Cat Daddy Dictionary: What is Cat Chattering?

Chattering, chittering, chirping, ekekek: what is it, and why do cats do it? Although we don’t know for certain, in this video I’ll break down some of the prevailing theories and give you my two cents on the matter.
Thank you to everyone who submitted videos of their chatterboxes! What should I cover in the next episode of Cat Daddy Dictionary?
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Chapters
0:00 Welcome
2:23 Cat Chatter Examples
5:12 Nigel's descent into madness
5:44 What is Chattering?
7:28 Theory 1 - Hunting
9:08 Theory 2 - Frustration
11:24 Theory 3 - Mimicry
13:37 What you can do
17:22 Bloopers
Products mentioned in this video
Air Prey Wand
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Major Mojo Kicker
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Videos referenced
Instantly Improve Your Cat's Life! - Window Catification
• Instantly Improve Your...
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[@catcolb11]

I had one cat that did the "prey chatter" for insects, every type of bird (including very large wild turkeys), and even airplanes! I told him "that's right, baby, dream big!"

[@user-mp4zs2by9m]

😂

[@katehuber4974]

Of course the cat sees a plane and thinks ‘I can take it.’

[@michellefox1052]

Yes mine catch flies, and do it to spiders and other insects as well 🫶

[@alexpeltier3330]

I live near a nature preserve- my 9 lb tuxedo girl chatters at deer!

[@flafg]

🛫🐈 I mean, imagine the scene! 😂

[@sammygirl6910]

My old man chatters in his sleep. It's the only time he does it these days. He lays in the sun outdoors with me, and birds will land around him. He just watches these days. This is a cat who once ran twenty-five feet up a power pole, pushed off his back feet, and grabbed a squirrel out of midair. He used to chase dogs off the property. Now he's retired at 14. He knows who he is. 😂😂😂

[@MF-ic1dk]

❤

[@danielleking262]

dang, sounds like an awesome cat !!!

[@judyboyle9232]

Wow, yay for him! That is amazing!

[@josmith6140]

Definitely amazing

[@ghinalikki]

He really messed up that local ecosystem

[@valerieverith2358]

One of the cutest short vids I saw with chattering, was a woman making similar noises as her cat while they both watched birds out the window. Her cat turns his head, such open adoration in his eyes, and head bonks mom, purring loudly. He was just so happy his mama was chattering with him. Super cute.

[@CharGC123]

Yep, just another cat communication for us to melt over! I adopted a part siamese who I was expecting to have that insistent Siamese yowl, but instead he delights me with his soft, sweet, melodic coos instead.

[@frankkadar3897]

Oh wow, you featured my tortie Lily! Thank you Jackson! She's 3 years old, a sweetheart and a huge furball of energy. She chatters, purrs and meows all the time. She's has full conversations with birds, squirrels and even with me everyday. This made my day seeing her on this great video. Thanks again!

[@sweettaterpie7009]

At what time is Llily on screen?

[@frankkadar3897]

@@sweettaterpie7009 At minute 3:57

[@JacksonGalaxy]

Thank you for submitting her! 😻

[@grobanite4ever85]

Lily is so cute

[@Ninja-ty4lw]

I just love that 'Meh-eh-eh' thing they do. When I see a bird in the garden my cats haven't noticed yet, I do the 'meh-eh-eh' and they know and come join me chattering at the bird.

[@scheers100]

Same here, very enjoyable moment to have with cats/friends 😂🎉

[@dorianr4770]

I'm gonna try this now. :)

[@Hermititis]

When my cat is being a pest while I'm trying to work, I will stare fixedly out the window & make that sound. She apparently has a bad case of FOMO, because she will head to the window to search for what I saw.

[@rhettbaldwin8320]

I think it's a way for cats to communicate they found prey to other cats.

[@bambinaforever1402]

When i see a bird a say “bird” and one of my cats runs to me like his life would depend on that. They do understand human language u know. Mine know go home, do u want to go out, nam nam time, squirrel, bird, lizard and maybe more

[@starwalker3488]

When I was young, we had a cat that chittered every time we opened the door of the dishwasher. We think it was the sound made by the door's hinges that seemed to trigger him, but he ALWAYS chittered with a very cute "ek ek ek" sound. Needless to say, we would repeatedly open the dishwasher door just to hear him do it, and he never failed to make the cute noise, bless him.

[@dahyimi2185]

It's also possible that the dishwasher reflected some light on the opposite wall, and opening it would make the light move. Many of my cats have chittered at moving lights: the reflection from my watch, the light from a torch, a laser pointer, the red light from the computer mouse...

[@LindaC616]

Mine did it whenever I sneezed

[@wendyrichards7458]

I recently adopted a 1 yr old tabby female who takes vocalising to a level far beyond my previous experience .The number and variety of sounds that come out of her is mind blowing .She just came to ask for treats with a whole volley of mreeps ,eeks ,mrrps ,meemees and mewarrs , it was like an entire announcement about having just woken from a nap and finding she had the munchies .I admit I tend to mrrp and eek back at her ,which probably just encourages her to continue . Curiously enough though she never chatters while watching birds .She gets excited ,trembly ,mega focused etc ..but never a sound .

[@anniek4681]

I loooove the english accent while pretending to be an Oxford or Camebridge professor. You did it so well Jackson. You nailed it.

[@JacksonGalaxy]

What accent? This is just how I talk. 😉

[@WiiNV]

​@@JacksonGalaxy L😹L

[@a9ball1]

I love his cat daddy personality.

[@TheJamesLykins]

That’s his normal accent- he does an excellent American accent on TV

[@rnbsteenstar]

LoL!!

[@karineanderson1670]

My 5 year old tabby does the "ek ek ek ek" chatter for birds, especially crows, but she also does a softer chatter when I bring home fresh flowers.. it's the cutest!

[@judithalltop3953]

She's a very sweet little girl!! Loves flowers 🥰💕💕

[@startrekstarfleetlcars44779]

catnip flowers? 😁🐈

[@karineanderson1670]

I've followed Jackson's advice, and my cat always has organic grass next to her wet food dish. She loves to eat the grass and she doesn't regurgitate or puke it. There is also a large planter of organic catnip on her favorite windowsill. The cut flowers 💐 that she chirps at are mums and roses. I'm just happy when my cat is happy 😊

[@lisadieter-burns]

Our Sawyer actually talks to me using his chatter voice in only one circumstance. It is when I am asking him if he wants out of the room to come with me. Often the answer is "I'll stay here for now. Thank you.". To communicate this, he sits still, looks at me, and does the chatter. I've never heard of this before. No hunting involved. To me, it is a little frustration inside him. He wants to stay, but he also doesn't want to decline my offer. That's at least the way I see it with him. Great video as always!

[@The1andonlyhbomb]

My cat does ekekekek at birds except im pretty sure she's actually conversing with them because they all gather around and one spokes bird chirps back and forth with her. This happens fairly regularly with the sparrows that live in the yard. Sometimes i think they're bringing her the news from the outside world (she used to be a semi outdoor cat). She's a really friendly girl 😊

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

Awesome cat!

[@prehistoricgentlemanbird9131]

News from the outside world lol. Love it.

[@skelefly4116]

My sweet girl gwyn was silent for the first few months. I turned on some cat videos for her and her siblings, and she spoke!! She now wont shut up😂 i love it her mew is so cute

[@shroomyk]

I recently had to say goodbye to my soulcat. One of the last things he did was chatter at a chipmunk that was in the birdfeeder. I was so glad to get it on video as a memory of him even in his final days.

[@MsJudi54]

So sorry for your loss. It's great that you have that video. I cry every time we lose one of our cats. I would never have made a good farmer, as they have to see a lot of their animals die as they go through the cycle of life. Every time we lose a cat, I write a poem or eulogy for each of them & place it below their picture in a photo album. I get the album out once a year, & my family has a "remember when" story to tell when we're in the mood. Again, I understand your sorrow. People who don't raise animals don't understand how important their lives & our memories of them mean to us, because they were part of us for however long we were blessed to have them as part of our family! 😪 💔🙂 🌹

[@vikkideissler3648]

So sorry for your loss, they are family

[@angelajoleefloria2564]

So sorry for the loss of your fur baby.

[@AuroraTigress]

One time, my cat was chittering at a bird and the bird chirped back. It was so cute to see them have a little convo. ❤ My cat also chitters at people when they cough or sneeze.

[@cultureal9544]

Mine does too!

[@judithalltop3953]

Your cat's probably saying "bless you" to people who cough or sneeze. 🥰💕💕

[@sherylloconte788]

My cat chatters when sneeze have no idea why

[@janwells2199]

Yes sneezes! I assumed he thinks I'm scolding him and is disagreeing, "I'm a good boy."

[@sherylloconte788]

Thanks I didn’t think about scolding once when he sneezed I chattered at him and he looked at me as if I was crazy 😊

[@discdoggie]

we only brought Tinsel home from the shelter less than a week when we heard her first chatter at the window watching squirrels gather acorns in the front yard. As lifelong dog people (we have 4!) and first time cat…owners? Hostesses? this was a new sound to our ears. She clicks her tongue so adorably. She also managed to catch a fly that was darting around the window. Good kitty.

[@SarahSchueth]

Congrats on your first cat! Cats are such a joy. You are spot on about them owning us. They definitely rule us. Cat guardians is term Jackson uses and I think it’s perfect.

[@CharGC123]

As they say, dogs have masters --- cats have servants! Adopting a dog is like adopting a perpetual, needy, toddler; adopting a cat is like adopting a perpetual, contrary, teenager! LOL Love them all though!

[@spend4zen1]

I have lived with cats my entire 56 years of life, My Mom runs a rescue and cattery and we have never had less than six cats at a time in the house. The chatter is excitement, plain and simple. There is no big mystery about it, it is excitement over toys, over pray, or over food. It is built up anticipation over something stimulating. In other words, they are speechless.

[@YIKESMF]

It's prey driven excitement. Idk why you're arguing. Some people have had many cats and have never seen this til they saw it on the internet. I was one of them. It wasn't until 2018 I got my Black long haired cat Isis who chatters. Now we have a new addition to thw family and SHE chatters at the laser light. Because she's about to CHASE IT. PREY DRIVEN. 😂😂😂 Now I have two chatter boxes. I am 50 and have had cats since I was able to walk! Many cats! Sometimes we just don't witness it.

[@spend4zen1]

@@YIKESMF I have a cat now that does the chatter when it's time to eat. That's not prey driven ( or maybe it is since it's food) It is just a behavior I have seen a lot and in other situations besides hunting. I to am 53 years old and have always had a dozen cats. I am surprised you have not seen it more often.

[@shanoukgaming6763]

​@@spend4zen1Some cats may likely adapt using chatter for food if that's the thing the cats person responds to and gets it food. Cats train people without them even realizing it. I have only personally noticed cats chatter that were separated from their mothers before 12 weeks.

[@rp9674]

All three of those examples sounded like a cat equivalent of hunting

[@katehuber4974]

Oh my god- Crisp chittering cries are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

[@nezuminora9528]

Seen a lot of sleep talking dogs but not known a cat to do so. Adorable

[@jo-lene9679]

I literally read your comment seconds before I got to the clip of Crisp, annnnnd mygosh! I just died inside - Crisp is way too adorable 😍

[@AngelavengerL]

One of our rescues is a russian blue and she does so many vocalizations that our other cats don't do. She's been dubbed the Grand Magus Chitterbug. She chitters, squeaks, trills and generally loves to talk to us.

[@wholeshebang1]

It's fun having a chatty cat! You'll always have someone to talk to.

[@grobanite4ever85]

What a cutie

[@f.mariani8873]

LOL!! My Beautiful Kit, did the chatter for the first time in my presence, last night. It was a huge moth. He is not much of a hunter normally, but he took the moth down (found it this am), and was quite proud of his chubby self! As was I, beacuse he moved his body! LOL! Thank You!!

[@CousinCreepy]

That how my little friend says goodnight after scratches and cuddles. She meows without making a sound as if to respect the late hour. It's like pillow talk. Lovely creatures.

[@LaurieAnnCurry]

The cat daddy MUST return from time to time. This is the Jackson we didn’t know we needed until we got it. Love this video. Well done sir! Well done!

[@ExcelEhigiator]

Hello how are you doing

[@lindafras1762]

I do agree😊👍🏻this Video is One of His Best😉👍🏻 I liked this One a Lot.... I want that also likes to watch my 😼Cat Chattering looking at 🐦 Birds four squirrels?...

[@lindafras1762]

🙄😁☺️😄😂

[@user-xv3uq6bt2x]

Yes!!! Right! Here in Denmark, from telewision! I joy wach : my Cat from hell. Learned a lot! I’m a woman, now 61 year. Since Year 2000 i only But rescuecats! The last boy, Got 20 year before the sad way. This spring I had to say goodbye to him. Not ewen, even the w’et, believed He Got mich older than 5 year, his sickness! Now i have a female, try to learn what, happend too her, before Got her! She had a broken tail, she was affraid of get her own dish to Ear from, her own literbox, and so on! I used my shirt, she lay at my cheast, and drak it through our House, all around! First When our House smelled total og her! Yes! Im now waiting for New from J G. Thank for your test here! 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾.🌹🌹🌹. 3 red roses in Dk. Faith, hope and love!

[@norahiller7362]

My two former feral girls scared me when this first started, I thought Mary was sick, no hiding I was a dog person. They both do chatter or making a puking sound, but Mary who is a Golden Retriever in cat body, uses chatter to “talk” to me. Before I sorted this out, I had make a vet appointment. So much to learn.

[@watchmethriving]

I adopted my Gabby kitty from a friend and soon after I called the friend because I was concerned about the chatter. I had never heard a cat do that before.

[@tonipapillon9556]

I was raised with 8 cats and currently have one now. First time I heard a cat chatter was in tictok.

[@shawnatroyer1411]

I taught our golden retriever to purr.

[@vikkideissler3648]

@@shawnatroyer1411 My Aquarian mind wants know why? and how, lol

[@wintermoon7003]

I was raised with cats, and lots of other animals as well. I NEVER knew about this sound until my new cat I adopted started doing that. But she would do that when I had an electric fly swatter. She was really interested in that!

[@hellokimmy68]

We have three kitties, two boys and a girl, and only the girl chitters. I have feeders all over the porch and yard, which attracts tons of squirrels and birds, so she chitters daily and sometimes gets so loud, we can hear her across the house. It's ADORABLE.

[@deve8sgrl]

I've always believed that the chatter was a way to tell other cats either, "this one's mine, back off" or "I got one, come help." My newest cat first started chattering at a toy when she was a kitten (strictly indoor cat), then she discovered the birds outside through the windows. She will sit and chatters all day long. It's definitely something they are born with. I love your videos. I've owned cats for over 50 years and I still learn new things from your videos. Thank you.

[@RuFi0000000]

I feel like it might be as simple as they want to meow because they are hyped about seeing prey but they have to be quiet so the prey doesn't hear them. So they're just like "o--h-h-h y-e-e-ea-a-a-h-h-h-h-h-h....."

[@danielleking262]

I like that theory!

[@jgw5491]

Your Lay's product placement is one of the best on KZbin!

[@XSemperIdem5]

He successfully made me crave some salty Lays 😂

[@DuneFreak66]

Jackson, you are my favourite teacher of cat worshipers and their overlords, lol. You work so hard to help people understand just what a cat needs and wants. Keep up your highly skilled passion for their charming companions. 🥰😍😘

[@kelleymaxwell3875]

LOL, my two cats would chatter and they sounded like typewriters. When they'd stop, I'd always say DING! And yet, they'd look at me as if I was crazy. Loved all the fur beauties in this video

[@kellyjohnson3617]

I’ve had my rescue kitty for three years now. She has only recently started chattering at some animals, birds, squirrels, bugs and who knows what else, on the wall behind my house from my bedroom window. Her tail switches. She’s transfixed. She is an excellent hunter. My house is pretty much insect free. She rid my house of the one mouse that was annoying me within a month of getting her. It’s different from how she acts when the neighborhood cat invade our yard. My cat loves her window perches. I have perches for her at every accessible window in my house. And my seven yr old kitty is a play monster. She loves to run first thing before and/or after breakfast. So we have a play routine. Including her hide and seek game she invented with me. And when I find her she jumps out at me and runs like a crazed maniac up and down her play hallway that includes rugs to slide on and a climbing wall and other shelves for her to jump on and off of snd hiding in or behind. She loves to rush up to the top of my climbing wall as I’m passing by and grab with both paws my pony tail and give her most ferocious cat yowl. So she even likes to play at me being her prey. But mostly she likes to play with her butterfly 🦋 toy I got from the Jackson gallery website. I just say the word butterfly and she chitters with excitement. And I stand in the doorway and let her chase the butterfly along her hallway snd up and down her little obstacle course/play run. She is the ferocious hunter indeed

[@tammyjones8894]

My cat keeps wanting me to chase him upstairs early in morning. He stalks slowly down and then finds me and soon as I see him he thunders back up the stairs.

[@bambinaforever1402]

My cats got bored with ALL TOYS. the only thing which still works a little is a small piece of paper on a string

[@judithalltop3953]

She sounds like a wonderful little cat!! 🥰💕💕

[@MariaMoon376]

Sounds like you have a cat heaven fixed up for your little girl. ❤

[@eggie9744]

I can't express enough how thankful I am for discovering this channel! This is now officially my fave YT channel!!!! I'll be a first time cat momma next week and mr Jackson is helping me a lot with the preparations. I want to give my little Daisy the best cat life possible and I'm actually thinking of adopting another kitten after mr Jacskon;s encouragement. Thank you so much sir for showing us informative and entertaining cat videos!

[@wintermoon7003]

Do it! Not only will it be fun to watch them interact with each other, you also won't feel guilty if you need to leave them alone for a while. So she won't get lonely! I have had cats and dogs and other animals my entire life and I'm still learning new things about cats. Like, I didn't even know about the chatter until my new cat started doing that. My entire life, I never heard that noise. But I worry that she may be stressed out so I'm trying to follow his advice about how to catify my house! Right now she wants to go outside so I'm trying to convert my porch into a catio as well so I will feel better about her going out. My other cat I would let her out all the time despite not having claws because I had a stray outside cat who protected her and she ALWAYS stayed on the porch. If she ever went off, I would have kept her in permanently. But she was usually inside anyway.

[@aweaver6895]

What fun! Congratulations on your new furry family! I know you guys will make each other so happy.

[@megan5867]

Congratulations! I've had cats my whole life, they are truly special. One of my cats lived to 22 years old. I would definitely recommend getting two cats at once, it helps in so many different ways.

[@pattytheseeker8902]

One of my kitties names is Princess Daisy. She is pure joy!!!❤

[@docsci]

It’s always good to adopt kittens in pairs… they both grow up more well adjusted.

[@user-bi9ym4tl1h]

Jackson, my cat chatters at the sight of his morning can of food. He is clearly highly evolved!

[@sealyoness]

All mine have chattered at birds. This morning I dreamed my house was being overrun with feral cats! Then my own cat plopped on my stomach and I almost screamed... Later I found some small unknown critter had left me a present on the porch. It's not a Fortean coincidence, it's cat poop. May you all have a blessed week. At least, better than finding cat poop!

[@Veggie816]

My kitty seems to only chatter at potential prey that are just beyond his reach and cannot give chase to 😼 There was one instance where he spotted a chipmunk that I initially didn’t see. I only noticed it because his tail was vibrating and he was staring at a bush without chittering.

[@robinharwood5044]

Yes. Making a noise when hunting defeats the whole purpose of stalking. It would be an evolutionary disadvantage. I once watched my cat stalk a pigeon, four metres across a flat lawn, zero cover. Only moving she the bird was looking away. Not a sound. She got it.

[@johnny-brings-a-good-point]

5:11 That is soo funny; the way he went for that bag of chips 😂

[@denisemorrison876]

I loved this part too! Good thing potato chips are vegan, eh Jackson?

[@Game_Blox9999]

That happened right as I read the comment!! The timing of that is absolutely impeccable!!

[@justashton255]

Same

[@frankiefavero1666]

I've developed a distress call for my cats, which makes them come running to comfort me wherever I am in the house, I help them catch insects that have gotten inside the house by raising them when said bug is out of their reach... and as of lately, when I ek ek ek at birds through the screen windows, they immediately come over and once they see the birb they join in! Maxie, Rey Rey and myself are one happy catty family, it's all about primal cat mojo in our home! Thanks Jackson for the AWESOME video, as always 😊

[@niknotnikki]

I'm with you and leaning toward the mimicry or disarming sounds hypothesis. Since our hearing is confined to certain frequencies, we may not even be hearing the full extent that cats or their prey hear. I'd bet my whiskers there are researchers who have measured or are measuring these frequencies. If not, someone get on that for their doctorate 🤓

[@Aunty87]

Nadja, my 6 month Tortie does this to flies, birds.. and my ghost (the empty space behind me😳) 😂 SO CUTE!

[@MadHax-wt5tl]

I have a sweet little old lady tortie, and she sings to the birds. And she has a lovely voice too.😸

[@MsJudi54]

Does your Tortie trill? We recently found a baby tortoise kitten who is as funny & cute as they come. She doesn't meow, but when she gets excited, jumps up on the couch or bed, or first sees us after her naps, she trills, then settles into a happy, but quiet purring. I've had many cats (still do), but this is the first one that trills. In fact, we named her "Trill" (sounds like a Star Trek name, lol).

[@ZiggyPlayedGuitar1225]

What We Do in the Shadows?

[@Aunty87]

@@ZiggyPlayedGuitar1225 You know it! 🫶😈🦇🧛‍♀️ Fits her perfectly 😂

[@ZiggyPlayedGuitar1225]

@@Aunty87 Awesome! If I get another cat that's in the top 5. She’s your rotten soldier, your sweet cheese, your good time gal.

[@MsJudi54]

Thank you for all of your videos, Jackson! They are both humorous & informative, & I love them! Me & my husband have an informal "catch & release" where we live in a small city near families raising horses, cows, goats, etc.. We see so many variety of cats, so chattering is quite common. We have 6 indoor cats that we adopted when their outdoor moms gave birth & then disappeared or died. We have about 9 outdoor cats that we continue to feed (yes, we know). When some of our indoor cats go outside to cat around for a bit each day, they meet up with the others & the chattering, squalling, & grrrrrrrs begin. Occasionally, we have to go out & break up a serious conversation between them, but since we've had them all spayed/neutered, & immunized, they usually don't fight (except when a new feral cat enters the picture. They all tune me out when they are "lazer-focused" on each other & chattering as if they are carrying on a conversation with their secret language, lol. So, I stand by, making sure they don't digress into physical confrontations, but occasionally having to break them up with a loud noise or sticking a broom in between them. Cats are amazing to watch, cuddle, or engage in play with (especially when a new box comes into the house!). It doesn't seem like we have so many cats until it's feeding time, & then I look at all of them staring excitedly up at me & meowing like nobody's business. That's when I am astounded at how many there are & am reminded often that they are still "animals," lol. I love them so much, & as a retired R.N., the hardest part of raising these rugrats is having to one day say a final goodbye to them & watch them, one by one, either get mortally wounded by another animal or motor vehicle, become sick & require euthanasia, or silently & bravely give up their lives as old age naturally takes its course (sigh). But then, I have pictures & stories I keep of each one of them, along with their little paw prints, to remind us that we were able to rescue them, care for them, watch them play, trill, squabble, cuddle, & were given an opportunity to enjoy being alive. Ah, the cycle of life, & I am so blessed to be a small, but significant, part of it for them & for my large human family.

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

I love that: break up a serious conversation! Big respect to you guys for being so involved in a practical way.

[@tommunyon2874]

Relatives of mine who were in on developing the pixie bob breed had a cattery where I first heard cat chatter. To date I have only heard it from mostly pixie bobs, and one neutered male ragdoll. It is wonderful to see, and hear it, from a variety of cats in this video. The mystery of my cat is what enriches my life as a twice widowered person.

[@YIKESMF]

Yikes.

[@ninazacharia3003]

​@@YIKESMFoh bless you!🙏❤️😺

[@raineh4625]

I get so excited for my kitties when they chatter, they seem so happily engaged when they do.

[@veronikalaskova4716]

I agree with the frustration theory (at least in some cases). My Maine Coon chatters at me if she's trying to sleep and I/something somehow disturb her. She just opens her eyes, looks at me grumpily and chatters, then re-settles and goes back to sleep. It is literally like she's saying "why are you annoying me, I'm trying to sleep here!".

[@nancydaugherty159]

At my house we say “meh-eh-eh-eh” for all outdoor critters. They know I’m paying the kitty cable bill when I toss out the seeds and call for the meh-eh-eh-eh

[@Ninja-ty4lw]

Same! We also call it 'meh-eh-eh-eh' here.

[@watchmethriving]

kitty cable bill!!!!! LOL!!!! For my kitties it's bird videos on KZbin.

[@nancydaugherty159]

They all have different accents! So cool

[@Crisps.chattercat]

I was so excited to watch this featuring my kitty Crisps! 😻 love watching your videos

[@monicapdx]

Crisps was adorable with the sleep chattering!

[@zeitgeistzest3531]

I've always been amused by the prey sound, like "Are you trying to sound like a bird, luv? Cause that does *not* sound like a bird, & they can hear you & they'll know you ain't one of them 😅" It's so cute, though ❤

[@CrimsonMoonM]

There's one famous feline over here on KZbin named Stitch who've always impressed me. Other cats chatter in relation to hunting, but Stitch uses chattering as a way to vocally communicate with his owner, and he does this on command. I presume that Stitch was taught to vocalize this way because the owner likes to mimic his chattering back at him, which eventually caused Stitch to associate chattering with positive attention. Notably, he doesn't vocalize this way with the other cat he lives with, it's a sound reserved for his owner. I'd wager that most here have experienced that their cats have personalized meows that chance depending on the person they're speaking with, but it's especially noticeable with this little guy. The idea that housecats have begun to change from their forefathers because of their adaptive vocalization is nothing new, but the way Stitch sort of just woke up one day and decided to repurpose such a specific noise for other purposes as a response to positive reinforcement still fascinates me.

[@EgotisticalSlug]

Lucy and Stitch? :D

[@MeriLizzie]

My cat KayLee has specific meows for me… mostly “MehReow” or “MehMreow”, mostly hen looking for me specifically or wanting to play with me. She particularly loves ANY ball toys. I have a shorts video, I still need to post, of her playing with her “Busy Box”. Her & her sister chatter/eKeKeK to each other when one finds a bug, like a fly, to let the other one know where it is. They also love playing chase, with me, on the stairs where I just toss the toys the best I can (just had shoulder surgery).

[@mcrow9599]

one of my cats, tabby with a siamese cat voice would talk to us, with different sounds, ekeks, meows, softness, loudness, facial expressions. We learned his language and what he was saying, or asking for. A phenomenalky smart cat.

[@Odetojoyous]

Happy Chatterday! 🐱🐈🐈‍⬛🦁🐯🐅🐆

[@LoriBothwell]

Good one!😂

[@whimsical9860]

I'm in stitches! 🤣 This episode is so good!!!! Been watching your series and then content for years - thank you for what you do and for being you.

[@cannibalculture4499]

My two boys actually don't chatter often. But they love looking out the windows. While they love us both, Oscar is a big daddy's boy, while Snagus is more my lil one. He has actually learned how to play roll the ball with me, and absolutely loves it! He's getting really good too, and he tries to get them past me. They have tons of toys, but somehow the favorite remains shoe strings, paper bags, and cardboard boxes. I suppose cats will be cats. 🙂 We're lucky though, they both are incredibly healthy, affectionate, happy boys. Thank you for all you do on your channel. You are appreciated!!!

[@funkinfurdro]

I have a dart board in my bedroom, and my kitten Petruchio does the soundless ekekekek chittering to the darts as I throw them at the board. It’s adorbs. She’s done this since she was 10 weeks old and since she was an orphan, it’s gotta be genetic, not learned.

[@MsWinterlife]

Our girl Chacha does not chatter, she straight up yells at the birds outside our windows instead… Either she’s telling them off for daring to taunt her, or she’s complaining to us about not being able to go hunting outside.

[@lauril111]

At my house, its the contrary The birds come to the fence to SCREAM at my cats who can't reach them lol Just to mock them

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

Long live Chacha!

[@AsliaxAI]

I'd LOVE to see a collab between Cat Daddy Jackson and Kitten Lady tbh. They're both amazing souls doing great things for our favorite feline babies, and I can't imagine it being anything less than wholesome and fully educational. You've been the biggest reason I have such amazing cats, and you've been my hero since the first episode of My Cat From Hell. Thank you, Jackson!

[@RajaReign78]

That EKEKEKEK sound is one of my favorite things about kitties. I love how much it cracks me up when they do that. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣

[@conniegarvie]

I loved Jackson's turn at chittering!

[@pontuskarlstrom4093]

Easily put it, this guy is just fantastic. Discovered him on TLC a while ago, and even if a lot is only “theories”, I think him very resemble and interesting to listen to. Cat animals are the best

[@illustrated76]

I just saw my cat chattering for the first time. He is a young 1 to 2 yr old stray I took in about a month ago. I put up a very tall cat tree for him yesterday and he never even looked at it, until today. I was playing with the tree, scratching the posts, batting the balls on string, etc.. he watched me and then eventually joined in, and got really excited. We started by playing with some toys on a string, and when I changed over to use the laser pointer, he did the chattering while watching it move around on the ceiling just a foot or so above his head.

[@DarthRaider520]

My cat doesn't chatter with me. Instead I match his frequency in meows. He speaks to me, I speak to him. I eventually catch on and give him what he needs. He sleeps with me and has to be around me most of the time. I always respect his space and individualality as that's all ive ever wanted. Cat's are truly incredible. I believe cat chatter is mimicking. There's videos of tigers mimicking cows .

[@Random_user_8472]

My cat gave birth to three kittens today, the first was stillborn unfortunately (otherwise it would've been four kittens). They are beautiful and I'm very proud of their mom, my sweet little Yodita. After the first was stillborn I took her to the vet and he managed to save the rest. Forever grateful 😻😻😻

[@MsJudi54]

🥳Congratulations!! 🎉 Are you keeping all 3 kittens, or will you be having to adopt them out? Also, where did you get the cute name, Yodita? 💐

[@Random_user_8472]

@@MsJudi54Thank you so much! I wish to keep one, a little red guy, the other two I will adopt out, even though I wish to keep them all. But I share a terrain with a very nice couple and they asked me to please not to keep all of them to protect their cat and I went ok with that, it's very understandable. The name Yodita... When I picked her up the first time she looked at me and her face was like Star Wars Yoda's face, with her big ears. So I decided to name her Yoda. As I live in Peru (the Amazon jungle is my backyard, a cat's paradise), the cute version of Yoda is Yodita. Like my name is Sarvo, the cute version is Sarvito. When I had her in my arms for the first time she let herself fall on her back like a baby and I immediately was allowed to pet her belly. I took her home in my arms, without a box or anything. Since then she's following me around everywhere, even in the shower. I don't have a litterbox and when it's dark and nature calls, she comes to me asking to come with her (she has different meows for specific things). Then I walk with her until she found a good spot and delivers her message to pachamama. After that we run through the yard, chasing each other, hunting grasshoppers for a bit (I walk around make them jump, she catches them), it's a ritual 😸😻 Yoda is so much more than just a pet, she's my buddy, my compagnon, my little baby.

[@loiscassels8966]

Hope you had her spayed at the same time. She will be with you a much longer time and have a healthier life. ❤️🇨🇦

[@dragonfly9209]

How fun it will be to see those 3 adorable kittens grow! They are such a blessing! Please get Yodita spayed real soon though---she will live longer and be healthier. My heart hurts for all the kittens and cats in the shelters, who need homes. We need to cut down on the over-population. There's too many already that need homes.

[@yellotang]

I would love to see a video on multicat houses and how to deal with all the drama. Everyday it's like a soap opera.

[@randquadrozzi1280]

We had 0 cat's but within 3 months of moving to Florida we had 7 strays living indoors.They all got along but they way they interacted was funny seeing them work out the pecking order.Florida has a major stray problem and it was like they all learned to do home invasions

[@sammygirl6910]

​@randquadrozzi1280 It's relatively warm here all year, so it's always kitten season. Hopefully, you have a TNR program in your area. It's a literal life-saver.

[@randquadrozzi1280]

@@sammygirl6910 there is some hard working ladies doing it.I myself got 4 or 5 of the feral ones fixed in the neighborhood

[@catpocalypsenow8090]

I have 3 cats

[@vikkideissler3648]

A soap opera it is, lol I have 3 and just rescued a really traumatized kitten. she may be called a adult the vet says one year old, but trauma is her game. trying to get her to like other cats and not see them as a threat to her well being, any thoughts, I welcome your advice?

[@Nikkimidnoches]

Whenever I play peek-a-boo with my four year old tuxedo cat, Joshua, he always chatters. We chatter back and forth and we both totally enjoy it.

[@VickiBowers]

05:14 OMG, the "Ekekekekek" with Ave Maria at the potato chips! 😂😂😂😂

[@karolinagren5846]

They do it outside as well, when they see a bird. It's out of reach, but they're concentrating and watching it in case it comes closer, so it's not only frustration, I think.

[@rosemarymoore3142]

Love the English accent.. not to mention the Chittering cats😂

[@peachysara]

I’m glad you mentioned subscribe, because you’re always in my feed and I thought I was subscribed to you. I wasn’t! 😮 Also, my kitty of 20 years died a week ago. I watched your videos about elderly cats and made sure she was happy and healthy. She died of old age. Thank you for your information. She’s been my baby girl since I was a child. She always will. RIP Princess.

[@RachelSings21]

One of my cats does ‘EKEKEKEKEKEKEK’ at wand toys and the tv when I turn it on because it has a cursor that moves around on the screen. It’s so SO cute ♥️

[@susaneads1590]

My cat hunkers down & chatters at them daily! Love her❤

[@yzolakitchi]

🥰So fascinating. I love watching when two or more cats chitter together, their own secret, shared spectator language. It was fascinating about the wild cat mimicking the monkey. I would love a video that looks at more shared traits of big cats and domestic cats across all species of tigers, lions, cheetah, puma, jaguar etc and also ... what's the deal with the Pallas's cat? Most unusual looking feline, I think I've seen to date. Thanks for another infotaining video, Jackson 🥰

[@MeriLizzie]

Love watching Pallas cat videos! They’re so cute & the way they play with their little babies!

[@yzolakitchi]

@@MeriLizzie do you think they are one of those animals that's related to an ancient species? I don't know why I think that, except that their features are so unusual. And yes, odd as they are, I agree ... Super cute 🥰

[@donnygrande3662]

Smokey Let me Clip All the Claws , on his Right paw , Including the inner one on left side , another milestone Jackson !! 💖🦄🕊️ Thanks Jackson !! Smokey snores + talks in his Sleep :)💖 We Love You Jackson 💖 !! 🕊️🇺🇸💖🕊️ Peace Donny 🕊️🇨🇦🕊️ 🕊️🎶💖🌎💖🎶🕊️

[@shannonhandy2630]

I LOVE when my fur children do this!! And my ginger Pickle is an awesome fly catcher. I know cuz he does the chatter and then brings me a dead fly 😳😳. I thank him enthusiastically and try not to show my absolute grossed out 🤢 emotions 🤣🤣🤣. My calico does it with mice that unfortunately find themselves into my home of my cats and fosters…. And yes she has dropped on my head when sleeping. I really thought was her toy mouse till the second time and I turned on the light. Oh had a hard time with the enthusiastic thank you and not gagging but managed. I LOVE cats!! All animals really but cats are just amazing and awesome 😻😻😻😻

[@Nightswarmer]

My cat only chatters when she sees the neighbors outside.. What a fiesty little beast I'm harboring..

[@norahiller7362]

My Mary growls at people I do not like that pass below our balcony, good dog Mary!

[@watchmethriving]

maybe she knows something about the neighbors you don't!

[@SouthCountyGal]

My cat growls so loudly you can hear her two rooms away!

[@miltoncat]

Our 2 cats (bro & sis) watch birbs and sqwerls but don’t make any noise! I’ve never seen a cat not make that noise when they see such creatures.

[@elenakiseleva757]

observe does not mean “I see the desired object of hunting”

[@montanacrone8984]

All my cats have chittered! Usually on the window sill or at the screen doors. It’s an intense business!

[@miltoncat]

⁠@@montanacrone8984 The cats we’ve had before these always chittered. I don’t know why these two don’t. Our previous cats were adopted as fully grown. Current cats adopted at 3 months. Maybe they just didn’t learn it from Mama?

[@alisong2328]

I had cats that never did it and some who did.

[@roxannmoore5323]

My boys loved to sit in windows and chatter. One squirrel used to tease them and the tail😮would go off the charts. Love the various selves😂

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

How absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much to the generous cat humans who showed us their exquisite cat footage and to the inimitable Jackson Galaxy! My favourite is the mimicry theory -- genius! Desmond Morris in Catwatching also proposed the jaw movement was an involuntary mouse-spine-severing precision technique. (One leap, one bite, one mouse spine.)

[@susangreene6449]

This is a riot!! You crack me up laughing with comic relief!! Thank you ek ek ek!!😀

[@calgram]

Loved watching your show on Animal Planet and enjoy watching your videos here. I'm sure you've saved far more kitties than you think, just from the influence of your videos and shows on frustrated pet parents who didn't have a clue how to help their kitty til they listened to you. Thank You!

[@watchmethriving]

oh yes, I agree with you, we'll never know how many kitties he's helped!

[@erinhthorn]

My cats love the cat tv. Especially the „raven feeding“ series on the balcony. All of them chirp and it is adorable!

[@halebird1539]

Wow! Perfect timing with this video. I had never heard a cat make this sound irl-but I just lifted my kitty to the window to see a pigeon and it must have activated something in him, because he immediately stared going “ekk ekk ekk.” Knowing the connection between this sound and hunting is fascinating!

[@gertsgarden]

I truly believe that my cats learned how to slap box from watching cat videos! They never did it until they saw it on a KZbin short! LOL Thanks for all the great insights into the minds of my two rescue feral kitties!

[@louise3993]

Awesome hunt and catch on that bag of chips Jackson. My friend called me up right after she got her cats. This was her first time ever owning cats. They were chattering. She thought something was wrong then. I assure it was nothing to worry about it was normal. I did contain my laughter until later. 😂😂😂

[@johnopalko5223]

That's better than the couple who called the vet in a panic because, "The cat is vibrating!!" Not knowing that cats chatter is a lot more understandable than not knowing that they purr.

[@louise3993]

@@johnopalko5223 that’s hilarious 😂

[@Brightfur10]

The papyrus text at the beginning makes this all so much better

[@buckeyebob55]

My husband and I adopted a feral kitten. Hew as outdoors under a small shed in a relative's back yard. He was first discovered when he was about 3 weeks old. He was all alone. She fed and and gave him water. He was very loving and would respond to our voices and petting. When he was about 5 1/2 weeks old I decided to adopt him. Three days after I brought him home, I had to go out of town for a few days. When I returned he had bonded with my husband. Before I left he would love on both of us. Now, though, he is affectionate towards my husband and only wants contact with me for food, treats and as a playmate. I do play with him on a regular basis twice a day; however, he is very aggressive towards me. He will attack my legs and feet and scratch me when I try to get him off of my feet. He is very strong willed and fearless (which I like because no fear means he knows we love him and he feels safe from abuse). I have to swat at him to get him off of my feet and legs. I don't like doing that but he really hurts and latches on really tight. When I talk to him I am gentle and playful. Or I just talk to him in normal voice. He will look at me with dilated pupils and come after me. He bites me or scratches me whenever I try to just pet him. There are times when he will love on me. If I am lying down he will come up and lay on me and let me rub his cheeks and between his ears. He will purr softly. He will only lay next to me sometimes if I am lying down or sitting, but that is rare. He treats me like another cat that he just wants to bully or play with. I love him and was hoping he would be more affectionate towards me. He stalks me. I am not mean to him. I am loving towards him. I have had cats all my life. This is the first feral cat that I have ever had though. I have researched about owning a feral cat. I know that they don't have a mother or siblings to teach them not too bite too hard or to retract their claws. He is now 6 1/2 months old and we just had him neutered. I don't know what to do other than just accept that this is how he will be. My husband said you won't read this because it is too long. I hope that you will... Please.

[@saradavies5809]

LOL. The first time I heard my cat chittering, I was a little freaked out, like What Is THAT? She was staring at a bird. On the subject of topics for videos, does anyone feel like your cat has trained YOU? My other cat comes to my desk in the evening and stares at me until I get up and follow her to see what she wants. I don't mind, I feel like a good relationship with my kitties is give and take. I wait on them constantly, and sometimes they reward me by sleeping on me. :)

[@norahiller7362]

Mine have me completely trained. They came from a feral litter I tamed and TNR’d, Mary and Betty White are the boss of me for sure.

[@clta5299]

100% trained by my cat. Or I can just read him better. Nah... he's got me trained😂

[@carolescalle791]

I feel the same way 😂, my 🐈‍⬛️ Rici she is 15 years old and we rescue her when she was 11, she has both of us trained. Treats, her litter box, when it's bedtime 🐈‍⬛️🛌🐾😾😻. She is so loved, and she let's me know it's time to go shower 🚿- seats on the side of tub, plus more, we love all cats 🐈 😻 🐈‍⬛️ ❤️

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

Aah! so sweet! Well done; you must be doing something right. Being sympatico to her.@@carolescalle791

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

You are the best hot water bottle!

[@dorianr4770]

aw, the Lays are being dangled by the jackson galaxy wand, lol. :) incidentally, that purple wand is our toy #1, our cat needs it. :)

[@SabrinaLFinley]

Fun, informative, and entertaining video! Thank you! I love it when my Onyx chatters. All my cats chatter, but he's most prolific with his colorful linguistics. One theory is that it mimics bird chirping, thereby "luring in" the intended prey... but the world may never know!

[@FIZZGIG-RARF]

Hahaha! The chip bag in the window! Soo true! 😂😂❤❤❤

[@NellaCuriosity]

My two cats never chattered, so I love watching videos of cats who do!

[@KimberlyLetsGo]

Do big cats do this chittering? Do lions do this? Cougars? I have fun watching the cats chittering. Who else joins their cats doing this? LOL

[@caroloonfloon]

lmao. i talk to my cat while shes doing it usually. her: "kekeke." me: "yeah?" her: "...kekekekeke." me: "what?" her: "kekeke." me: "oh?" 😂😂 i was wondering, too, if big cats do this as well. ive never heard of it, but who knows.

[@ExcelEhigiator]

Hello how are you doing

[@aliciabell6688]

Yeah I think cheetahs do...look it up on KZbin

[@lindawolfe9649]

Yes, to all points in you program. Thank you for your time & energy in making these programs. I have rats, they chattering the the way cats do. Your programs has help me with my kitty, who has passed. We play a game i call I chase you, you chase me. It help her so she sleep through the night, so I sleep & then go to work. She was always up for the game.

[@belindam.8096]

My cat does it with her red laser toy. Lol!! It is the cutest when cats ek.

[@rmhendrickson9320]

I loved those clicking..chatters. 🤣🤣

[@donnacooper8088]

My cat in his younger years chattered to the birds from the kitchen window really loudly… I loved watching him it was so cute.. sadly he passed 2 weeks ago at the age of 20 so I’m here to get a cat fix because I miss all of these noises❤

[@saradavies5809]

So very sorry for your loss.

[@jeanperry9527]

So sorry for your loss, my friend. I know you were a great Mama. Peace to you.

[@sammygirl6910]

So sorry for your loss.

[@watchmethriving]

so sorry about your loss! I lost a kitty a bit over 5 months ago. The pain is so very real.

[@Boundlessense]

What a delightful video! 👍👍 Prime example of Cat's Morse code 😆😆😆 that looks like birds can also understand. It might be something to do with the vibrational frequency that should disorient or hypnotise the prey. My cat explained it to me on paper. 😉

[@markschneider8187]

Love you channel. I agree with #3. For many years I always felt my guys were using mimicry to draw a bird in or I like your thought on covering the cats prescence.

[@chrisstevens2]

Miri on the mogumogu channel does a lot of that chatter! So cute!

[@maireisel]

Good video Jackson, nice performance! I also LOVE chips so I can relate to your comparison 🍟 cute cats all of them 😽

[@RobHellfire666]

Our kitty does the "ak ak ak ak" as a regular part of her vocabulary, not even refering to hunting. Its the most amazing and cutest thing. She's amazing. 😘

[@hollybritton7255]

Love your sense of humor!! My cat only seems to chatter when she sees/hears crows.

[@idrils]

The funny thing with my very polite cat is that she almost never starts chirping on her own. I see her start focusing on birds and getting tense, but she only chatters if i chatter at her during this moment. We have long dialogues then😂

[@menow8456]

Haha when my cat starts to chatter i respond chattering to her and then we have dialogues too lol. I have many videos of these lovely conversatios.

[@watchmethriving]

I love dialogues with my Norman! Except when he's chewing me out for coming home late.....

[@SecretSqrlGrl007]

This video was hilarious, and so well-done!! Thank you, Jackson!!

[@Kamishi845]

My cat's favorite kicker toy is when I put my hand in a glove or wrapped in a blanket and let him just grab and kick my hand. He's so gentle too, because he's very careful not to hurt me unless he can tell it's a different fabric from my skin!

[@NCDowns]

I love Jackson!! I have been watching you since you premiered on TV you are one of my favorite people