The sparse Infographic that I have created and published above tells the story as to why domestic cats chatter when they are sitting on a windowsill looking outside through a window pane. The cat is unable to get at the prey animal, normally a bird or a mouse. Under these circumstances the cat instinctively employs the killing-bite but in a vacuum i.e. without a prey animal in their jaws.
That is the answer provided by Dr. Desmond Morris. I would argue that he is the best authority on animal behaviour today despite his books being written so many years ago. In this instance I’m referring to his book CatWatching. He is a prolific author and has written many other books on this topic and others. I have used Dr. Desmond Morris’s theory as to why cats chatter in my Infographic.
It is interesting to know that many experts don’t have their own theory as to why domestic cats chatter. One such expert is Mikel Delgado, who is a co-author and contributor to Jackson Galaxy’s book Total Cat Mojo.
It is my personal belief that Delgado’s contribution made Galaxy’s book worse than it would have been if written solely by Jackson Galaxy. But that’s a personal view.
On the topic of cats chattering, Delgado says that there is an hypothesis that it is a frustration behaviour. I would agree that because my explanation of the movement is kicked off through frustration. But Delgado doesn’t explain what I think is the key to the matter namely this special biting action.
However, Delgado suggests that more work is required to understand cat chattering. Perhaps that’s true but I believe that Desmond Morris’s suggestion is the best I have read and is based upon solid behavioural traits and good reason.
I don’t think we need further research on this. We can rely on Dr. Desmond Morris’s theory.
