My cat seems to chattering or something!

Hi! Thanks to everyone for responding to my question about my 2 very playful kittens. They have calmed down quite a bit. I don't let them play with their catnip toys before bed, but my husband and I play with them for a whole hour before bed time, and they fall right to sleep! They have also started to respond to me telling them "no"! So this is my new question: Scout, my boy kitty, makes the funniest sound when he sees birds outside our windows. It is like he is almost chattering, it is defintely not a meow!!!! He also shakes his tail like a rattlesnake while making this sound! I can almost see him salivating!!! (ha ha) I'm sure this is normal, but since these are my first kittens ever, I just wanted to make sure my kitten isn't possessed!!!

Thanks!

The behavior you're describing is completely normal. All cats are predators, and when your kittens see birds and other prey through a window their instincts are to attack, when they can't they became frustrated. This causes the teeth chattering and tail twitching behavior. There are others here who are very knowledgeable and may be able to help you more.

Actually I have sad knowledge as to why they do this, as I was on hand one time when one of my ferals got a bird. He kept me away from his trophy and right before the initial bites to kill the bird, his body tensed and during the bites the chattering started. Once the bird was dead, the chattering stopped. This chattering they do at the window is stimulating that killing instinct inside of them.

Leo does that a lot. He gets so excited looking out the window. He used to be an indoor/outdoor kitty, but hasn't been out in over a year.

Ivo chatters, too. I put bird seed out on the roof, to attract birds so she has something to keep her interested during the day. I've noticed that she doesn't chatter when small birds, like sparrows, are out eating. She responds to pigeons, and really goes crazy when crows or the local squirrel is out on the roof. She also seems to chatter more when I talk to her while the birds are out. Maybe she's trying to teach me, like a kitten-"Hey, look! Good things out here to eat."

Thanks! I thought it was normal, but I never knew cats made any other noises besides "meow"!

Thanks!
kmark

Rocket, Twig and Isis will chatter at birds. Luna doesn't do that much. She isn't interested in the outdoors much anymore. But the other three will chatter and cry until I feel their poor spoiled hearts are breaking cause they can't get the birds! the silly thing is:
I don't know if Twig or Rocket would even know what to do if the caught one! LOL! Isis on the other hand was a feral cat, so I think she'd know and it wouldn't be good.

I don't know if Twig or Rocket would even know what to do if the caught one! LOL!

Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I'm sure Ivo would possibly be able to take on a pigeon. They do scatter when she pounces at the window. The crows, on the other hand...They'd be able to kick her kitty butt with ease. When she pounces at them, they just look at her like they're thinking "You've got to be kidding. You, scare us?"

The birds around here don't even notice my cats. If they do, they are not to concerned with them, that's for sure.:laughing: :laughing2:
We also feed a squirrel that seems to enjoy tormenting the cats so it will sit on it's perch and watch the cats and chatter at them when it sees them. Drives the cats crazy but there isn't anything they can do and the squirrel knows it! LOL!

My indoor only kitty runs from doves.

Signed

When I was younger I had a cat that would sit on the back of the couch to look out the window, his tail would start swishing (hitting me in the face)and he would do that chatter thing. My mother had always said he was swearing at the birds!!!

My cat, Imo, chatters too - you're not alone!
-Meghan

Fred always liked to chase squirrels. The squirrels in the South are pretty small. When we moved to Missouri, we discovered the squirrels were about twice the size of what we were used to seeing. Fred ran across the yard after one of these huge squirrels, and instead of running away, it stood up and hissed at him. I thought he was going to wet his little kitty britches. I don't think he has ever chased another squirrel.:laughing2 :laughing2 :laughing2 :laughing2 :laughing2

I used to live up north in the Northwest Territories... where we had huge red squirrels. There was a very cheek pair that used to torment the cats through the kitchen window, driving them absolutely mad, especially our white and calico, Chkai.

One day, during a "tease" session, I had to take the garbage out... Chkai bolted out of the house and was up the tree in a heartbeat... I kept hearing awaful yowls as she tussled with the squirrels out of sight in the pine boughs... I thought she was killing them...

Suddenly, dropped from the tree and hit the ground... it was Chkai, who ran like lightening into the house... the squirrel came down from the tree and chattered furiously, his little "hands" full of white cat hair...

Fortunately, Chkai wasn't hurt anywhere except in her pride... just plucked bald in a couple of places. After that, if she saw the squirrels outside, she'd turn her back to the window and ignore them, like thery were beneath contempt.

I wake up every morning to Ronnie chattering at the starlings nesting in my neighbour's guttering. She sits in the window watching them very intently chattering to herself.

Hissy - thank-you for the info as to why cats chatter - luckily, for me, Ronnie has never brought me a "present" either dead or alive. The closest she has got was a magpie feather she found in the garden, which kept her entertained for weeks.