None of the other cat's I have ever stewarded have done this.
Duncan "chitters" when he hunts. If he locks in on a moth or something he sits perfectly still and does this (~0:03-0:15) before launching.
Makes me feel a little bit better that there are other aliens on the planet like him. Shortens the "Oh stop it.... you're a cat for goodness sake,
now act like one" list by one.
ATB,
SamSlasherQuan - 17-2-2011 at 10:04 AM
I have a siamese that does stuff similar to that......you know when he is stalking somethingindigo_wolf - 17-2-2011 at 10:06 AM
Hmmm... Duncan is, in fact, a siamese. Wonder if it is a breed specific trait. Siamese are tagged as one of the most "talkative" cat breeds.
ATB,
SamB-Roc - 17-2-2011 at 10:15 AM
I had a tabby who used to do that all the time when she was watching the birds (she was an indoor cat).
We just adopted a 5 month old kitten in January. She is the most verbal cat I have ever seen. At first I thought it was real cute. I still think
its cute but I'm also kind of at the point where I'm feeling like "look cat, I get it, you talk... a lot... now just be quiet for a moment). She is
also an indoor cat and she plays like she'd be an amazing hunter but she'd never shut up long enough to sneak up on anything.
Kittens... lad - 17-2-2011 at 10:15 AM
I've seen cats do that too...cat circuitry is one curious, convoluted mess, eh?
(but it's what gives them their entertainment value!) :bird:revpaul - 17-2-2011 at 10:36 AM
reminds of a show i saw documenting a young (12-ish) blind boy who never used a walking stick.
he uses the verbal clicks as an echo bounce back system to 'see' things. he is very accurate and could even find('see') a pencil held vertically at
eyelevel a few feet away. he rides bicycles, plays with other kids, and stuff.
the danger to him was he would not be able to "click/see" a large hole (or cliff) at or below his feet so he'd likely fall in/over the edge.vtliter - 17-2-2011 at 11:21 AM
We had a persian that would do that if I took a small mirror or used my watch to reflect sunlight on the wall. The cat would go insane jumping at or
chasing around the reflected sunbeam chattering away to beat the band! That cat went to another place mentally when it engaged in this activity. The
crazy thing would absolutely wear itself out!kiteetik - 17-2-2011 at 12:00 PM
cat vs. squirrel hmmmmm......... sounds like one hell of a tangle--my money's on the squirrel.......hopefully there is some cat discretion
here.........acampbell - 17-2-2011 at 03:50 PM
sounds like morse code... funnyKamikuza - 17-2-2011 at 05:11 PM
Our American short hair does it too ... apparently it's a sign on intense irritation - you'll notice all those cats are stuck inside and the squirrel
is dancing around in their yard dgkid78 - 17-2-2011 at 06:24 PM
my cat does that when it's feeding time.....I just assumed she was asking me to feed herindigo_wolf - 17-2-2011 at 07:12 PM
At dinner time, Duncan just runs around the house shrieking, so that the neighbors are fully aware how badly we mistreat him. Our other cat, the Pooka, walks over and repeatedly taps my elbow more and more insistently, until I finally get the hint.
That's an amazing story about an amazing young man.mdntdncr - 17-2-2011 at 09:05 PM
Quote:
Duncan "chitters" when he hunts. If he locks in on a moth or something he sits perfectly still and does this (~0:03-0:15) before launching.
Yes, a very great many cats do it. It's a physical manifestation of the 'kill bite'.
You'll usually only find them in cats that have learned the kill bite. Many domesticated
cats that are separated from their mothers too soon don't learn it. Usually, as soon as they can move about, the Mom will go catch something and
bring it back to the litter
and demonstrate the kill bite. Typically, that's the only way they learn. Those that don't will still hunt, but they usually only play with the food
until they get bored and
then let it go.
A few of mine would do it while looking out the window at a squirrel or bird.indigo_wolf - 17-2-2011 at 09:25 PM
"Most cats make chirping or chattering noises when observing prey. Proposed explanations for this behavior include that it is a threatening sound,
an expression of excitement or frustration, or an attempt to replicate a bird-call (or replicate the call of a bird's prey, for example a
cicada). Recent animal behaviorists have theorized that it is a "rehearsal behaviour" in which the cat anticipates or practices the killing
of prey, because the sound usually accompanies a biting movement similar to the one they use to kill their prey (the "killing bite" which saws through
the victim's neck vertebrae)."
OK.... the part about bird calls/cicadas is just freaky.... ranks up there with female black panthers having white markings on their ears so their
young can follow them when hunting at night. :o
ATB,
SamKamikuza - 17-2-2011 at 11:45 PM
Crikey! The wife would tick the cat off for chittering at her, cos she thought the cat was throwing a angry tantrum - instead, the cat was going to
eat the wife WIllardTheGrey - 18-2-2011 at 01:33 AM
Quote:
He gets the hose turned on him a lot.
Does it put the lotion on it's skin?Feyd - 18-2-2011 at 04:46 AM
Wait, That first vid. Someone in here must have seen the movie "Predator" about 1000X. They sound like the ticking/chittering sound the alien
made.
Those cat's probably have thermal vision too.
I'm just sayin.rocfighter - 18-2-2011 at 05:56 AM
Our owner thinks that if we are going upstairs it is feeding time and she gets all freaked out and tries to trip us on the stairs . Just so we know
she wants to eat NOW!!
Sadly we are not trained very well and we ignor her best we can and she gets fed when I get up in the morning and just before I go to bed at night.
After 4 years you would think she would have it figured out
