# Cats "chattering" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452 "2010-04-26T20:55:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/1 "2010-04-26T20:55:43Z")
You know, like when they see a bird out the window and they open their mouths and make that fast almost clicking sound? It isn’t a meow or other kind of real vocalization… is it just excitement? It seems like a bad hunting thing because it is audible and would spoil their chances of sneaking up on something… …that said, I think it’s HILARIOUS and love it when cats do it. Do you think it has a purpose or do you think it’s just a cat unable to contain their excitement? Does your cat do it? Here is a video I found for those who don’t know what I’m talking about: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phWw8sZEeQk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phWw8sZEeQk) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/2 "2010-04-26T21:15:54Z")
Do you suppose they learn it from chattering classes? ---
**Author:** ![Drygon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@Drygon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drygon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/3 "2010-04-26T21:22:11Z")
My cats definitely do that as well as a chirping noise. I think it’s excitement and frustration all rolled into one. They only do it when they see prey\* outside. Inside prey\*\* gets stalked silently. \*Outside prey to be defined as: birds, bugs, spider webs, dirt, rain, fog, grass, window screens, shadows, clouds, pollen, sunbeams, and wind. \*\* Inside prey to be defined as: sister cat, bugs, spider webs, shadows, feet, shoes, shoe laces, laser pointers (both the laser dot and the physical laser pointer), shadows, blinds, blind cords, and absolutely nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/4 "2010-04-26T21:23:44Z")
Every cat I’ve ever had does it (except, now that I think about it, I don’t know if Bella does. Brix most certainly does. Bella & Brix are the current set in my life). I call it “laughing,” as in, “Brix is laughing at the squirrels again.” My theory is that they only laugh at prey when they know they can’t get to it. For example, Brix never laughs when she’s stalking Bella and about to pounce, but she does when the back door is open and she’s sitting at the screen, looking out. (We call it their widescreen TV with surround sound. We turn on their TV when we open the door and leave the screen door shut. Their little noses go crazy with the sniffing!) I think she knows she can’t get to them - maybe she’s laughing in frustration? (And now I’m sad thinking that I’ve frustrated my kittens.) ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/5 "2010-04-26T21:26:48Z")
Is it right that cat’s only purr to humans? I’m sure I read that somewhere! ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/6 "2010-04-26T21:36:27Z")
I’ve heard on a veteranarian call-in show that the cat sees the bird but is confused that it can’t smell it, so it’s flexing the sensors in the back of its mouth. ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/7 "2010-04-26T21:36:57Z")
One of our two cats does it. Almost any bird will elicit the chattering, even the crows that could eat her for breakfast. My 2-year-old son knows that when he hears that sound, “Samna see birdie!” (translation: “Samantha sees a bird!”). ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/8 "2010-04-26T21:38:15Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Is it right that cat’s only purr to humans? I’m sure I read that somewhere! They also purr to kittens. Watch (or more to the point listen) when a mother cat nurses her kittens. The first time one of our cats did the chattering noise it so surprised me that I was trying to figure out where the noise came from. It was at a squirrel also. This was a cat that had never seen one before, yet it used that noise that I have come to define as the as the “squirrel noise”. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/9 "2010-04-26T21:53:55Z")
I recall reading that it comes from the way that cats kill their prey (bite to the neck); they are twitching twitching those same muscles as they’d use to kill the bird even though they know they can’t actually get at the target due to the window in the way. Kind of like someone shadow-boxing while watching a fight on TV. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/10 "2010-04-26T21:59:57Z")
My cat does it with the laser pointer. It’s hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/11 "2010-04-26T23:04:17Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Is it right that cat’s only purr to humans? I’m sure I read that somewhere! It’s that adult cats only meow to humans. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/12 "2010-04-26T23:21:17Z")
They’re just trying to talk to the birds/squirrels. They meow at humans cause that’s the closest they can come to our speech - my cat is fairly good at it, he says “chowwwww”, and “owwwwwwt”, and “nowwwwww”, and “clean the shit box you moron”. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/13 "2010-04-26T23:27:18Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > They’re just trying to talk to the birds/squirrels. > … I kinda think they’re trying to call them in. “Come here…come on in…everything’s fine…” ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/14 "2010-04-26T23:30:33Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > They’re just trying to talk to the birds/squirrels. I think this is it, the cat knows they are not in a position to catch the prey, but just wants the prey to know that they are there. Sort of asserting their authority. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/15 "2010-04-26T23:36:39Z")
They chatter because they can’t tweet? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/16 "2010-04-26T23:51:22Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Is it right that cat’s only purr to humans? I’m sure I read that somewhere! No. Cats will curl up to sleep together and much purring ensues. No people involved. > [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > It’s that adult cats only meow to humans. They definitely meow to each other. I’ve seen it at home, at the shelter where I work and at the animal ER where I work. One of the feline residents at the ER (he’s gone now, RIP) used to make a point of visiting the cat ward. He would stand in the doorway where he could see all the feline patients and do a lot of meowing. We always thought he was trying to tell the patients that everything would be okay! He loved other cats. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/17 "2010-04-27T01:15:46Z")
Oh god it reminds me of the sounds the aliens make in Signs. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/18 "2010-04-27T01:47:10Z")
All 3 of my cats “chatter.” Cleo’s is kind of squeaky and creaky, Spike’s musical-ish, and Jack’s is interspersed with “Mowowowo?” ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/19 "2010-04-27T01:47:53Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > They’re just trying to talk to the birds/squirrels. > > They meow at humans cause that’s the closest they can come to our speech - my cat is fairly good at it, he says “chowwwww”, and “owwwwwwt”, and “nowwwwww”, and “clean the shit box you moron”. wow, that’s exactly what my cats say - right down to the ‘moron’ part! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452/20 "2010-04-27T03:49:36Z")
A few thoughts on the subject from various cat-related websites: [http://www.purina.com/cats/behavior/ChatteringCats.aspx](http://www.purina.com/cats/behavior/ChatteringCats.aspx) [http://www.hdw-inc.com/behaviorswhy.htm#h](http://www.hdw-inc.com/behaviorswhy.htm#h) They seem to be in the “killing bite reflex” camp. So your cat probably isn’t saying “Hi” to the birdies outside the window, he’s saying “If I was out there you’d be lunch.” Every so often I stop and think what my cat’s cute behavior looks like from the point of view of a mouse 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-chattering/537452.md?page=2)