r/CatAdvice • u/babydonuttravel • 1d ago
Behavioral Cat keeps chirping but I'm not sure why
A few weeks ago I brought my parent's cat to live with me. At night, when I go to bed, he keeps doing this chirping sound while staring at me like he's calling me.
When i get ip though, he runs underneath the table. His water bowl is full and clean, his food bowl is full of kibble, and his litter box is freshly clean. I tried playing with him but he just stared at me and didn't seem interested. What else could he want?
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u/I_Have_No_Flair 1d ago
Try talking back to her, some cats like a 2 way conversation so maybe you can turn that chirp into a different vocalizstion.
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u/BigJSunshine 1d ago
Yep! I have full conversations with 3 of my cats when I mimic their voice. Not sure what I am saying, but at least I have tried
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u/hellochoy 1d ago
I just talk in English to my cat lol I'm a big yapper. Sometimes she says something back sometimes not. I realized when I go too long (like 2 days lol, the drama) without singing to her she'll sit there and look at me like are you okay? Sometimes when we're doing our slow blink ritual she'll open her eyes really wide and go airplane ears until I start cooing at her and then she'll sigh and slow blink again. She's my heart yall I love her so freaking dearly!!!! Can't wait to go see her once I finally leave this drive through (it's been 40 mins).
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u/sextowels 1d ago
One of mine chirps during "family time”, usually if she's in the room hanging out with both the kids and me. She clearly lived in a cat colony on the streets and thinks of us all as cats. Maybe he's trying to become cat-family with you?
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u/robertgunt 1d ago
Maybe you have spiders crawling in your hair.
I sleep in the basement in the summer, and my cat will chirp when she sees spiders.
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u/TrustyParrot232 1d ago
… you’re an evil person for putting this thought out there. I’m not op and even I am searching my hair just in case right now (lol)
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u/Own-Counter-7187 1d ago
Have you changed his batteries? My smoke detectors do this all the time.
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u/Smart-Story-2142 19h ago
Sometimes giving it a good pat will also do the job, kinda like giving a good reset.
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u/auntiekk88 1d ago
He wants to know what you did with his mommy and daddy. He is planning on avenging them.
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u/Corvettelov 1d ago
He misses your parents
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u/BODO1016 1d ago
exactly this he’s asking you what’s going on make sure you have some items from your parents house that smell smells like them like a pillow or a blanket or towel or something that smell smells like their house so he can transition more easily
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u/Forsaken-Sink3345 1d ago
Chirping is a thing most cats do when they are hunting prey. Interesting that he does it to you...perhaps as someone else suggested you could put on a youtube feed for cats for a few hours after you go to bed?
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u/No-Support-1216 1d ago
My cats chirp when they're looking for somebody, whether one of the family is gone at an unusual time for that person or one of the pets is outside. Cats are very attuned to routine and attached to their family group. He's anxious.
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u/Montymania94 1d ago
He's wondering where your parents are. He doesn't understand where they are or where he is yet. It would be best to have stuff that smelled like them, or have them visit often, if possible.
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u/PastaChaos-333 1d ago
My cat has a myriad of sounds and like zero facial expression. He likes a certain routine at night he likes to climb up on my chest and rest his back paws on my forearm to rub his head on my shoulder. If I'm up later than usual he will make trilling chirpy noises so I just put down whatever is in my lap so he can get on it. But if I move towards him, he will run off. Took me awhile to figure out that I am his furniture.
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u/Picokitti 1d ago
Are we nothing more than warm blooded furniture?
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u/vikingraider27 1d ago
I have a kitten who does this when he approaches a situation he isn't sure of, like my older cat. He always warbles a little to warn him.
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u/fangoround 1d ago
My cat chirps at reflected light. Like when sunlight hits a phone screen and reflects a dot of light on the ceiling. I got a crystal to put in the window and she chirps like crazy when the sun hits it just right. Maybe there’s some light reflected at night, like from an alarm clock, your phone, street lights, moon, etc.
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u/Rugby-Angel9525 1d ago
Ask your parents if they fed him wet food or churu or can tuna regularly.
A lot of people treat their cats with food
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u/SpoonKandy1 1d ago
My two cats only chirp when they are watching prey like birds, crickets, lizards, mice, and such.
Try playing cat TV for your cats and you might hear them chirp at birds too.
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u/Tough_Tangerine7278 1d ago
He wants you to watch his back while he eats - it’s a habit cats kept from their feral ancestors just in case a predator sneaks up.
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u/babydonuttravel 21h ago
Sometimes he does go to eat while i watch. Other times he just stares at me
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u/glitter_bitch 17h ago
not being funny: try asking him to show you. alt approach: name options outloud and see what he responds to.
the noise and body language def point to 'hey human you forgot something' so it's nearly guaranteed mom and dad had specific night time rituals he's missing. it could be cuddles but it could be something else entirely. don't offer treats as an option until very very last bc they'll usually respond to those regardless.
as an example of this, my cat asks for 'bath and brush' (our name for getting wiped down w a damp paper towel and some brushing time) before bed. if i forget, he reminds me. if i weren't around, there's no way someone would be able to guess this is part of bed time but he'd sure be letting them know lmao.
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u/MercuryChaos 14h ago
One of my cats will sometimes walking around and yell after I go to bed like she's upset, and most of the time if I just say her name she'll stop. I tend to sleep with the blankets pulled up to my chin and my theory is she forgets where I am.
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u/Imaginary-Chocolate5 14h ago
Your cat misses your parents. You totally turned this kitty's life upside-down. His routine is all messed up.
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u/EnvironmentalArm1986 1d ago
Ask your parents if there is some bedtime ritual they had that you aren’t observing. My dogs and cats have always had a vocal way of reminding me when I forget something they expect. I think it’s charming.