Why woud a cat 'chatter' (ek-ek-ek) at another cat?
March 31, 2023 8:53 AM Subscribe
A couple of days ago our cat spotted a neighbour cat through the glass door and made the ek-ek-ek chattering sound before rushing over to look through the glass. This is the second time that I've seen a cat do this in response to seeing another cat. I thought the ek-ek-ek was supposed to be for birds or small mammals; what's going on here?
Our cat, N, is a 5-year-old spayed female indoor-only cat. The other day she spotted a neighbour cat, O (a senior neutered male), on our back deck. Riveted, she made the ek-ek-ek chattering sound from across the room, then rushed over to the glass door to look out. She did not make any further sounds; no hissing or growling or tail-lashing either. O backed off a little and displayed conciliatory body language (hunkering down, looking away, multiple smile-blinks).
Another neighbour cat, S (friendly neutered male), frequently visits our back deck and N sometimes hurries over to look out through the glass door at him, but she has never made sounds or displayed agitated body language at him. S regularly patrols a few adjacent yards and I would think of him as the local "boss cat", except that S is afraid of O and O tends to bully him and his brothers in their own yard.
Many years ago, our late cat S (indoor-only spayed female) did the very same ek-ek-ek thing upon spotting a male cat through our back door. In that instance, the male cat was very affronted and later peed on our back door.
These are the only two times that I've ever seen a cat 'chatter' at another cat. In neither case was there any of the hissing, yowling, or tail-lashing that usually means 'this is MY TURF, shove off!' in cat language. What was going on here? Was my sweet little N really thinking of O as a prey animal?
Our cat, N, is a 5-year-old spayed female indoor-only cat. The other day she spotted a neighbour cat, O (a senior neutered male), on our back deck. Riveted, she made the ek-ek-ek chattering sound from across the room, then rushed over to the glass door to look out. She did not make any further sounds; no hissing or growling or tail-lashing either. O backed off a little and displayed conciliatory body language (hunkering down, looking away, multiple smile-blinks).
Another neighbour cat, S (friendly neutered male), frequently visits our back deck and N sometimes hurries over to look out through the glass door at him, but she has never made sounds or displayed agitated body language at him. S regularly patrols a few adjacent yards and I would think of him as the local "boss cat", except that S is afraid of O and O tends to bully him and his brothers in their own yard.
Many years ago, our late cat S (indoor-only spayed female) did the very same ek-ek-ek thing upon spotting a male cat through our back door. In that instance, the male cat was very affronted and later peed on our back door.
These are the only two times that I've ever seen a cat 'chatter' at another cat. In neither case was there any of the hissing, yowling, or tail-lashing that usually means 'this is MY TURF, shove off!' in cat language. What was going on here? Was my sweet little N really thinking of O as a prey animal?
In my experiences with owning cats, this meant "I'm really interested in what I'm seeing but not sure whether to be angry or happy yet."
Cats identify by smell so she sees something that might be a cat but can't get confirmation yet because she's on the opposite side of the glass.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:18 AM on March 31, 2023 [2 favorites]
Cats identify by smell so she sees something that might be a cat but can't get confirmation yet because she's on the opposite side of the glass.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:18 AM on March 31, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I have two cats, and only the younger ek-ek-eks. He usually does it at the birds outside, but sometimes he also does it at the older cat, right before pouncing on him for play-fights.
posted by snakeling at 9:20 AM on March 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by snakeling at 9:20 AM on March 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
It’s believed that ekekek can be about pushing more air through the nasal passages when you (cat) can’t smell something you want to know more about, say because of glass. So, usual Tom, no ekekeke, new strange Tom, ekekekek.
posted by Iteki at 5:11 PM on March 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Iteki at 5:11 PM on March 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
The next theory behind why cats chatter is a little more violent. Some animal behaviorists say that the rapid jaw movements that cats make when they chatter is similar to a biting motion. When hunting, cats will bite the neck of their prey to quickly subdue them. Your sweet fluffball might be practicing their neck bite, which is the rapid bite used to kill their prey. After all, most of our kitties don’t chatter at the bag of treats that is just out of reach on the kitchen shelf, but they will chatter at a passing bird out the window. It is also possible that they are mimicking the action in anticipation of catching their prey, or even making the motion because they can’t catch their prey and they are acting out what they would like to do...Why do cats chatter?
I think the killing bite argument has some heft to it. I recall reading somewhere that the drive to hunt in cats is not related to how well fed they are. They are just natural born killers.
posted by y2karl at 8:36 PM on March 31, 2023 [2 favorites]
As someone who has never been around cats all that much, I just want to say this question is weirdly adorable, and made me smile.
That being said, the practise theory above resonates with the submissive behavior of the other cat, but I have no idea.
posted by Alensin at 4:23 AM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
That being said, the practise theory above resonates with the submissive behavior of the other cat, but I have no idea.
posted by Alensin at 4:23 AM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Just another point of anecdata, but both my (neutered, indoor-only male) cats do the standard ek-ek-ek at the birds and lizards they see but can't get to. Other cats, or anything not prey-sized, really, gets growled at.
On weekdays, though, the big tux has this whole repertoire of rubbing against my legs, chirping, flopping over on my feet and generally begging me not to leave when I'm putting on my boots to go to work. When I finally open the door to walk out sometimes he'll make eye contact and ek-ek-ek a little before stalking out of the room.
Wondering if it has a lot to do with pent-up, frustrated energy somehow.
posted by Lycaon_pictus at 2:17 PM on April 1, 2023
On weekdays, though, the big tux has this whole repertoire of rubbing against my legs, chirping, flopping over on my feet and generally begging me not to leave when I'm putting on my boots to go to work. When I finally open the door to walk out sometimes he'll make eye contact and ek-ek-ek a little before stalking out of the room.
Wondering if it has a lot to do with pent-up, frustrated energy somehow.
posted by Lycaon_pictus at 2:17 PM on April 1, 2023
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And honestly, in the case of that last cat (a tortie, with the full personality), I'm not sure it wasn't an insult and she was calling me a squirrel. Sort of a kitty middle finger, more than an overly-literal "I will eat you".
posted by Lyn Never at 9:10 AM on March 31, 2023 [6 favorites]