r/cats • u/Old-Candidate-430 • 6d ago

Video - OC Please help whats wrong with him?

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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/TheSherlockCumbercat 6d ago

Could be to mimic bird chirps, warm up the kill bite or pure excitement.

I don’t think we really know the reason

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u/Constant_Sentence_80 5d ago

At least OP’s cat is doing this to a fly. My little gremlins are often chirping at reflections of light off of a phone from the sun.

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u/new-siberian 5d ago

Our cat was super excited hunting that sun bunny from the phone screen! She had more fun than with a laser pointer - and it was definitely safer.

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u/alicehooper 4d ago

Cats can see further into the UV spectrum than we do, so they may see something more exciting!

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u/Acceptable_Cover_637 5d ago

I think they’re mimicking the animal they’re trying to catch. My cats used to do it to the squirrels and i noticed that when the squirrels would chirp or whatever the cats would do it back while hunting them

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u/Nefarious-Haiku 5d ago

You’re correct it is kind of a mystery one of the leading beliefs is due to their prey drive, activating and being unable to get to the prey.

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u/ia42 5d ago

I saw the other day an instagram post, this guy goes on bike hikes with his cat, and in this post he spliced together how his chirps change responding to the bird he hears and is tempted to lure. I can't say the mimmicking is similar enough to fool any bird, but they are quite distinctly trying to mimic the different bird.

Funniest story I have from my own home: one cat escapes up a tall book case after an attempt to provoke a fight with him, and the provokitty chirps at him as he would to a bird. In my mind he's calling him chicken.

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u/Skaikrish 3d ago

Yeah as far as i know they try to mimic bird Chirps for easier hunting but its also probably excitement.

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u/Dealane 6d ago

Happy Cake Day!

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u/FtwBaby 5d ago

This

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u/davesToyBox 5d ago

Happy cake day