Purring, meowing, growling, chirping, chattering: Each of these sounds has a significant meaning your cat wants to convey. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what it’s trying to say, but armed with the following information, you can decipher your cat’s vocalizations and pick up some tips to react appropriately to its distinct sounds.
You may be tempted to pet your cat when it makes a cute chattering sound, but the noise usually means the cat’s getting ready to attack its prey. “When a cat chatters, he’s showing excitement and/or frustration,” says Jessica M. Stern, a veterinarian at Cats Only Veterinary Clinic in Columbus, Ohio. “You will often hear chattering when cats are hunting or stalking prey. It is thought that cats may do this to ‘calm’ their prey into a false sense of security, so that the cat can approach its prey more closely before striking.”
**For the full article, pick up the March 2007 issue of CAT FANCY.**
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