Why is my cat chirping at me

Cats are always trying to tell us something in what sounds like a kitty version of the language from The Sims. Animal behaviorists tell Inverse there’s a big distinction between a cat’s chirp — the pleasant trill they exude when jumping around a studio apartment, for example — and a more angry-sounding “chatter.”

We all learn from infancy that dogs go “woof” and cats go “meow,” right? Sadly, like most things in childhood, this is a bald-faced lie. Cats make innumerable bizarre noises, and the “chirp” they do around family and familiar people is actually one of the more pleasant ones.

“Cats make lots of fun sounds and the chirp or trill is sort of an expression of happiness,” animal behavior consultant Amy Shojai tells Inverse. “The joy just bubbles out of them! Chirping and trills come when around people they like.”

Chattering or “chittering” is similar to chirping, but a bit more guttural and staccato. According to animal behaviorist Frania Shelley-Grielen, chattering is a cat’s way of saying it’s pissed off about something, usually involving prey and/or food.

“While individual cats may have their own reasons or thoughts on why they do it, we typically see it around a prey species that excites them like birds,” Grielen explains to Inverse. “The sounds may actually be directed at the object of the cat’s attention.”

Shojai agrees, and compares it to “swearing” in kittyspeak.

“Cats chatter (curse?) the squirrels out the window they can’t reach,” she says. “My cat used to chatter before she did something she wasn’t supposed to do, like jumping on the TV. She told on herself.”

Cats longing for foodPeter Hess, @StuHuffman, @yesthisisirene

While chattering is usually pretty innocuous, it’s important to make sure your cat isn’t salivating and doing it often. This could indicate a health issue, so be sure to check with your vet if your cat’s chattering its teeth a lot.

So although chirping and chattering are equally amusing, the two similar sounds mean very different things. In most cases, a happy or frustrated cat will just stare at you longingly until you feed it, like this:

Or this:

Sometimes they’ll just go for it:

No matter what noise your cat’s making, they’re probably asking for food or angry about the food they can’t get. The moral of the story here is that cats love food, and it’s our job to give it to them. Or else.

Does your cat arch their back up to meet your hand when you pet them? This means they're enjoying this contact with you. Do they shrink away under your slightest touch? Save the petting for later; they're not interested right now.

Pay attention to your cat's eyes, ears, body and tail—they're all telling you something. Here are some basic (though sometimes contradictory) clues:

Ears

• Forward: Alert, interested or happy
• Backward, sideways, flat ("airplane ears"): Irritable, angry or frightened
• Swiveling: Attentive and listening to every little sound

Eyes

• Pupils constricted: Offensively aggressive, but possibly content
• Pupils dilated (large): Nervous or submissive (if somewhat dilated), defensively aggressive (if fully dilated), but possibly playful

Tail

• Erect, fur flat: Alert, inquisitive or happy
• Fur standing up: Angry or frightened
• Held very low or tucked between legs: Insecure or anxious
• Thrashing back and forth: Agitated; the faster the tail, the angrier the cat
• Straight up, quivering: Excited, really happy or, if your cat hasn't been neutered or spayed, they could be getting ready to spray something

Body

• Back arched, fur standing up: Frightened or angry
• Back arched, fur flat: Welcoming your touch
• Lying on back, purring: Very relaxed
• Lying on back, growling: Upset and ready to strike

Rubbing

When your cat rubs their chin and body against you, they're telling you they love you, right? Well, sort of. What they're really doing is marking their territory. You'll notice that they also rub the chair, the door, their toys and everything in sight. They're telling everyone that this is their stuff, including you. 

Kneading

This is sometimes called "making biscuits," because the cat works their paws on a soft surface as if they're kneading bread dough. It's a leftover behavior from nursing, when they massaged their mother's teats to make milk flow. Your cat does this when they are really happy.

The Flehmen response

Have you noticed times when your cat—perhaps while sniffing your shoe—lifts their head, opens their mouth slightly, curls back their lips and squints their eyes? They're not making a statement about how your shoe smells, they're gathering more information.

Your cat's sense of smell is so essential to them that they actually have an extra olfactory organ that very few other creatures have, the Jacobson's organ. It's located on the roof of their mouth behind their front teeth and is connected to the nasal cavity.

When your cat gets a whiff of something really fascinating, they open their mouth and inhale so that the scent molecules flow over the Jacobson's organ. This intensifies the odor and provides more information about the object they're sniffing.

A key to your cat's moods

Wondering if your cat is happy, meditating or having a bad day? Here's are some tips:

• Content: Sitting or lying down, eyes half closed, pupils narrowed, tail mostly still, ears forward and purring—a really happy cat will often knead on a soft surface.
• Playful: Ears forward, tail up, whiskers forward and pupils somewhat dilated—playing is hunting behavior; your cat may stalk their prey (a toy, a housemate or you), then crouch down with their rear end slightly raised. A little wiggle of the butt, then ... pounce! Your cat will grab their prey, bite it, wrestle it the floor and kick it with their hind feet.
• Irritated or overstimulated: Pupils dilated, ears turned back and tail twitching or waving—your cat may growl or put their teeth on you as a warning to cease and desist. Intense play can quickly turn into overstimulation in some cats, resulting in biting and scratching.
• Nervous or anxious: Ears sideways or back, pupils dilated and tail low or tucked between legs—your cat may slink through the house close to the floor, looking for somewhere to hide. They may turn their face to the wall to shut the world out.
• Frightened or startled: Think Halloween cat—ears back and flat against their head, whiskers back, back arched, fur standing on end and tail erect or low. They may yowl, growl, hiss and spit.
• Defensive: Crouched, ears flattened, whiskers back, tail between their legs or wrapped around their body and pupils dilated—they may meow loudly, growl, hiss and spit.
• Angry, aggressive: Ears back, pupils very constricted and their tail may be up or down with the fur standing on end—an aggressive cat will stare down another cat and growl or yowl until the other cat gives way. Cats don't really want to fight; they prefer standoffs, but this can progress to fighting if one of the cats doesn't back down.

You may have seen your cat sitting on the window sill, sounding like it’s having a conversation with the birds outside. That’s your cat chirping, a vocalization that does, indeed, sound similar to a bird call. Cat vocalizations, such as meowing, hissing, and purring, each have a purpose, and so does chirping. As a cat parent, you may be curious, not only about why do cats chirp, but also how they do it. Keep reading to find out more about why your pet engages in this adorable cat behavior.

Why do cats chirp?

As an expression of excitement when a cat sees a prey animal. A cat’s chirp, a high-pitched, peep-like noise, is done in anticipation when the cat sees a bird, toy, or a bug that engages their natural hunting instincts, says Emily Wilson, DVM, of Fuzzy Pet Health. With this type of chirp, you may notice your cat chirping while rapidly moving its tail back and forth, along with dilated pupils and teeth chattering.

As a greeting. Some cats chirp when greeting other cats or humans to show that they are elated to see them. These chirping episodes usually do not occur along with the behaviors described above. “This type of chirp is associated with general excitement or happy hello vocalization,” says Dr. Wilson.

When you hear your cat chirping at you, try petting them or playing with their favorite toy to appease your kitty and improve your bond. To engage a chirping cat, look for a toy that simulates a natural hunting interaction, suggests Dr. Wilson. “This can include cat toys with feathers, bird noises, laser pointers, or even ‘bird TV’ [YouTube videos of birds].”

According to International Cat Care, cats have three different types of vocalizations: murmuring, meowing, and aggressive sounds. Chirping, like purring, falls under murmuring, as it’s done primarily with their mouth closed, explains Dr. Wilson.

Big cats, such as tigers, make a similar but differently formed sound called “chuffing.” Dr. Wilson says it is produced by “blowing air through the nostrils with a closed mouth.” In big cats, the sound is used to greet another cat, or as a sign of happiness. Similarly, chirping is performed with a mostly closed mouth when the cat pushes air over the vocal cords.

Are cats happy when they chirp?

Cats are typically joyful when they chirp, as they are either anticipating a hunt or greeting a human. When a cat is enthusiastic about a bird or bug she sees, it may assume the position of stalking, and stay low to the ground. On the other hand, “Cats that are greeting a housemate or family member will often show their happiness by headbutting, or asking for attention,” while making the chirping noise, says Dr. Wilson. Another way some cats like to say hello is by rubbing against your legs.

Sources:

Originally Published: March 17, 2022