Cats Love Watching Birds It's not uncommon to see cats curled up on windowsills. Why? It's a prime bird watching location! Whether cats love to watch birds because they're prey or simply because the movement captures their attention, some cats can spend hours observing birds every day.
Most cats love watching small animals, especially when it comes to birds. Setting up a window bird feeders for your indoor cats will provide hours of entertainment for them. Stalking their prey through a window helps them become more active during the day and hopefully less active at night.
You may observe their eyes widen and their ears move forward, and they may also make small movements toward the window in the direction of the bird. Their jaws will move rapidly up and down, their teeth may click together, and they may make high-pitched or soft gasping sounds.
The chattering behavior that some cats exhibit when they see a bird is believed by some to be a deeply-rooted instinct related to the manner in which large and small cats promptly kill their prey. The faster the prey is killed, the lower the chance that the cat itself will receive an injury during the process.
It's in their nature to seek out smaller prey and, unfortunately, devour them if possible. Birds are particularly alluring to cats due to their bright colors and quick movements during flight. If you've ever tried dangling something bright and mobile in front of your cat you know how quickly they get excited.
It is estimated cats kill 2.4 BILLION birds each year in the U.S. If you love your cat and you love your backyard birds, then don't mix the two. Keep your cats indoors or supervise their outings. They will live longer, healthier lives and so will the birds!
If this is the reason why your cat is watching birds, there's one particular downside to it – the kitty could become anxious, irritated or even depressed due to the fact that it can't experience the satisfaction of catching its prey.
Chattering mimics a kill or death bite: the theory goes that cats mimic the bite to the back of the neck they would usually perform when terminating prey. And that the site of a bird, rodent or other small animal is enough to drive a cat to perform a version of this action intuitively.
When Do Cats Chatter? Cat chattering (also called chirping or twittering) nearly always happens when a cat is titillated by a visual stimulus such as a bird or rodent moving about. These are her hunting instincts kicking in.
Many behaviorists theorize that the act of chattering at a bird is a cat expressing pent-up frustrations at not being able to catch prey beyond their reach. Others theorize that this strange series of chirps and clacks is a response to a surge in adrenaline when the feline spots its prey.
According to science, your furry, feline family member might be more of a copycat than you once thought. As it turns out, these beloved independent creatures have scientifically proven to mimic their owners' personality traits, such as extroversion, openness, and emotional stability.
Your cat can be expected to meow in greeting when you come home, when she meets up with you in the house and when you speak to her. To solicit attention. Cats enjoy social contact with people, and some will be quite vocal in their requests for attention. The cat may want to be stroked, played with or simply talked to.
“Cats like to watch birds, rodents, and other animals,” Dodman says, but noted that “they're more interested in what's going on outside in the real world,” not on a screen. Dodman's own cats spend a lot of time peering out the window, watching birds from the comfort of the living room.
TV can be entertaining for cats and doesn't damage their eyes. The only real danger is when your cat gets so engrossed, they swat the screen in an attempt to get at the prey. So be on the lookout and make sure kitty doesn't get hurt by a falling monitor.
Cats #1 Threat to Birds
In the United States alone, outdoor cats kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year. Although this number may seem unbelievable, it represents the combined impact of tens of millions of outdoor cats.
Other tracks include a smattering of bird chirps, whirring noises, and euphoric tones that might help energize even the most reclined feline. To the human ear, a soundtrack like this might not seem that refined, but apparently cats know the difference.
Birds are quite capable of teasing other species, especially those that prey on them like cats. An elderly Maine Coon cat on my friend's farm would regularly get divebombed and lightly tagged on the back by a mockingbird, who surely could have done more damage if he really meant it.
Trilling is often used by adult cats as an expression of affection and happiness. You may find your cat also uses trilling as a way to indicate they want you to pet them. 3. Attention Seeking. As well as a sign of affection, trilling can also be a way for your cat to attract your attention.
The Cat Wants Your Attention
It's a feedback loop of the cat doing something cute and getting rewarded for it, so of course they'll keep on trilling. Now you know that whenever your cat makes that distinct cooing noise, they're saying hello, expressing happiness, or trying to grab your attention.
When your cat is approaching you, someone else, or another animal and is holding her tail straight up, it means that she is open and even a bit happy to meet you or this person or other animal. If her tail is quivering, it may mean that she is is excited to see you or whomever she is encountering.
Windows are highly entertaining for cats due, in part, to cats' high prey drives. The prey drive is so strong that even a well-fed cat may still hunt birds for sport. This is why looking out a window at "cat TV" can be as entertaining to them as watching TV is to you.
Watching videos on a TV can actually be beneficial to a cat even if you think they are not paying attention to it. Programmes featuring birds, fish or mice can keep a lonely or bored indoor cat mentally sharp and enriched.
For a cat, sharing their important resources (such as food, litter trays, beds, human attention etc.) with another cat, especially if they haven't grown up together, can be really stressful. Cats can often see other members of their species as 'competitors' rather than 'allies'.
Some birds will always be wary of cats, and sometimes you'll even find a cat who's scared of the bird. Your main goal is to get both animals to tolerate each other and to recognize that they are all important members of the family.
Doing anything when your cat appears with its prey will only stress the cat out - it is too late for it to associate its hunting instinct with your displeasure. The only real way to stop the hunting is to keep your cat indoors or have an outdoor enclosure for your cat.