Sometimes, when your cat spots a bird, it may let out a ‘chattering’ sound, or perhaps a high-pitched squeak. Ever wonder why this happens? Well, we decided to put the question to our experts.
We don’t actually know why cats chatter at birds. Some people speculate that the ‘chattering’ is caused by your cat’s prey instinct kicking itself into overdrive. Although, we don’t actually know what causes this. All we know is that your cat is highly interested in feasting on whatever they can see.
There are a few things that we should probably discuss related to this. We are going to expand upon the idea of chattering, as well as how you can stop that chattering from occurring.
Why Do Cats Chatter At Birds?
As we said, we don’t actually know why cats chatter at birds. Not just us personally, but animal behavior experts. However, there are a few theories.
Perhaps the most prevalent theory is the fact that the cat’s predatory instincts are kicking into overdrive. As you know, cats are carnivores. To them, a bird looks like a pretty tasty meal, and their brain starts firing off all sorts of signals saying “yes, you want to eat this”. This, for some reason, causes the cat to start making that ‘chattering’ sound.
Remember, this is not the only sound that we can’t make head or tail of when it comes to cats. Experts are still trying to work out why a cat may purr.
Of course, you won’t notice the cat chattering when they are close to the bird, at least in most cases. This brings in the second theory. The theory is that the chattering sound is your cat getting annoyed. You will likely notice that your cat is chattering when they are indoors, or perhaps when the bird is slightly out of reach. If a cat could actually reach the bird, then it wouldn’t be making a sound at all.
Do All Cats Chatter At Birds?
All cats have the ability to chatter at birds, but not all cats will chatter at birds.
If you have an indoor cat, then they are much less likely to chatter at any birds that they see outside. We assume it is because they know that they cannot reach the birds. This means that they are less likely to have that frustration in them anyway.
If you have a cat that likes to go outdoors a lot, then you probably going to end up noticing a lot of chattering coming from them. Although, in some cases, they just aren’t going to bother about the chattering and do something else instead.
Is a Cat Chattering At Birds a Bad Thing?
Not necessarily.
If the cat can’t reach the bird, then they will stop chattering eventually. Nobody is going to end up getting hurt, and the chattering is just your cat’s way of getting rid of pent-up frustration. Eventually, the cat is just going to give up chattering at the bird, probably when the bird ends up flying away. There isn’t really much that you can do anyway.
If there is a chance that the cat can reach the bird, however, then there is a problem. The chattering means that the cat is already eyeing up the bird, which means that there is a strong chance that it will end up attacking the bird if given the chance. Obviously, you don’t want this to happen. It is not going to be pleasant.
How Can You Prevent a Cat Chattering At Birds?
Well, first things first, don’t let the cat go anywhere near the birds. The whole reason why your cat is chattering is that it really wants to attack that bird so, if you give the cat the opportunity, they are going to pounce. As we said, this is really not something that you want to be dealing with.
If you notice that your cat is chattering, then you can probably leave them be. They are going to stop eventually, and the birds are going to fly away. This means that there isn’t anything too much to worry about. The cat is not being harmed by chattering at all.
If the chattering is getting a bit too annoying for you, then you can do your best to distract the cat. Normally giving them a couple of cat treats, or perhaps playing a game with them, is going to help them out. Although, do bear in mind that there may be some situations where you aren’t going to be able to distract the cat at all. Pretty much all you are going to be able to do is leave them be.
What Does It Mean When a Cat Is Chattering At You?
If you notice that your cat is chattering at you, then you are probably going to need to be a bit careful. It normally happens when you are playing with the cat, mostly with their favorite toys.
As you know by now, the cat chattering sound comes when the cat is really kicking their predator instincts up. This means that if the cat is chattering, then there is a strong chance that it wants to pounce at you.
You can continue to play with your cat, even if they are chattering. It will help the cat to release some of the pent-up aggression that they have. However, you really will need to keep an eye on the cat. If your cat is chattering, then there is a good chance that they may pounce at you. If you notice your cat is being overly aggressive, then it is important that you stop playing with them immediately.
Final Thoughts
A cat chattering normally indicates that your cat is in predator mode. It means that they want to attack those birds. If you don’t let the cats close to the birds, then it shouldn’t cause too much of a problem.
If your cat gets close to the birds that it is chattering at, then your cat will kill them. If your cat is chattering while you play with them, then keep an eye on them. There is a chance that they may attack you.
When was the last time you caught your cat furiously chattering at birds? Let us know in the comment section below! Also if you’d like to learn about more cat behavior be sure to checkout our latest articles here!