r/cats • u/Old-Candidate-430 • 1d ago
Video - OC Please help whats wrong with him?
My cat was trying to catch a fly that he couldn’t reach and be started doing this. Is he okay? Should i take him to the vet?
Thank you
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u/LoveTheWatcher 1d ago
He’s making his hunting noises! Also known as “ekk-ekking”.
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u/FarAd5505 1d ago
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u/picchumachu 1d ago
thank you, this will make a fine addition to my collection
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u/lanky_doodle 1d ago
I don't concur with this sentiment. Now I'm going to be getting (even) less work done 😂
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u/NetherPlaysVR 1d ago
Yeah, C.A.T OS got a software update!
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u/loadnurmom 1d ago
Disclaimer: CAT OS is pre-release software and includes many bugs. Your cat may experience service interruptions, and frequent updates may cause unexpected abnormal behavior.
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u/luthiengreywood 1d ago
It does seem a little counterintuitive to make a racket when hunting haha
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u/thedaveness 1d ago
Cats mimic, think they are trying to lure the thing in which is usually birds or squirrels.
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u/EnsoElysium 1d ago
My girl has never done this before, but she tracks my phones reflection intendely, so I decided to ekkekk at it, and she did it with me 🥰
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u/MeasurementNo9447 1d ago
Target identified.
Proceeding with elimination...
...
...
Mothership, unit 06660 can't reach elimination target. Sending location: Ekekek intensifies
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u/EightMilesHigher 1d ago
My boys do this when they see birds
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u/ShodanW 1d ago
or squirrels outside the window.
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u/RitchieRED 1d ago
Or light reflecting off my watch
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u/kewcumber_ 1d ago
Or the second i pick up his fav toy
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u/funny_duchess 1d ago
Our cat does it when the PS5 turns on; the sparkling lights I think
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u/GoldenPigeonParty 1d ago
Mine is blind as a bat. He starts doing this when he realizes I'm taking him to the sill with the bird feeder outside. Just makes his noise as he stares at the soffit.
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u/Rabid-Ami 1d ago
My void only does this when he sees a reflection or the red dot.
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u/saraaaabeeee 1d ago
They’re trying to mimic bird noises to draw the birds closer. Hunt mode is fully activated.
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u/ClassicGMR 1d ago
Check out r/ekekek or r/catswhochirp >'.'<
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u/Whole_Tumbleweed_395 1d ago
He's got the murder zoomies.
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u/TimeAndTheHour 1d ago
MURDER ZOOMIES. God, I miss my cat. This would have been the perfect expression to describe his behaviour like 8 times a day. I used to call it “ginger menace mode”
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u/LegendOfDeku 1d ago
My gingers (littermates!) get the zoomies like hell and chase each other up the willow tree. I call it goblin mode!
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u/Frostnatt 1d ago
He probably saw a bug or something and entered hunter mode. Cats often do this when they see something that they can't reach
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u/ChonkyJamHag 1d ago
Or a ghost. Let’s not rule out the outer dimensional spirits that cats often see
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u/Infamous-Poem-4980 1d ago
Chittering. Our young female chitters at my wife when she sneezes like shes scolding her.
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u/brambleandfern 1d ago
Omg I have one that does that to me! He gets very upset by sneezes.
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u/Future_Direction5174 1d ago
I call it “chittering”.
It’s an “I’ve seen something I want to hunt but I can’t get at it!” in frustration sound. They don’t do it if they can actually hunt it, so birds/squirrels outside when they are inside or if birds are up high in a tree when the cat is outside will cause it.
If the cat could chase whatever they have seen, then they stay quiet so as not to alert the sighted prey.
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u/sluterus 1d ago
Yep, the scientific term is “displacement behavior,” when a seemingly out of context behavior is triggered by conflict or frustration.
Another example is when two animals are primed to fight, but instead aggressively groom themselves (either bc they don’t actually want to fight, or they’re physically blocked).
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u/rachel_lynn1995 1d ago
Chittering is a good word for it. I call it cackling because it does kind of sound like a light cackle.
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u/Leathcheann 1d ago
Aww he's chittering.... At least that's what my wife and I called it. My two boys chitter at different specific things. My oldest does it to birds outside the window and the youngest does it to reflected light on the ceiling. As far as I know.... It's just the noise they make when excited about fixations.
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u/Prestigious-Mind-315 British Shorthair 1d ago
Nothing is wrong with him, you, however...better run
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u/AppealJealous1033 1d ago
Hahaha OP I'm not judging you because I panicked the first time I've seen my male cat's nipple, but it's kind of endearing to be so concerned for your fur baby over this 🥰 as many have said, don't worry, it's a normal, healthy and enthusiastic ekekek
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u/jdarius0 1d ago
When cats chatter, it’s a rhythmic clashing of their jaws, often described as a chirping or twittering sound, typically occurring when they see prey they can’t reach, like birds or rodents.
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u/BudandCoyote 1d ago
It's what some of them do when they want to hunt something but can't get to it - frustrated predator mode.
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u/stillh20gal 1d ago
Is the fly still present? If so that is probably excited “chittering” that some cats do with prey
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u/JeanRaoul94 1d ago
Yep, totaly normal. My ragdoll do exactly the same when he want to catch something out of range.
And he look like your cat haha.
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u/L1z3rdK1ng 1d ago
Nothing is wrong. It's what most cats do when they see something like birds or squirrels. Like hunting noises. But in this case your cat is ekking/chirping due to the fly buzzing around.
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u/ConsciousInternal287 1d ago
Nope, this is completely normal cat behaviour. It can just be a bit weird if you’ve never seen them do that before.
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u/Elven_Groceries 1d ago
I love seeing first cat owners reactions. They're such cool little furballs and so strange too. That's one lovely baby on killer mode.
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u/that_guy2010 1d ago
He's totally fine. Just hunting. Our cat does it while looking out the window at birds.
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u/Classic-Exchange-511 1d ago
He wants to feel the warm rush of blood in his mouth as he watches the impudent creature draw it's last breath
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u/diseasefaktory 1d ago
He's locked in! Cats do this when focusing on prey or something really interesting (he's fine).
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u/Rezurrekted 1d ago
Shit talking the prey he can see.
Mine does it to birds and the squirrel that vist my garden.
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u/Stowecroft85 1d ago
Mine does the same thing 😆 he chitters like crazy whenever he looks out the window and sees birds or leaves blowing around the yard.
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u/ShivaSkunk777 1d ago
Cats do this when they see prey they want but can’t get to. You’ll see it often with bugs that are too high up, birds out of the window, birds in trees, etc.
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u/doodlewithcats 1d ago
He has a severe case of ekekekekek. Best remedy is lots of scritches and treats!
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u/No_College2419 1d ago
My cats do this when they see birds outside. I always think it’s funny bc they’re like little aliens. I think he’s fine. Prob wanting to hunt or something. Cats aren’t as domesticated as dogs. They’re more wild than we think.
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u/whateverwhatis 1d ago
Aww he is a chirper! My gal does this too. She's so funny, sometimes it really does feel like she's looking out the window cussing out all the birds and people who go by. Adorable behavior.
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u/BosmangLoq 1d ago
To be honest nobody’s really sure why cats do this, though some attribute it to frustration at not being able to catch their prey
Cats have pretty much only evolved under human domestication by going indoors
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u/dupsmckracken 1d ago
🎶🎵🎶Mind on murder , murder on my mind
Tryna stack bodies, countin' every little crime
Down to the birdies, eek eek if ya hear me
I do it for the thrills, yeah, I do it cuz imma kitty🎶🎵🎶
- Fur Rida
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u/ninjabi2548 1d ago
My cat does this to sunlight reflections. Twisting my phone back and forth in a ray just makes her want to kill things I guess
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u/Past-Tension-4131 1d ago
My cat does this when begging for me to reflect sunlight off my phone onto the wall so she can chase it
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u/Radiant-Ad4807 1d ago
My cat does this too lol. Specifically if I shine a laser on the ceiling, so I think it is a predator-type thing:)
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u/Far-Week3328 1d ago edited 1d ago
That's his instinct. My cats do the same, that's their predatory state
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u/JadedMuse 1d ago
Assuming the OP isn't trolling, I love it when people post completely normal cat behaviors but are worried about them because they're new cat owners. It's kind of adorable and makes you realize that cats are pretty weird. We're just used to the weirdness.
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u/Personal-Landscape76 1d ago
My cat freaked me out the first time she did this 😂 I had a cat growing up and never heard this sound come out of it, so I understand why there was concern. Perfectly normal behavior though 😊
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u/fur-baby-mama 1d ago
He is fine. No need for a vet. He just really wants that fly. He is adorable by the way.
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u/Equivalent-Drama4156 1d ago
I see a video like this, and makes me worry for the cat lol Like surely you got some knowledge before you got it
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u/Bumbling-Bluebird-90 1d ago
He sees something fascinating that piques his interest as a predator. Nothing to worry about
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u/thegreatinsulto 1d ago
This is a behavior called chittering, it's a sign that his hunting instinct is active. Nothing to be worried about except whatever he's hunting.
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u/meemowchan 1d ago
LOL I knew right away before even unmuting he's making the ekekekee sounds 😂 he's fine!
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u/Jsjbb14535 1d ago
I call this chattering. My kitty does it when she sees something she wants to hunt !
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u/shapop12321 1d ago
My cat does this, mostly for flies, and gets so irritated when the fly is just sit just out of his reach.
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u/AtmosphereBubbly9340 1d ago
Mine does this when she sees crows or squirrels, I like to think she’s cussing them out
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u/tigress666 1d ago
Ok.. so this is so normal that I immediately was going to ask before I read your post was there something he wanted to catch but couldn't reach. This is a very typical frustrated I can't get the thing i want to catch cat behavior. The only thing I would have found odd is if you said you were sure there was nothing he was trying to hunt.
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u/evilbau5 1d ago
I love when my kitten (she's 3 but still a kitten in my eyes) does this. Her dad and mom never showed this hunting mechanism but I'm glad she does and it's super entertaining, she'll even do it to reflections of sunlight off the phone screen
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u/Melodic-Pineapple333 1d ago
Hunting mechanism. Mine does this when he watched birds and I love this
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u/coveredLoki 1d ago
My cats make the same noises when there are birds right outside the windows. It's normal for cats to act like that. They are just little hunters and that's the noises that they make.
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u/gsixzero 1d ago
You're under attack and he is your last line of defense. For God's sake get off of reddit and fight
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u/Unbentmars 1d ago
He’s a mighty hunter, threatening and cajoling his prey to come closer. He’s fine
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u/kongbakpao 1d ago
There is a bug or something he sees.
My boy does this when he sees a fly or some sort of intruder.
Aka connecting to his Egyptian ancestors
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u/megatraum2048 1d ago
I've always called this the death chant.
They want to kill. They can't reach the prey. They are dissatisfied and chanting. No idea why they chant in this situation.
Perfectly normal.
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u/Atroxiety 1d ago
he is in hunting mode, and if you need help on something like this, use r/CATHELP
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u/BehindTheDoorway 1d ago
It’s normal. I know it as cat chattering. Just your little carnivore making predator noises.
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u/Head-Specialist-6033 1d ago
He’s hunting lol my cat does this everytime she sees a patch of light, a bug, a piece of cardboard, her toys, her brother and oh and when ever we sneeze.
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u/GazDaRookie 1d ago
I don’t know about the legitimacy of this claim but from what I’ve heard they’re just really pissed off they can’t get to the thing they’re trying to catch, they often do it when there’s a bird on the other side of a window or something is otherwise out of reach for them. Some believe it’s kinda like them cursing it out others say it’s trying to get the attention of the animal to draw it closer but idk.
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u/Amw4444 1d ago
I want to add that this is borderline in my opinion. It could be the predator cackle if he’s actually looking at something that he thinks is something he wants to attack, but I had a kitty that I took in that had a much subtler version of this and it ended up being a bad dental issue. In fact the poor kitty had to have $1200 worth of dental work and multiple teeth pulled. Maybe send this video to your vet.
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u/pjordanhaven 1d ago
Don’t worry you’re just looking into eyes of a cold blooded murderer ready for battle.
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u/kisukes 1d ago
Your boy is fine, he's just switched to predator mode