Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Silent Chatter

I’m sure most people who have cats have seen or heard of cats ‘chattering’ at birds they see outside, as if they are talking to animals they hope will be their prey. I’ve seen it before in some of mine, but yesterday I observed a variety of it I have not come across previously. Not surprisingly, I observed it in Hector.


Hec was chasing a fly that had found its way into the apartment. My little panther ran and leaped and grabbed but couldn’t catch his quarry. At one point the fly landed on a window-screen, out of reach of his hunter. Hector sat and stared up at the fortunate insect, and ‘chattered’. But he didn’t make a sound.


I had not heard of ‘silent chatter’ from a cat before. Certainly, I have come across silent meows. Tucker used to give me those all the time, and I loved seeing the almost reticent little expression. But any ‘chatter’ had always come with high-pitched, staccato sounds.


I have read that such an action by cats is an instinctive preparation for eating or perhaps killing a live and struggling prey, loosening the jaws, like a singer’s exercises before a performance. If that is the case, accompanying sound is probably incidental, rather than purposeful. Whatever the reason, it was hardly unexpected that Hector would devise his own method.


17 comments:

  1. Hector is truly a guy who has his own way of doing things.

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  2. Such an interesting purrsonality you have, Hec!

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  3. Hector definitely is entertaining! Chumley's chattering would be close to silent, and Derry's too many times (not all), but Annie and Nicki would make more of a noise with theirs. Still not loud, but not (almost) silent, either.

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  4. Precious never chatters but she loves a good fly chase. She's known for growling. Now Seney she could chatter all day about anything. Hector is his own man.

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  5. Leave it to Hector to have his own way of doing things.

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  6. The important thing is he was having fun!

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  7. I haven't heard of silent chatter either. :)

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  8. I wonder if any of the BIG cats do it.....
    Never heard or read of it..One to Google me thinks!

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  9. I bet it was fun watching Hector chase that fly. Exercise for him and entertainment for you! A win-win on both sides!
    Interesting about the silent chatter. My two boys make a little noise but I haven't noticed if Chloe chatted yet. She seems to just observe the birds very intently.

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  10. Hector I say celebrate your difference!

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  11. I have heard Katie Isabella chatter only perhaps three or so times in all of these years. Birdie related. Lower volume.

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  12. Pipo was the loudest chatterer of my six...and he spat saliva all over the window when he did that, LOL!

    Hector grows sweeter by the day, it seems:)

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  13. Sami was the cat who chattered at the birds. Saku pays some attention to them, but is much more interested in bugs. I've not heard him chatter out loud or silently.

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