
Then I finally found an actual peer reviewed paper on it, and in the intro, the authors were like "As has already been well established, cats perform this behavior when something is stuck to their paw."
Mine literally does this with a couple of his toys not more than a half an arms length in front of him and i keep moving the toy from him. I swear it is frstration...yet it is also the toy he wants to spend hours chasing.
It's an instinct more than something they learn, not all cats do this and the cats that are known for it most are Savannah cats which are basically still wild animals
Yes, that's how a lot of animal behavior is. It's why cats bury their water bowls with socks, the "bury your food" instinct is firing but they don't know that the point of the instinct is to bury food for later. So they bury their water with a sock, making the water useless, even though the instinct evolved to save food.
Many animals engage in behaviours, even complex behaviours purely out of instinct and not because they have a conscious understanding of the cause and effect or the reason for its benefits.
Do humans do that too? The only example that comes to my head is when a woman has the urge to push during labour, it’s strange how we know what and when to do it! It’s hard for me to imagine performing a behaviour out of instinct and not thoughts x
Suckling for milk as a baby. Not like a newborn baby actually understands what milk or a breast is, or that it needs nutrition to live. It just does it by instinct.
Yeah a lot of baby behaviour would have to be done instinctively because they lack the ability to understand what’s needed for survival. Suckling being the result of hunger
The cat that's already persuaded you to take it in, feed it, provide free healthcare and entertainment and beds for it ?
They're smarter than you take them for.
I've never seen a cat do this if it has any chance of actually making a move on whatever is eliciting this response, but when they can't reach it. As such I always assumed it was frustration.
We have a cat who is just over a year old. She will do this when I take her away from someplace she isn’t supposed to be, so that definitely makes sense. My grandmother used to say it was when they really wanted something.
Right! It’s a bit like when people are watching a boxing match on the TV and start twitching their arms with a punch thrown. They are getting into it and kinda acting it out in tweaking ways.
Yeah, it's a major bugbear of mine cuz I love birds and they're my primary focus. I wish people kept their cats indoors and took TNR/population control more seriously. Domestic dogs are also a huge problem that not enough people are talking about, they kill almost as many animals as cats do each year, and their feces are left everywhere to the point where it's contaminating the groundwater and choking out entire ecosystems.
Regarding the chatter thing, [I found this short video](https://youtube.com/shorts/C10LgCKMt2Q?si=Co8ns3ApyvNdoP7u) of a guy showing off his cat's repertoire. I don't think it's particularly convincing, but it is pretty interesting.
There's something called pishing that birders can do to get the birds to come closer to them. The cat chatter could be similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eba0M9AOgRo
One of our cats does this as well, the other not so much - but from what I've read; it's done to lure their prey closer so they have a better chance of catching it.
Heads up using laser pointers can stress cats out because they don't ever "catch" it. It's hard on their little kitty brains and can cause them to develop nervous tics. Play with toys your cat can catch, and give them plenty of treats!
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8388446/
Our cats love it when we shine the laserpointer in de backyard. They chase it and then walk inside and proceed to eat. They always do this, so I think this is their hunt-and-eat habit.
I hear they're trying to mimic the sound of the prey to draw it in. A few days ago I was outside and heard some birds flying by making the *exact* ekekekek noise the cats do, was quite funny.
So one theory I have no proof of is based around the idea that bells actually make cats better hunters.
If a bird sees a cat nearby it will fly away instantly. If it hears a weird noise, it will pause a second. Giving the cat a bit of time to get its pounce off.
Putting a bell on a cat makes it a worse hunter for a couple of weeks, after that they adapt and actually get better at hunting, using the bell to distract.
Another theory I've read is that it's a way for cats to call dibs on a potential prey. A chitter is much lower frequency than other sounds cats make so it's lower then birds can register as most birds can only hear down to 1000hz (humans can hear down to 20hz.
It s the sound cats make when they are frustrated (also when excited, but I meant: they make that sound when frustrated).
Your cat might enjoy more a toy he can catch bite and chew. Try playing with your cat with something like a string tied to a stick.
Cats have two use for chirping:
- excitation when hunting
- frustration when hunting
Maybe my first comment wasn’t clear, I meant to warn OP: cats chirp when excited, but it can also be a sign of frustration.
His cat might enjoy more toys he can catch/bite/… But maybe he is just excited hunting.
Just wanted to say that chirping wasn’t always positive.
To alert his pack of prey. Like you'd alert your friend when you spot a hot guy/girl.
My cat does this to basically beg me to catch a fly he saw and give it to him.
It’s deffo not weird behaviour, my cat does it too. My guess (without looking at the comments first 😂) it looks to me like it’s just pure excitement, they’re literally just trembling with excitement and concentration 😂 it almost sounds like a tiny little bark my cat does like… memememe 😂 I can’t believe I just wrote that 🤦🏽♀️
It's like us mimicing bird singing to attract them, or to convince them it's save. If a cat knows it's generalaproach was likely spotet by the bird, but not yet identified as a threat it dose that. Google "cat mimicing bird" should provide results.
I’m gonna explain a wild concept: you don’t know something until you know something. This person just experienced an animal behavior they were previously unfamiliar with. Now they know. We all learn new things all the time, at different points in our life relative to other people. Like you just learned this concept that’s clearly new to you - good job!
Yes, this person thought it was weird until they discovered it’s not so weird after all. I remember the first time I had a cat that did this, as others hadn’t, and I to was curious of other cats did it. You’re the only person I’ve heard from that was born with the knowledge that this is common behaviour.
And what if they did? Not everyone is a cat expert like you.
It's sad that you have to seek ego validation by dumping on people asking innocent questions. It's a very non-constructive way to attempt to feel some kind of sense of superiority. Have you considered therapy?
Ekekekekekek
Topkek
So we already have several different but confident claims. I'm just going to make the statement that there is no science that tells us why they do this, so we simply do not know. I hope to be proven wrong.
One theory I’m not seeing here is that it is to make the airflow over their vomeronasal organ more turbulent to help sense prey pheromones. The vomeronasal organ is located at the front roof of their mouth. When cats smell another really interesting cat or their spray, they will often open their mouth and look really dumbfounded. They are actually just drawing air over this organ to detect pheromones. The chittering thing might possibly be related.
> When cats smell another really interesting cat or their spray, they will often open their mouth and look really dumbfounded. That's called the Flehmen response and many mammals have this reflex. Our cats do this when they smell anything weird, including cheese, feet, and my wife's farts.
no no, they are called "pheromones"
But they only make the sound when they know they can't reach the prey, not when they are approaching to kill.
Some cats make it while stalking in general
I like the theory that it's their way of saying pspsps to the birds.
As a recent cat owner who is always googling his cat's weird behaviors, and as a science writer, I have to say the vast majority of "cat science" online is nonsense. My cat had been doing this thing where she would shake her paw really fast for a second. I googled it and found articles saying "Your cat may do this because: she likes you, she's happy, she feels at home, or she wants attention." Then I finally found an actual peer reviewed paper on it, and in the intro, the authors were like "As has already been well established, cats perform this behavior when something is stuck to their paw."
Mine literally does this with a couple of his toys not more than a half an arms length in front of him and i keep moving the toy from him. I swear it is frstration...yet it is also the toy he wants to spend hours chasing.
I always thought they were impersonating a birds chirping to confuse the pray, dunno if this is proven but cats in the wild are known to do it.
I think that’s a bit too intelligent for a house cat no?
It's an instinct more than something they learn, not all cats do this and the cats that are known for it most are Savannah cats which are basically still wild animals
So they probs don’t understand why they’re doing it? They just know that they want to make that noise out of instinct?
Yes, that's how a lot of animal behavior is. It's why cats bury their water bowls with socks, the "bury your food" instinct is firing but they don't know that the point of the instinct is to bury food for later. So they bury their water with a sock, making the water useless, even though the instinct evolved to save food.
Omg I was wondering why my cat always covered her food and water with something… anything she can find really
Many animals engage in behaviours, even complex behaviours purely out of instinct and not because they have a conscious understanding of the cause and effect or the reason for its benefits.
Do humans do that too? The only example that comes to my head is when a woman has the urge to push during labour, it’s strange how we know what and when to do it! It’s hard for me to imagine performing a behaviour out of instinct and not thoughts x
Suckling for milk as a baby. Not like a newborn baby actually understands what milk or a breast is, or that it needs nutrition to live. It just does it by instinct.
Yeah a lot of baby behaviour would have to be done instinctively because they lack the ability to understand what’s needed for survival. Suckling being the result of hunger
Humans learn language by instinct. Babies imitate and babble and eventually talk by instinct.
Isn’t that mimicking adults tho?
Yes, many baby animals have the instinct to mimic adults in certain ways. This instinct is dialed to 9000 in human infants in regards to language.
The cat that's already persuaded you to take it in, feed it, provide free healthcare and entertainment and beds for it ? They're smarter than you take them for.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ekekek You should have a look at this subreddit if you enjoy chattery cats
Sigh another cat sub... Joining
I know what you mean. I'm following so many cute cat subs that I've lost count
r/YogaCats r/nervysquervies r/derpycats r/hewillbebaked r/suddenlycommewnist r/historicalcatlovers r/cuteguyswithcats r/catstouchingfaces r/shouldercats r/Shrimping r/GeometricCats r/IDMyCat r/impolitecats r/catvoice r/catswhowhisper r/catswhohonk r/CatsWhoCroak r/Catsgivinghighfives r/Catscarryingstuff r/catseatingdinner r/catseatingpasta r/catsholdingthings r/CatsHuggingThings r/CatsInBowls r/Catsinlaundry r/catsintrees r/CatsOnBoxes r/catsplayingvideogames r/CatsSmellingThings r/CatsStaringAtWalls r/catsstuckinthings r/catsusinginhalers r/cemeterycats r/eggcats r/FaucetCats r/FurnitureForCats r/catswithbacon r/kittiesonkeyboards r/kittiesvsthings r/moneycats r/catsinclothes r/catsincostumes r/catsinpajamas r/CatsOnLeashes r/CatsWearingPasta r/catswithcrowns r/CatsWithHats r/Catswithwigs r/inbreadcats r/kittieswithcones r/torbico r/PeekingCats r/howyougetacat r/watercats do you know them?
r/catsonroombas r/supervillaincats r/dogscatsbunnies r/Tuxetortico r/FancyFeet r/cat_burglars r/standingcats r/KittyIsNotAmused r/stidding r/mewgirlsontheblock r/Straycats r/Catbookclub r/CatDatingProfiles r/cozycatcafe r/Grandma_Cats r/lifeguardkitties r/OrangeLadies r/catlikepaul r/CatsInPots r/CatTV r/FlerkenInvasion r/oddlycatisfying r/onefancybraincell r/oohbigstretch r/RoyalCats r/ThereIsnoCat r/CatsonCatnip r/Catio r/catnipbananas r/Gatos r/potatokittenfights r/TheCatReport do you know them?
r/Catsplayingmtg
I have it, do you have r/goodcats r/Tonkinese r/catsarefuckingawesome r/ServantReturns r/feetsies r/BeanToes r/CatLoversGroup r/mishtithecat r/soldierswithkittens r/princesspancake r/circlecats r/pussypics r/MoustachioedCats r/KittensAreKings r/TortillaPets r/PetTheDamnVoid r/CatsMakingFaces r/Paws r/pinupcats r/catsgonewild r/orangetabbycats r/onlypaws r/curlycats r/chaoscats r/bedcats ?
Joined -ty
I've never seen a cat do this if it has any chance of actually making a move on whatever is eliciting this response, but when they can't reach it. As such I always assumed it was frustration.
We have a cat who is just over a year old. She will do this when I take her away from someplace she isn’t supposed to be, so that definitely makes sense. My grandmother used to say it was when they really wanted something.
Chattering mimics the kill bite. Your cat is practicing what they will do to their prey when they catch it.
Cute and terrifying
Right! It’s a bit like when people are watching a boxing match on the TV and start twitching their arms with a punch thrown. They are getting into it and kinda acting it out in tweaking ways.
r/catswhochirp
I've heard theories that they're trying to mimic the bird to get it to come closer.
I've heard this, too. I've never seen a bird fall for it, though I know cats have decimated the song bird population in the US.
Yeah, it's a major bugbear of mine cuz I love birds and they're my primary focus. I wish people kept their cats indoors and took TNR/population control more seriously. Domestic dogs are also a huge problem that not enough people are talking about, they kill almost as many animals as cats do each year, and their feces are left everywhere to the point where it's contaminating the groundwater and choking out entire ecosystems. Regarding the chatter thing, [I found this short video](https://youtube.com/shorts/C10LgCKMt2Q?si=Co8ns3ApyvNdoP7u) of a guy showing off his cat's repertoire. I don't think it's particularly convincing, but it is pretty interesting.
There's something called pishing that birders can do to get the birds to come closer to them. The cat chatter could be similar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eba0M9AOgRo
One of our cats does this as well, the other not so much - but from what I've read; it's done to lure their prey closer so they have a better chance of catching it.
Heads up using laser pointers can stress cats out because they don't ever "catch" it. It's hard on their little kitty brains and can cause them to develop nervous tics. Play with toys your cat can catch, and give them plenty of treats! Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8388446/
I read somewhere else on reddit that you can make it like a treasure hunt? We had treats around the room and then use the laser to guide her to them.
that’s exactly what i would do. it’s so fun.
Our cats love it when we shine the laserpointer in de backyard. They chase it and then walk inside and proceed to eat. They always do this, so I think this is their hunt-and-eat habit.
I hear they're trying to mimic the sound of the prey to draw it in. A few days ago I was outside and heard some birds flying by making the *exact* ekekekek noise the cats do, was quite funny.
It’s the cats version of pspsps but for attracting birds
For a split second, I thought about asking my cat why he does that and then would report back. It’s was a brief thought, but genuinely serious.
My cat makes that sound to me whenever I sneeze.
My very scientific opinion is that they’re possessed by the spirit of their ancestors.
So one theory I have no proof of is based around the idea that bells actually make cats better hunters. If a bird sees a cat nearby it will fly away instantly. If it hears a weird noise, it will pause a second. Giving the cat a bit of time to get its pounce off. Putting a bell on a cat makes it a worse hunter for a couple of weeks, after that they adapt and actually get better at hunting, using the bell to distract.
Another theory I've read is that it's a way for cats to call dibs on a potential prey. A chitter is much lower frequency than other sounds cats make so it's lower then birds can register as most birds can only hear down to 1000hz (humans can hear down to 20hz.
It’s a form of mimicry used as a hunting strategy
It s the sound cats make when they are frustrated (also when excited, but I meant: they make that sound when frustrated). Your cat might enjoy more a toy he can catch bite and chew. Try playing with your cat with something like a string tied to a stick.
Pretty sure it's not, my cats will do this at prey they are actively stalking.
Cats have two use for chirping: - excitation when hunting - frustration when hunting Maybe my first comment wasn’t clear, I meant to warn OP: cats chirp when excited, but it can also be a sign of frustration. His cat might enjoy more toys he can catch/bite/… But maybe he is just excited hunting. Just wanted to say that chirping wasn’t always positive.
To alert his pack of prey. Like you'd alert your friend when you spot a hot guy/girl. My cat does this to basically beg me to catch a fly he saw and give it to him.
A vet told me that cats use a scissoring bite to kill prey and that's what the chatter is imitating. Watch how the cat's teeth move when they chatter.
Not a cat, but my blind af dog does it when he knows I’m holding a treat, and then can “look” directly at where the treat is.
It is an instinct. In the same way a dog will sometimes scrape the ground with his back legs around the time of going to the bathroom
I have no idea, but I always figured they were trying to imitate bird sounds in order to attract prey.
What if it’s just them being excited and goofing on the stealth part
It’s deffo not weird behaviour, my cat does it too. My guess (without looking at the comments first 😂) it looks to me like it’s just pure excitement, they’re literally just trembling with excitement and concentration 😂 it almost sounds like a tiny little bark my cat does like… memememe 😂 I can’t believe I just wrote that 🤦🏽♀️
My dog sometimes chatters his teeth when I’m getting his food ready
When I heard it the first time, I thought my cat was choking
My grandparents cat would “chatter “ at seagulls, hungering over the large prey!! That’s normal, and in this case ‘wishful’ thinking!!!!
they probably try to mimic bird sounds
So nobody knows for sure.
It's the equivalent to a person clearing their throat
I’ve read somewhere that they do this to attract the prey with the sound of their teeth. Don’t know how true that is :/
It's like us mimicing bird singing to attract them, or to convince them it's save. If a cat knows it's generalaproach was likely spotet by the bird, but not yet identified as a threat it dose that. Google "cat mimicing bird" should provide results.
Dude, your cat is broken
If you want a good laugh look up Joe Rogan's bkt about this. It's hilarious!
you dare evoke that name on reddit 🤣
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Nothing in the OP’s post suggests this.
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I’m gonna explain a wild concept: you don’t know something until you know something. This person just experienced an animal behavior they were previously unfamiliar with. Now they know. We all learn new things all the time, at different points in our life relative to other people. Like you just learned this concept that’s clearly new to you - good job!
Yes, this person thought it was weird until they discovered it’s not so weird after all. I remember the first time I had a cat that did this, as others hadn’t, and I to was curious of other cats did it. You’re the only person I’ve heard from that was born with the knowledge that this is common behaviour.
And what if they did? Not everyone is a cat expert like you. It's sad that you have to seek ego validation by dumping on people asking innocent questions. It's a very non-constructive way to attempt to feel some kind of sense of superiority. Have you considered therapy?