Cats chirping at birds mostly results from their predatory nature and birds are their prey. Basically, their instinct for natural hunting is waking in. Thus, not only is this behaviour natural, but also cats chirping at birds should be promoted.
If you are a cat parent, you might have heard your cat chirp at birds previously. Additionally aimed towards other small animals like squirrels or chipmunks, this kind of chattering can you are most definitely not alone if you are wondering why cats chirp at birds and other animals. To get to the core of this apparently strange behaviour, we spoke with various feline behaviourists.
Professionals believe there are various reasons why cats chirp at birds and other animals. As far as I can remember, my house has had cats. For several years in the 1990s, I raised stray cats and kittens; at one point, I had fourteen cats in my house while searching for homes for two big litters.
That was a really interesting period! Right present, I have three cats: one just past her first birthday, two aged sixteen. I read about cats often and adore them.
Driven by their need to go out and hunt the birds, your kitties are chattering in both frustration and excitement. They would remain quiet if they were outside stalking a bird, but in this case they know they cannot get out.
True—this is an intuitive version of the fatal blow the cat would use to break the neck of a bird, mouse, or lizard—if you notice your cat’s lips moving, opening, and closing as though their teeth are chattering.
Whether it’s a bird, an insect, a cat toy, or even a bag of treats on the counter, you will find your cat chatting while they are closely studying some sort of prey. Still, what does this sound imply?
Science cannot provide a clear solution for just one topic. Though none of the few excellent theories are agreed upon everywhere. Allow me therefore to add mine.
Growing up on a farm with many of barn cats, I had the unusual chance to see a mother cat bringing her kittens outside to train them to hunt. The mother cat seems to be calling to action for her young when she spots something and starts chatting.
Children, pay attention. Pitter, you and Ginger will approach from the west—Smokey? Patter? Are you attentive? You are supposed to be in the flanking eastward!
Alright, all right, not exactly that exact call to action. Still, it seems to point the kittens towards their mother and what she is stalking.
Though I think that this chatter becomes an instinctive reaction for all cats—male or female, with or without young, living alone or in a group—when they notice prey they want to trap, the actual aim seems to be educating the young. Even a kitten without natural hunting guidance from their mother will grow to automatically produce this chatter.
Cats make this sound most commonly when their item of want is not readily available. For instance, if the prey is out of jumping range or if they are seeing via a window.
Whether that support comes from another cat or their human companion, I believe this chatter is supposed to be a call to attention—possibly even a request for help. Still, this is only part of it—like most things without a precise translation.
Once more, I believe that cats react this way out of instinct; so, they are not always deliberately seeking for assistance. Though lost in translation, there is also an undertone of eagerness, longing, and dissatisfaction that permeates what they are saying with the talk.
They are copying sounds of birds.
Certified cat behaviourist Mieshelle Nagelschneider, creator of The Cat Behaviour Clinic, defines many cat behaviours as Darwinian-evolved, “survival of the fittest,” behaviours. Their trilling meow sounds might really assist them grab their prey.
“It might be a way of mimicking the bird to entice it to come closer,” notes Nagelschneider, host of the TV show My Cat From Hell (China version).
Large wild cats exhibit similar behaviour as well. Certified cat behaviour specialist Ingrid Johnson, who owns Fundamentally Feline in Atlanta, Georgia, notes that our housecats’ far bigger and wilder counterparts—cheetahs and mountain lions—are known to chirp or chatter in nature.
They have much enthusiasm.
Your cat might chirp or speak at creatures outside for another reason as well. Sheer enthusiasm about the possibility of a snack!
“Cats want their mitts on a bird or squirrel and get quite excited,” explains Dr. Marci Koski, Ph.D., owner of Feline Behaviour Solutions in the Pacific Northwest and certified feline behaviour and training consultant. “That stimulated energy can produce this chattering sound.”
Looking at a great dessert before you bite it, Nagelschneider compares it to your mouth watering. The closest the cat can go to have the prey in its mouth and fast biting down on it is the teeth chattering together.
Yikes! We say as we scatter catnip across their luxurious cat beds like rose petals: sometimes we forget our cats are naturally occurring predators.
Johnson notes that your cat may possibly have an involuntary reflex related to excitement when it chirps at birds or other prey. She says, “They’re so excited to see that bird outside their window; it’s their way of exercising that excitement so they don’t scare the prey away or rush after it prematurely.”
Though in a nice sense, they are frustrated.
Nagelschneider advises not to panic if you believe your indoor cat is chirping out of nervousness or irritation since they cannot catch their prey outside. “Cat parents should keep in mind that cats in the wild do not always get their prey. Not even almost close.
Actually, Nagelschneider claims that the most fascinating aspect of the cat hunt is when their prey hides and the chase gets more difficult. “This activates what is called their’seeking circuit,’ which is part of the brain’s reward circuitry and gives the best feeling for cats,” she explains.
Therefore, even if your domestic cat is chirping at squirrels or birds outside, it could not be out of frustration but rather of enthusiasm and entertainment. Johnson says, “They’re pretty engaged with what they’re seeing as they view kitty cat TV through the window.”
Their “prey sequence is starting here.”
Should your cat get enthralled with birds and squirrels outside windows, this can set off what is known as their “prey sequence,” a set of actions carried out by cats in hunt.
Dr. Koski believes the first phase of this prey sequence is glancing at prey animals and getting excited—here is where your cat’s chirping or chattering would fit. The second step is stalking or chasing; then comes pouncing or snatching; ultimately, the deadly bite.Click here:The Secret Behind Cat Chirping: 3 Behavioral Insights You Need to Know
Dr. Koski adds all cats are “wild carnivorous beasts,” hence even if you would consider your home cat as a cute fluffball that loves to take long naps and lounge in the sun for hours at a time, it’s quite vital to provide her an outlet for those natural behaviours. Investing in some interactive toys—such as a wand they can chase—helps one in this regard. See further information on interactive toys here.
That is a literal killer response.sorrynotsorry.
Alright, be ready to turn away. Regarding the deadly bite, Johnson notes that the chirping vocalisations cats produce basically “mimic the action of the jaw or the motion of what [cats] would do when they sever the spine and snap the neck of their prey.” Though eerie or disturbing, something is quite natural.
Johnson says your cat’s motor system regulates this kind of mouth movement, which is essentially an involuntary reflex. “Their necks snap to capture the kill and kill it—and this is why their mouths move so rapidly. They are excited about it. [This chirping] resembles the movements of the kill part of the predatory process, she says.
Should You Start To Get Concerned?
The positive news is All three cat experts concur that it is quite natural for cats to chirp or speak at their prey; nothing should cause concern. Actually, they all agree you ought to let your cat chirp more often! (See the section below for instruction on doing it.) Johnson assures me there is nothing to worry about.
“This is absolutely normal and beautiful; give them opportunity to be enriched and involved.” You therefore don’t have to stop or correct your cat’s behaviour even if it is making unusual noises while fixed on birds or squirrels outside.
Stopping a cat from this behaviour would be like trying to stop a bird from singing or building a nest. According to Nagelschneider, it is an evolved genetic feature in cats and entirely benign.
Moreover, eliminating your cat’s outlet for carrying out their natural prey pattern might lead to stress. Dr. Koski notes it can lead to behavioural problems including “pent-up energy, frustration, or aggression towards people or animals in the household.”
How to Motivate Chirping Cats?
There are various things you may attempt if you wish to support the prey sequence of your cat at home—which all three experts advise you to do! Let them see the wonderful outdoors from top perspective.
Johnson suggests first that cat owners “put cat condos near big open windows, put up squirrel feeders or bird feeders, and let your cat have the opportunity to watch TV.” She notes, “You could even get a window-mounted perch for your cat to give them a front-row seat for bird watching.”
Up your everyday interactive play activities.
Johnson explains, “All cats should enjoy many engaging play sessions a day—especially prior to a meal. Playing with your cat before you feed them is perfect since it simulates that predatory sequence of hunt, stalk, catch, kill, eat.
Make them labour for their rewards or meal. Food puzzles—like this one from OurPets—or other treat-dispensing toys—engage their brains.
These kinds of treats or foods make your cat work for them like they would in the wild. It will nonetheless replicate the experience and provide amusement even though they are not precisely hunting creatures out in the savannah.
Make investments in several items that accentuate their natural instincts. Offering various chaser toys or wand toys—especially wands with variable clips like this one—helps keep your cat active. For cats, variation is the spice of life, Dr. Koski notes. “They do not hunt or become thrilled about one thing.
You will never want pizza after you eat it two weeks consecutively. Rotating such lures will help you to keep them interesting and fresh.
The Bottom Line
When your cat is eager, entertained, or ready for hunting, she may chirp. Not only is this natural behaviour, but it also indicates that your kitten is active and pleased! There are various ways you may help your cat hunt even when you have never heard it chirp or chatters at prey.
Try adding more interactive play each day, get some lure or wand toys to replicate their prey, place your cat’s bed towards a window looking outside, and challenge your kitty with some food puzzles or foraging toys. You might just hear some joyful cat chirping before you know it!
Although they may chirp, cats are most renowned for meowing and hissing. Unless they have expertise as cat parents, most people are unaware of this communication noise. Cats naturally produce chirping, or chirruping, hence the first time you hear it there is no need for an alert.
Though usually rhythmic in nature, a cat chirping sounds like a bird chirping. Though it is far higher pitched, some people believe a cat chirp sounds like a goat bleat. What therefore drives cats to chirp? The following explains some of the fascinating behaviour.
The Three Reasons Cats chirp
One could see it as a form of salutations.
1.Though most cats operate on their own, they become lively when their human parents reach home from a demanding day or an overnight trip.
They want to chirp hello to their missing parents. Even now, some cats will chirp at their human parents anytime they stroll in from another room. After a nap and want to play, they could chirp at other cats they live with.
2. It Could Be Result of Excitement
Excitement is another cause a cat might chirp from. Playing with children, chasing a fluffy toy or ball, and simply observing other cats play will cause a cat to want to chirp with delight. Enough excitement from waiting patiently for a treat will cause a cat to chirp or two as well. You never know when a cat would unexpectedly chirp something interesting.
3. It Could Result from Prey Drive.
The predatory drive of a cat can help them to become chirping in attitude. Actually, the main reason a cat chirps is simply in hunting mode. Many cats will seem to be copying birds they spot through a window in their house by chirping.
They are planning a route to chase the bird down, though, not copying. Additionally chirping at their toys when utilising them as prey are certain cats. When chirping, cats often seem content and at ease—perhaps in response to excitement or as a greeting. Conversely, cats driven by their prey drive are upright, attentive, and ready to pounce.
Methods for Encouragement of Chirp in Your Cat
Try tempting your cat with a feather on a stick, pretending the feather is prey, if you wish to hear them chirping. As an alternative, consider turning on an electronic toy rat or bird and laying it on the middle of the room floor.
When you arrive home after several hours away, try enticing your cat to chirp with treats. Your best strategy is to simply keep an ear out to catch your cat chirping organically.
One Way Cats Share: Chirping
Although they don’t interact often, cats have come to understand via thousands of years of domestication that “speaking” is the best approach to interact with their pet parents (and persuade them to do what they want them to). A Veterinary Information Network presentation claims that human and cat communication is rather similar.
“One reason that cats and people are able to get along so nicely [is that] both species depend on vocal messages and visual signals.” People and cats just get each other.
What sound like cat chirps?
Very similar to a songbird’s warble, the cat chirp—also called a chirrup or a trill—is a brief, peep-like sound. International Cat Care claims that cat vocalisations are three-fold: muttering, meowing, and aggressive. With our us:The Secret Behind Cat Chirping: 3 Behavioral Insights You Need to Know
Described by ICC as a sound largely made with the mouth closed, a chirp is regarded as a sort of murmur (the other, more common murmur is purring).
Why do animals chirp? Cats especially
ICC says chirps are “usually… used for greeting, attention, acknowledgement, and approval.” A chirp for their individual is essentially a high-pitched “Hello!” On her study site, Meowsic, Cat behaviourist Dr. Susanne Schötz notes that, under observation, cats also take out the chirp when their hunting drive comes in.
You guessed it. Cats use this vocalisation, Schötz notes, “when a bird or insect catches their attention… The cat becomes riveted to the prey, and starts to chirp, tweet, and chatter.” Your cat may occasionally sound just like the very bird they are tweeting at through the glass.
And your furry pal is roused not only from real-life prey. They’ll chirp and trill at toys as well. Watch a play session including feathers.
Final Thoughts
Knowing why cats chirp and knowing what cat chirping sounds like may help you to more readily identify this particular kind of communication when it occurs. Not all cats chirp, hence you might not hear your cat producing the sound. Still, a cat may not never chirp just because it has never done in the past. Exercise patience; it could happen at any moment!
