When a cat owner ralised why his two cats made chattering, or chirping noises when they saw other birds, he was amazed.
Your furry friend might be the most sleepy and placid pet you’ve ever met, but as soon as they see a bird you’ll likely notice a huge change in their behaviour. An indoor cat will likely stare longingly at the bird through the window, chattering to themselves.
But why do they do it? It turns out there’s actually a really clever reason.
Taking to his TikTok page dedicated to his cats Winston and Spooky, one cat owner said: “When you realise that cats make this noise as a hunting tactic to imitate birds’ sounds in an attempt to lure them.”
In a seperate TikTok video, Cats Protection, the UK’s leading cat welfare charity, one of the members of staff explained why they make these “strange chattering” noises. He said: “The high pitched chatter and chirps can be triggered by the sight of potential prey.
“As with most things cat, we can’t 100% be sure why they do it, but we have a few ideas. One thought is that they’re just really hyped up when their hunting instinct kicks in. It’s their way of getting ready to pounce, or more gruesome, mimic their killing bite.
“Another thought is that it’s the noise of frustration where your cat is annoyed they can’t get to the birds. Kind of like a ‘ugh, get back here’, kind of vibe. One interesting theory is that they’re trying to copy bird sounds to try to trick them into coming closer. Pretty sneaky huh?
“And larger cats wildcats have been caught doing it too.” He added that the chatter is a “window into their wild instincts and complex communication”.
According to Cats Protection, chattering is a “natural behaviour for cats”, so it’s usually nothing to wrorry about. However, if they’re “chatting a lot more than usual, it’s best to get them checked by a vet”.
If chirping and chattering is normal for your cat, Cats Protection recommends playing with them, as this will give them a chance to stalk, pounce and catch a toy as an outlet for their frustration.
You can also create a barrier to block their view, if you think your cat is getting too excited by the other animals outside. Cats Protection says: “Cover the lower section of any windows or doors they like to look out of. Use an opaque material such as cardboard or a window sticker, so they cannot see the wildlife outside.”
