Bird School

Hardly a day goes by where at least one of my ‘furkids’ don’t do something to amuse me, and reinforce how adorable they are.

Mocha has a bizarre habit, which I first noticed when she was about three or four months old: She chirps. Yep that’s right; she’s a chirping cat! I can’t think of any other word for the strange sound she emits. She only does it occasionally, but it’s always when she’s bird watching so I can’t help but wonder if she’s trying to imitate them. It certainly seems like it.

Now, this was one of those comical moments where you just wish there was a camcorder handy. One morning recently, both Mocha and her sister, Kahlua, were sitting in the kitchen window (which is actually a garden window, with catnip and a few other feline friendly plants), soaking up the sun and watching a solitary blackbird sitting in a tree over the back fence. Mocha was performing her chirping sound, but it was somewhat loader than usual. Kahlua, who was sitting right next to her, was fixated on her strange sister, cocking her head from side to side – in exactly the same way that a dog does when listening to you intently. This went on for a few minutes and every now and then, she would raise a paw and gently touch Mocha on the cheek or throat, as if checking that the sound was real. If ever I’d seen a confused cat, that was it!

Later the same day, I noticed Kahlua had returned to the window. I was standing at the sink when I could hear a strange and somewhat sickly sound. It was very faint. Even without any background noise, I could barely hear it, and it was only when I began to watch Kahlua, that I realised what it was. With a swishing tail and a throat action identical to her sister, it seemed as if she was trying to perform the same chirping sound.

After seeing this, I believe what I’d witnessed earlier that day, was a ‘bird school’ of sorts (Or should that be ‘cat school?’). I think Kahlua was trying to learn from her sister, and perhaps by putting her paw up to Mocha’s throat, she was feeling the vibrations being made by the sound.

I’d be interested to know of any other ‘chirping cats’ out there. After asking family and friends, I have only heard of one other cat that did this, and she apparently grew out of it. Kahlua doesn’t seem to have the knack (yet), but I hope Mocha never grows out of it. A chirping cat is real novelty – and a great talking point!

**Author: Rae McInnes - 40 paws**