Does your cat "chatter"?

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

I've heard of this phenomenon, but none of my cats do it except Morrissey when he's watching our backyard birds. It's extremely cute!

[Heidi]

1. It's a hunting thing.

The first time I witnessed this phenomenon, I yelled to Mr. Heidi, "Honey, get the rectal thermometer! I think Ginger's coming down with a fever!" I was a _young_ cat mom then. :eyes:

[bufffbison]

2. yes mine does

even if you talk to him, he'll chatter...... but of course, last night was a different story. ... you can read why in this thread! http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3820294&mesg_id=3820294

[slackmaster]

3. All three of my cats do that

As has almost every one I've ever been owned by.

It's extremely cute!

Yes, unless you are a bird.

BTW I believe the proper term for that is "chittering" but I'm too lazy to Google it to confirm.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

11. Don't worry - the birds are safe

Strictly indoor kitties!

[Cathyclysmic]

4. Coleman drives us nuts with his oratories

usually at night or 5am :eyes:

[LynneSin]

5. My cats only "chatter" when their food dishes are empty

:eyes:

[davidinalameda]

6. mine have before

but my apartment complex is fairly bird free so they don't do it anymore

[Kerrytravelers]

7. Pitter-pat chatters all day long. It is so cute!

[Serial Mom]

8. Mine did, but he is almost 18 now and is deaf ...

He does some loud, yowling early in the morning now!

[Harley Quinn]

9. I have the best of all worlds, I guess

I have three little ones. The male is far too laid back for such things...he just lounges on the chair and surveys his lands, with the occasional imperious roar. The middle child is generally mute; she doesn't say much at all. But the little one is CONSTANT and LOUD!

HQ-there she goes again...

[tk2kewl]

10. yes

[kedrys]

12. All of mine do

Caesar usually speaks only to the humans, but the rest of the horde either talk to themselves, to each other (when soliciting a play buddy), or to the bipeds all the time. One of Imhotep's nicknames is Nine Alarm. :D

[Zuni]

13. my cat squeaks at me

and she tries to talk to birds as well

[havocmom]

14. Havoc chattered back at us if we scolded him for some violation of house

rules. I think he was a frustrated defense attorney. My old female chattered at prey and the other cats when she wanted them to notice prey.

The new cat doesn't chatter, she 'blerrrrts. Sometimes it is said as a statement and sometimes as a question ble-errt?. She also watches too many martial arts movies when we are asleep and likes to bounce off of door frames at about the 5 foot level just before we walk through them. She loves to jump in bed with everybody at 3 AM to try and peel the dog's lips back over his forehead.

I wish she would chatter...

[billyskank]

15. I used to have conversations with a beautiful burmese

They would go something like:

(him) "Waaaaaaauuuuuuuuuughhll!"

(me) "Waaaaaaaaaauul!"

(him) "Yowwwwwwwwwl!"

(me) "Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwl!"

etc. Sometimes we could go on for quite a while like this before he or I got bored. No idea what I was saying though. :silly:

[trackfan]

16. Yes - just when bird-watching

[caty]

17. I have an enclosed

front porch and thought a bird had gotten in. It turned out one of my cats was there, looking out one of the windows, and imitating a black bird that was in one of the trees just outside. It was amazing.

[Chovexani]

18. Frodo has a big mouth

Much like his mom. :)

[meow2u3]

19. My cat does--either when he can't reach a bug that got into the house

or sees birds perched next door, as if he were saying: "Get over here now! I want to eat one of you!"

[Kire]

20. What are the symptoms?

I've never heard of it.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

21. They make a soundless jerk of their whiskers

Mouth opens; sometimes sounds come out, sometimes not. It's done when they see something they can't get to.

[Kire]

22. No, my cat doesn't do that.

But she does shake her head real cute, like she's shaking water from her ears, when she says hello.

[LostinVA]

23. Yes, esp. when they are watching birds and squirrels

outside, but also sometimes when they watch the deer. Like a 7-lb. kitty could get a deer! It's cute! This often occurs after they "slither" across the floor to hide behind the curtain and watch the "prey."

[bertha katzenengel]

24. Yep! All chatter at birds - and Cocoa chatters at kitchen appliances.

Mainly the microwave oven and the dishwasher. Wherever she is in the house, if she hears one of them running, she chatters. It is hilarious.

[yellowdogintexas]

25. Not all of my cats do it, and some only do it on occasion, but

it is always associated with birds. A friend of mine used to call it "clicking at the birds"

[Not_Giving_Up]

26. When there's a bird outside the window

It's funny, they crouch down, chattering up a storm.

[ailsagirl]

27. Mine do when they watch the birds

(BTW, the birds are safe-- my cats are strictly indoor kitties)

It sounds so funny!!

:D

[GreenPartyVoter]

28. Yep.. when they watch birds *g*

[rexcat]

29. My cat used to chatter at the birds...

Fortunately for the birds he is an indoor cat. He also used to do it when he was going after insects in the house. He is now 15 and not as active as he used to be and I have not heard him chatter recently. It is really funny to hear cats "chatter" when they are on the hunt.

[barb162]

30. three of my four do it

it's the cutest thing. They do it watching birds or chipmunks

[borlis]

31. Both of mine do it. But I didn't know it had a name.

We've always called it quaking. :shrug:

[AtomicKitten]

32. My new baby, Renfield ...

... "chatters" big time as he darts around like his tail is on fire.

[barb162]

33. That's a little doll!

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

34. HE IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

I showed my husband - he said, "So much love, huh?" Love his name, too!

[ncrainbowgrrl]

35. What a cute kitty!

Awwwww. :hi:

[AtomicKitten]

36. Ren is a "busy" boy ...

eats my faxes.
resets my electronic equipment by walking across.
darts into the dryer, refrigerator, toilet, etc. in a nanosecond.
stealth attacks my part pitbull and older cat, much to their dismay.
climbs an 8 ft entertainment center in a nanosecond.
scoots on his belly on my desk knocking everything out of his way.
sleeps on top of my monitor.
eats everybody's food sort of like Patty Duke in the Miracle Worker.

etc.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

38. Does Renfield eat spiders?

[AtomicKitten]

42. I have no factual proof

but I do know he has eaten butterfies. Ew!

[regnaD kciN]

41. What a beauty!

And those eyes...

BTW, if the cat-lovers reading this thread haven't yet visited the Pets Forum on DU Groups, you ought to!

[VOX]

43. What a good-lookin' dude!!!

And the name "Renfield" is just icing on the cake! congrats!

:toast:

[WMliberal]

37. only one of my cats does.

Ironically, it's the only one who has never killed anything in her whole life.

[NaturalHigh]

39. Mine doesn't..

but my wife's cat Oscar does.

[regnaD kciN]

40. None of my current cats does...

...but my late Balinese, Tari, used to do it like mad...particularly when anyone tried playing a wind instrument.