Why Cats Chirp at Birds
Cats love to chirp and cackle at birds, especially when watching them through the window. Learn why they act this way in Nomi Berger’s latest Cat Tale story.
09-28-25
Are you familiar with the sight of your favorite felines perched near a window and … chirping? Not meowing, but chirping at a bird or birds? Have you ever wondered why they’re chirping? If so, consider these five paws-ible explanations for their behavior.
1. They’re mimicking the birds: Being natural-born hunters, it’s plausible that their chirping is a form of imitation or mimicking. This trickery was used both by their ancestors and by large cats in the wild to entice their prey into coming closer. Despite the fact that your kitties can’t capture the birds they see outside, their instincts allow them to feel as if they themselves are indeed “on the hunt.”
09-28-25 (picture courtest of Freepik.com)
2. They’re extremely excited: What’s more exhilarating than chasing after a toy bird dangling at the end of a wand toy? Seeing a real bird with real feathers! It’s tantalizing enough to figuratively make their mouth water! Spotting a bird – what they consider prey -- outside could be garnering an involuntary reaction that, without the prey in their mouth, results in that, chirp, chirp, chirping sound.
3. They’re frustrated: The fact that they’re indoors and the birds are outdoors may cause the thwarted hunter in your cats to chirp out of frustration. It’s the equivalent of humans “letting off steam” and is no cause for concern or alarm. Exasperated at being unable to leap from the window and chase after the tempting prey they’ve spotted, the most they can do to mollify themselves is chirp.
4. They’ve activated the prey sequence: Common in domesticated and wild cats, the initial step is watching their prey with anticipation, during which chirping occurs. The next steps include stalking or chasing, pouncing and then, finally, delivering the killer bite. Although indoor cats can’t complete the entire sequence, the fact that they’ve spotted a bird outside has at least satisfied part of their primal instincts.
09-28-25
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Cat Tale stories are written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA. For more information about Furry Friends visit www.furryfriendswa.org or contact them at information@furryfriendswa.org or (360) 993-1097
More Cat Tale stories can be found on the Columbian Newspaper’s website at https://blogs.columbian.com/cat-tales/ The Columbian has hosted the Furry Friends Cat Tale stories from 2015 to August 29, 2025.