I have a cat question

[WilliamPitt]

My cat loves to sit in the window and watch the birds flit to and fro on the power lines. When they get close, she gets into deadly pounce mode and does this really weird thing with her mouth. The best way to describe it is she chitters. She opens her mouth and goes "ka-a-a-a-a-a-a-e-e-a-a" real soft, with her jaw twitching each time and her teeth pretty much bared.

What is that all about? My other cats have done that, too. What is that behavior?

[flamingyouth]

1. It's their hunting cry

And boy, do our cats ever get mad when we laugh at them when they do it.

[Bertha Venation]

2. I don't know why they do it, Will.

Mine do it too. It is common cat behavior for when they're watching birds. I love it.

Wenchzilla also does it when she's disobeying. We'll tell her to get down from, say, the mantle, and she'll chitter at us. Then knock something off. THEN get down.

[MidwestMomma]

6. Now that's really scary

See my answer below :D

[SOteric]

3. I've wondered if it was a bird call...

But I don't know for certain what it is. All my kitties have done it.

[MidwestMomma]

4. I actually know an answer for something!

That weird thing with her mouth is what she would do if the little bird's neck was in her mouth...it's how they crush the little preys neck.

Kind of creepy huh?

[thelocalkgb]

7. Patches v. Walter

Man, it freaks me out when one of our cats does that to another one of our cats.

Almost as much as replying to you on a thread when we are sitting in the same room.

[Womblestuffer]

5. mine do that too, kinda weird

[VelmaD]

8. That just your kitty's way of saying...

"mmm...tastes like chicken" :-)

[HEyHEY]

9. Off topic, I've heard bears do it too.

[SOteric]

10. Bears do it,

Bees do it....

[WilliamPitt]

12. You've got my face!!!

:)

[SOteric]

14. Yeah.

But I'm still much prettier than you in a dress. :7

[HEyHEY]

13. now that was funny and well -timed

:-)

[Mz Pip]

11. Anticipation

of something yummy coming their way?

My little feral kitty does it when she is stalking flies. Then she pounces. Then she catches them. Then she eats them. Flies are like candy to this kitty. Go figure.

MzPip
:dem:

[bicentennial_baby]

15. My cats all do it

I swear, they are imitating the birds at the feeder, the sounds they make are bizarre and adorable!

[Zomby Woof]

16. our cat does that!

Sounds almost like chirping... a decoy call, lol. :-)

[XanaDUer]

17. Ours, too

He is getting ready to kill, I think. Also does it when he sees other cats outside.

[DarkPhenyx]

18. Yes, they are delicious.

Oh...that wasn't your question. Sorry mate.

[absyntheNsugar]

19. She thinks she is a tiger

Housecats are proof God has a sense of humor. Take the mind of a predatory killer and put it in the body of a fuzzy care bear.

[SoCalDem]

20. Mine love to "cackle" at the birdies outside

It might be a warning to the other cats nearby.. "That juicy grey one on the left is MINE.. back off "

[neebob]

21. My cat does that, too -

I have a loveseat that's backed up against a window, and every morning she crouches down on the seat, peeks up over the sofa back as if the magpies outside can't see her, and makes that noise. I call this ritual "peekin' the birdies."

[non sociopath skin]

22. Here's an interesting thing...

Our two American cats both do the hunting cry thing both when watching birds and chasing insects (we call the latter "Dances With Flies").

But our Brit cats DON'T do it!

So a whole new question opens up. Do American cats have different behaviour patterns from their American cousins?

The Skin