Chirping Sounds?

[Rei's Mom]

My kitten makes chirping sounds when she wants attention or is trying to find me. Why does she do that and what is that sound called?

 

[Kieka]

You are probably talking about trilling although it could be, and this is anticlimactic.... chirping. Trilling and chirping is what a Mom cat does to get her kittens to follow. Often kittens will mimic the behavior to get their Mom's attention and, once rehomed, humans too.

Cats have a lot of different sounds but one of the interesting things about cat sounds is that they tend to be used just around humans. In feral colonies cats are pretty quiet outside of mating behaviors, warnings and babies. The meow that we all know is often thought of being a response to living with humans and is a way to communicate with humans. In essence, many sounds your cat makes is a direct result of you and your cat building a language together. Some things, like trilling, they bring from kittenhood and if you respond they will continue. Other things they learn; like my boy has learned that meowing with a toy in his mouth always gets attention. Or the cat who learns that yelling in their humans ear wakes them up.

While there is some commonality across cats that we can guess at a lot of their actions are actually reactions and learned behaviors of what gets the results they want. Like my girl who rarely makes noise because she knows glancing from me to what she wants will get the same result without the danger of making sound that could attract a predator (she was feral so its ingrained to be quiet for safety).

 

[verna davies]

Apparently it is the noise they make to get your attention and take notice of them. It can also a sound to show they are happy. One of my cats chirps when she wants something.

 

[mokapi]

You are probably talking about trilling although it could be, and this is anticlimactic.... chirping. Trilling and chirping is what a Mom cat does to get her kittens to follow. Often kittens will mimic the behavior to get their Mom's attention and, once rehomed, humans too.

Cats have a lot of different sounds but one of the interesting things about cat sounds is that they tend to be used just around humans. In feral colonies cats are pretty quiet outside of mating behaviors, warnings and babies. The meow that we all know is often thought of being a response to living with humans and is a way to communicate with humans. In essence, many sounds your cat makes is a direct result of you and your cat building a language together. Some things, like trilling, they bring from kittenhood and if you respond they will continue. Other things they learn; like my boy has learned that meowing with a toy in his mouth always gets attention. Or the cat who learns that yelling in their humans ear wakes them up.

While there is some commonality across cats that we can guess at a lot of their actions are actually reactions and learned behaviors of what gets the results they want. Like my girl who rarely makes noise because she knows glancing from me to what she wants will get the same result without the danger of making sound that could attract a predator (she was feral so its ingrained to be quiet for safety).

Is "trilling" a noise similar to a sound we humans can produce by rolling our tongues? Mrowmrow doesn't respond to that at all, but Keegan and I "talk" to each other that way. I can make a high-pitched, rolled-tongue noise in the kitchen or the bedroom and he'll be at my feet a few moments later.

 

[Kieka]

Is "trilling" a noise similar to a sound we humans can produce by rolling our tongues? Mrowmrow doesn't respond to that at all, but Keegan and I "talk" to each other that way. I can make a high-pitched, rolled-tongue noise in the kitchen or the bedroom and he'll be at my feet a few moments later.

Yes, trilling would be more of a rolling sound. Mom does it to call them as kittens so if you continued it then Keegan is still responding to the call. It is kinda like "I am here" "we are safe" and "I love you/we are family" all rolled into one. Chriping is more of an urgent "where are you?" "come along" "I am worried" "there you are" kind of feel from what I have seen. Probably the difference between comfortable reassurance and slightly anxious reassurance.

 

[sparrowhawk]

My cat chirps while rolling over to greet me when I come home or open my bedroom door in the morning. It's so cute I have to pet him, for us it means "Welcome Home! Pets Plz!"

 

[mokapi]

Yes, trilling would be more of a rolling sound. Mom does it to call them as kittens so if you continued it then Keegan is still responding to the call. It is kinda like "I am here" "we are safe" and "I love you/we are family" all rolled into one. Chriping is more of an urgent "where are you?" "come along" "I am worried" "there you are" kind of feel from what I have seen. Probably the difference between comfortable reassurance and slightly anxious reassurance.

I LOVE that that's what trills are saying!!! How precious

 

[abyeb]

Charlie makes this sound too... I think his is what's called "birding", though, he only does it when he watches the birds and squirrels through the window.

 

[Mary Nielsen]

I have always been told that the chirping sounds are made when the cat is trying to hunt.. And I always read on the internet that it is due to cats frustration when they can't hunt.

You can read about it here Why Do Cats Make Those 'Chirping' Sounds?

 

[sarah430]

My bonded, sibling kitties chirp and trill at me too. They do that more than meowing. However when I first got them (~ 6 months old) they chirped at each other. Is this common? They still chirp when looking for the other.

 

[Rei's Mom]

Thank you all for the replies! She only meows when I'm in the kitchen to tell me she's hungry. Any other time she does the little chirping, or trilling, when she wants attention or can't find me. I usually just call her name back and she'll come running in the room.

 

[Rei's Mom]

I was just telling my boyfriend her name should've been Birdie instead of Rei as much as she makes the sound and is always sitting on my shoulder lol

 

[Rei's Mom]

I have always been told that the chirping sounds are made when the cat is trying to hunt.. And I always read on the internet that it is due to cats frustration when they can't hunt.

You can read about it here Why Do Cats Make Those 'Chirping' Sounds?

Her chirps don't sound like the cats in the video. I've never heard her make that specific sound

 

[Mary Nielsen]

Her chirps don't sound like the cats in the video. I've never heard her make that specific sound

Then she is not chirping
Can you record her and upload here on forum?

 

[danteshuman]

I had a cat that chirped when hunting birds. One of cats kinds does meh hhh hhhh hhh sound when he gets real excited/playful. And you should hear my cats when they are in the car, they cycle through every meow they have trying to find the right one to get them out! I have found meowing back at my cats useful. Next time your kitten chirps, try chirping back at her?

 

[Mary Nielsen]

I had a cat that chirped when hunting birds. One of cats kinds does meh hhh hhhh hhh sound when he gets real excited/playful. And you should hear my cats when they are in the car, they cycle through every meow they have trying to find the right one to get them out! I have found meowing back at my cats useful. Next time your kitten chirps, try chirping back at her?

When my cats purr at me I purr back and we can do that for hours

 

[Rei's Mom]

Then she is not chirping
Can you record her and upload here on forum?

I can most certainly try! She isn't too fond of cameras lol

 

[Rei's Mom]

So I think it's trilling that she does. It sounds like the cat in this YouTube video I looked at. Almost like a loud purr for lack of a better explanation lol

 

[Purr-fect]

Greg is a triller too; often at 3 in the morning. His fraternal brother never trills. Its strange. Greg is a bjg almost intimidating cat, but has this tiny little meow and chirpy trill.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Dang Greg is majestic. Beautiful coat pattern and well-groomed!