Hunting - she's doing it wrong

[Carmel]

The chattering is just what cats do when they see something that interests them. It's cute and funny, but you're right. Not very conductive to hunting! They're probably frustrated.

Blaze does it all the time for insects on the wall or the laser when they're out of reach. Like he's asking it to come a little lower.

Once I was in the yard and Blacky chattered at a duck (a pair of ducks frequent our front yard certain times of year). Like, good luck! Her sights were set a litlte high there.

[catloverami]

Both my Devons are hunters of anything that moves. Since they're indoor cats, that's mostly flies, moths, or other insects that may get in the house.....not too fond of spiders tho. They tend to give them space, whether it's by instinct or experience, not sure as they may have been bitten. Just as well as some spiders can give a nasty bite that could harm. I used to have Manx and they were great hunters as well, some were indoor/outdoor cats and they all hunted mice, voles, weasels (twice), rabbits, and birds.

[ezmeray]

Hmm, yeah, my cat sits and meows at reflections on ceilings, and such (like if I accidentally let light reflect off a hand mirror). But anything that moves pretty much terrifies her(even bugs.. but I guess she's like me on that one!). One time my dad got her a moving toy, and it sent her running.

[ecat]

Yes, my darling girl is definitely not the brightest bulb... but she is definitely adorable! The meow is definitely a standard one, similar to the one used if I shut her out of my bedroom. Unlike the half purr/meow greeting or the really whiny food meow. I suppose I am most surprised that she doesn't try to catch them... she loves playing with moving toys.

[marie73]

My girls are gentle hunters. I found Charlee in her room licking one of her new toys. I got closer and realized it was a bird. A LIVE bird. And my cats are inside cats.

She must have snatched the bird reaching under the screen door when it got too close on the porch.

[GSRit01]

Originally Posted by dt8thd

Is the birdwatching noise a rapid-fire chattering sound? Three of my cats do this when bird or chipmunk watching. I think it's actually a pretty common behaviour, since I've known other people whose cats also did this. Interestingly enough, cats only seem to make the noise when they're physically unable to get at the prey. My Cosette is an incredible stealth mouser, and she'll crouch silently up in the basement rafters for hours on high alert, waiting for a mouse to run across one of the beams. Yet, she's a regular chatterbox when she's watching critters through the window.

When I was young, my one cat made that exact noise! Was the funniest thing. I used to reflect the sunlight off my watch onto the wall and he used to chase it all the time. But when it got out of reach, he'd make that sound. Or, of course, if there was a gecko on the roof.

[katbaalew]

On the note of your cat talking at the geckos, she may have had a bad experience with one and is trying to warn you. My old cat did this with house centipedes (YUCK!). She got bit once, after which if she saw one, she would sit, stare and yell at it until my husband or I killed it. Kinda funny actually.

My kitten makes the chattering noise too, as well as a wood pecker noise (hilarious)! She tries to lure birds to her with it. So far, its been a fail. She also shakes her entire back half (like midbody down) when she wants to pounce. Amazing how that much shaking has not improved her hunting prowess.

[Merlin_Guinevere]

My cats are both indoors, so they have no need to develop hunting skills. If they escaped outside though, Guinny might actually be able to fend for herself as she is really good at stalking things quietly. Merlin, on the other hand, would die in a few days since he just gallops over noisily to anything he wants to catch. I wouldn't worry too much about it since you are feeding her and she doesn't NEED those skills.

[ecat]

Originally Posted by katbaalew

On the note of your cat talking at the geckos, she may have had a bad experience with one and is trying to warn you. My old cat did this with house centipedes (YUCK!). She got bit once, after which if she saw one, she would sit, stare and yell at it until my husband or I killed it. Kinda funny actually.

Oh wow, that's interesting to think about. She was found as a "stray" in someone's kennel (complete with dog inside), so who knows what experiences she has had. She is now 100% an inside cat. It may well have been a bad experience as she does try to catch flies etc. and does not yell at them. Also - HOUSE CENTIPEDES? Googling now.

Originally Posted by Merlin_Guinevere

My cats are both indoors, so they have no need to develop hunting skills. If they escaped outside though, Guinny might actually be able to fend for herself as she is really good at stalking things quietly. Merlin, on the other hand, would die in a few days since he just gallops over noisily to anything he wants to catch. I wouldn't worry too much about it since you are feeding her and she doesn't NEED those skills.

She most definitely doesn't need the skills. I do wonder how she survived as a "stray". It can't have been for long!

[Arianwen]

By and large strays survive with one or more of three skills:
Hunting
Scrounging
Scavenging

I suppose that crosses species, actually.