Why Do Cats Make Chattering Sounds When They See Birds Through a Window?

Posted by Jennifer Copley Jun 24, 2009

The chattering sounds that a cat makes when she sees a bird through the window are thought to be a vacuum activity. Vacuum activities occur when the cat is unable to fulfill her natural hunting proclivities. Another vacuum activity is the sudden mad dashes around the house that many cats engage in with no apparent provocation.

When a cat sees a bird or other prey animal that she can’t get to, she tenses her body and chatters her teeth as a substitute for delivering the killing neck bite. This action likely represents a combination of excitement at seeing an enticing prey animal and frustration at having the hunting drive thwarted.

For more on cat behaviour, see:

• Why do cats hiss?
• Why do cats purr?
• Why do cats fight?
• Why do cats rub against things and people?
• Why do cats play with their prey?
• Why do some cats seem to hate or love music?
• Why do cats eat plants?
• Why do some cats become anxious, fearful, or phobic?
• Why do some cats suck on fabric or wool?
• Why do some cats pull out their fur?
• Why do cats always seem to gravitate to the person in the room who fears or dislikes them?
• Why do cats vomit?
• Why do cats scratch furniture or carpets?
• Why do some cats become very itchy and scratch themselves excessively?
• Why do some cats urinate or defecate outside the litter box?
• Why do cats drink dirty water that's been sitting rather than fresh tap water?
• Why do cats sometimes appear to be grimacing with their mouths open?
• Why do cats knead or paddle with their paws?

• Why do cats appear to sulk?