Veterinarian-written / veterinarian-approved articles for your cat.

Why Do Cats Chatter at Birds?

fancy_bird

Your kitty is looking out the window. She is slightly crouched, very tense, and her attention is completely focused on a bird, squirrel, or some other type of prey. Her jaw is slightly open, and it suddenly begins to vibrate rapidly as she emits a slight wavering cry. It sounds almost like the bird itself.

It is fascinating to watch your cat do this, but you wonder if something is wrong. Is she ill? Is she trying to communicate something?

Don't worry! This feline chattering behavior is completely normal, but there are several ideas as to what the cause might be. Below are the main thoughts that experts have on why cats chatter at birds.

Is Cat Chattering a Predator Thing?

The chattering behavior that some cats exhibit when they see a bird is believed by some to be a deeply-rooted instinct related to the manner in which large and small cats promptly kill their prey. The faster the prey is killed, the lower the chance that the cat itself will receive an injury during the process.

This "killing bite" or "fatal bite" occurs after the cat leaps upon its prey and holds it tight with its powerful front claws. The cat bites the back of the prey's neck and rapidly vibrates its jaw so that its teeth slide between the vertebrae and sever the spinal cord, assuring a swift end to any struggle.

Could the Chirping of Cats Be a Frustration Thing?

Some people believe that the special noises a cat makes when watching a bird are due to the frustration of not being able to get to the prey. Your cat may be venting her extreme irritation with the fact that she is unable to perform as a hunter when her prey is so very close.

Maybe Cat Chirping Is an Excitement Thing

It's possible that the chattering noises are strictly due to excitement. Your cat might feel such delight and eagerness at seeing a feathered friend nearby that she can't help but make some special vocalizations.

It Could Be a Predator Thing, After All

Scientists have observed cats mimicking the cries of monkeys in the wild. This has led them to wonder if, to fool the birds, housecats might also be mimicking their chirps and chatters. A bird wouldn't fly away just because another bird was nearby, after all. Making noises that are similar to those their prey makes might help cats get closer before they pounce.

Regardless of the exact reason that cats chirp and chatter when they see birds outside, it is cute to watch. Here's a video of an especially cute kitty chirping at a bird.

You May Also Like These Articles:

How to Keep Playtime Fun for Your Cat

How To Decide On An Indoor or Outdoor Lifestyle

Clever DIY Cat Toys

What Is a Group of Cats Called?

Microchipping Your Cat

Why Do Cats Like Boxes?

Keeping Your Cat Active While You're Away

Why Should I Take My Cat to the Vet?

Disclaimer: This website is not intended to replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. If you require any veterinary related advice, contact your veterinarian promptly. Information at CatHealth.com is exclusively of a general reference nature. Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of accessing information at this site. Just Answer is an external service not affiliated with CatHealth.com.

Comments (20)

  • avatar
    Not every cat is female.
    -114
    • avatar
      Hello, and thank you for your comment on our article at CatHealth.com. We wanted to take a moment to explain our use of gender pronouns on the site. Rather than using the cumbersome "he or she" or "his or hers" in every spot that requires such a pronoun in all articles (and we won't use "it"), we've adopted the common convention of choosing one gender pronoun for each article. When you peruse the site, you will find that some articles refer to male cats and others refer to female cats. In no way are we attempting to convey that the information in the article applies only to the gender that was chosen for that article (unless it is a specific sex-related condition such as prostate problems). Thanks again for visiting our site. Have a great day!
      76
  • avatar
    My cat chatters whilst looking out the window, but he is neither poised nor tense and he's not frustrated. He's usually quite relaxed and sometimes there are no birds in sight. He doesn't seem overly excited either!?!
    4
    • avatar
      Cats will sometimes chatter when they're having dental pain. You may want to take him to your vet!
      1
  • avatar
    I have a sweet 10 week old kitten named Jack, who was orphaned and I’ve hand raised him since he was one day old. I got him a perch for my living room window so he can look outside. This morning he finally noticed birds eating from my feeders. They’re hanging about 4.5’ from the window so he has a “bird’s eye view.” I heard him chattering at them for the first time! It was definitely a proud momma moment! ??❤️
    11
  • avatar
    But wouldn't it be more effective for the cat to make no noise instead of chattering? I mean as soon as that bird looks over to find the source, it's going to know your cat is not a bird.
    7
  • avatar
    I have watched my Cat chatter like this to Squirrels and my belief is that my Cat is copying the noise a Squirrel makes. When my Cat chatters like this at the window the Squirrels actally come right up to the window.
    5
    • avatar
      Came here because I observed the exact same thing last evening with my 2 year old cat. He seemed to be having fun and not tense at all, his pupils weren't dilated, nor was he in a crouching posture...simply trying to sound like a squirrel!... so strange!
      1
  • avatar
    Do cats "call" their kittens when they have captured prey?
    I have a young adult female who had a litter of kittens before she was fostered and spayed. She plays with a mouse toy, then carries it in her mouth while making a loud strange sounding sound.
    1
    • avatar
      My cats do a very special meow, loud and whiney when the want to bring me some dead thing (or undead). They dont stop till i notice and praise them ( a lot)
      1
  • avatar
    I just found my boy doing this. I heard a strange noise, snuck around the couch and found him staring out the window at some birds flying by over and over. The noise was really cool, like chatter. His mouth was doing a rapid movement...it actually was pretty intense and awesome. We talked and watched the birds together. It felt like a "moment", very peaceful.
    4
  • avatar
    Actually i dont think its frustration because my cat does it everytime he sees something delicious moving like a fly or a cockroach lol even if its in his reach then he punces at it plays with it, tortures it a little bit and then when it stops moving he just tries to "bury it" and leaves the cadaver alone :3 sigh cats are the cutest evilest things <3
    2
  • avatar
    My four month old kitten has begun chattering at random flies or mosquitoes in the house. She's not mimicking, but she was tensed and laser focused on her 'prey'.
    2
  • avatar
    I recently moved to Colorado (from Florida) and my 2 boys chatter away at all the new wildlide here. 
    1
  • avatar
    Interesting to note that I've had birds and cats at the same time. The birds were never allowed out if the cat was in the same room, so the bird would always be in her cage when the cat was in the same room. My cat never made the chattering sounds at my bird, but would at the window. My current cat is at the window making these noises at bugs hovering in my patio area. 


    Also if I mimic the chattering noise my cat will come running to investigate. Since cats think of their humans as part of their "pack" I wonder if the noise could be a kind of a call for "help" or "look at this!". Just a theory. 
    5
  • avatar
    Is there any reason a cat might do this to another cat?
    0
  • avatar
    I think it's a hard wired response to let other members of the pack know they are hunting and are locked on to a target.
    1
    • avatar
      I am with you on this. Cats meow as an adapted instinct to get humans to feed them. It is mean to sound like a baby. I was thinking this is the kitty version of whispering or military hand signals. I can accept maybe one breed of wild cat has found a way to lure one breed on monkeys, but I think that is just something very specific to one local. I wonder if anyone has tested if cats chatter if we or another cat are not around to hear it. Like the age old philosophical question, if a cat see's a bird, and no other cat/person is around to hear it, will it chatter?
      0
  • avatar
    I don't think it's mimicking because my cat does this when she tries to catch cockroaches
    0
  • avatar
    I've always thought that when cats chatter, they're simply suppressing their meows so their "prey" can't hear them. This coincides with how they often attempt to hide as much of their bodies as possible when looking at what excites them. You can hear partial meows mixed in with the chatter.
    0
:D :) :( :0 :shock: :confused: 8) :lol: :x :P :oops: :cry: :evil: :twisted: :roll: :wink: :!: :?: :idea: :arrow:
emoticons [b] [i] [u] [s] [url] [quote] [code]
Posting as
Type the code that you see in the image
default Security Image
Comments will undergo moderation before they get published.

Notice: Ask-a-Vet is an affiliated service for those who wish to speak with a veterinary professional about their pet's specific condition. Initially, a bot will ask questions to determine the general nature of your concern. Then, you will be transferred to a human. There is a charge for the service if you choose to connect to a veterinarian. Ask-a-Vet is not manned by the staff or owners of CatHealth.com, and the advice given should not delay or replace a visit to your veterinarian.