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If you own a Bengal cat, or any cat for that matter, there’s no doubt that you’ve noticed a variety of different sounds that they make. One of those sounds, probably one of the cuter sounds they make would be their chirping.
Chirping along with a variety of other sounds are not just some sort of random gibberish you hear coming from your cat. In fact every sound, including chirping is their way of communicating to you information about their world they want you to know about.
Next to birds, cats can produce more sounds than any other domestic pet known to man. Even though they are best known for meows, hisses, growls, and purrs, the list of sounds Bengal cats and all domestic cats is a lot larger than you might think. Cats will make noises when they eat, play with toys, sleep, pretend to hunt, and more.
In this article we will cover:
Bengal cats are not the only cats that chirp. In fact all cats, including some in the wild have the ability to make this cute sound. However, some cats might do it more often and might do it a lot louder than others. Bengals would be one breed that tends to practice chirping more often and a lot louder than other domestic cats. The main reason for this is that Bengals are one of the breeds that just tends to be a lot more vocal than others.
So, the question here is why do Bengal cats and others chirp? The most common reason is that it seems to have a lot to do with their instincts for hunting. Since Bengals tend to have stronger instincts for hunting that most domestic cats, it stands to reason that they would do chirping more than the average cat.
Usually a cat will start chirping when they are interested in something that they might consider to be prey like a squirrel, rodent, or a bird. Chirping is considered to be an excited sound and not an actual sound that would be used in a hunt. This sound tends to be a universal sound that all cats of all breeds and ages seem to do, including wild cats.
Bengal cats and others will often chirp when they’re looking at squirrels and birds, but they will also sometimes do it when they’re excited about their toys or even their favorite food. Even more rare, they will do it for their pet parents when they get excited seeing them.
Due to Frustration?
Some experts also believe that chirping can also be attributed to frustration. Often when you hear a cat chirping or chattering when they are at a window is because they might feel an overwhelming frustration because they can’t attack those birds or squirrels they see outside their window. The instinct to hunt, especially in Bengal cats, is hardwired into them and when they can’t follow that instinct they become frustrated and start loudly chirping or chattering due to their disappointment in not being able to fulfill their desire to hunt.
Indoors or Outdoors
This cute chirping sound happens whether cats are inside or outside. If a cat is kept indoors most of the time they often can be seen hunting flies, their toys, and sometimes even their pet parents Often this hunting is accompanied with chirping.
Sitting behind a glass barrier and looking out at the world and seeing what’s going on around them stops them from their full hunting sequence but it doesn’t stop them from still reacting to their natural instincts.
Safety First
If you feel sorry for your Bengal and perhaps their frustration of not being able to follow through with their hunting instincts, it’s really not a good idea for you to allow them to roam free outside. It’s not only safer for them to be inside but it’s also safer for the wildlife. If let free, they will take their chirping to the next stage and turn it into hunting their prey. You can however, allow them to go outside if you train them to a harness and leash. When you do this you are keeping them safe and at the same time giving them a little freedom so they can live out some of their stalking and hunting instincts.
Chirping Doesn’t Always Mean Cats are Killers
Even though chirping is most commonly associated with a cats hunting instincts doesn’t mean that it’s hard proof that cats are nothing but killers. There are quite a few cats that have become friends with all kinds of animals, even ones they might usually hunt like ferrets, rats, birds, and rabbits.
These inter-species friendships do happen and they can be quite special, they are somewhat rare, especially ones where they develop true bonds. However, even if your Bengal may have a friend that is not another cat or dog, you still don’t want to leave them alone with them. So, always make sure that they are supervised whenever together. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Here’s a video of a Bengal cat chirping away:
Since Bengal cats make a lot more sounds than just chirping, we thought we’d make a list of them along with what many experts believe the meanings of these sounds are. If you listen closely to the sounds that they make, you may even be able to start understanding what all the sounds are about and this could work to your advantage as a pet parent.
This is probably the most common sound that your Bengal makes. When an adult cat meows it is almost exclusively reserved for communicating with their humans and not with other cats. They begin meowing as kittens and the reason is to get their mothers attention when they need them for some reason. As the kitten matures, this common vocalization begins to fade away and for wild cats, they stop meowing as they mature. However, with domestic cats they seem to think of themselves as our offspring and they will maintain this type of vocalization all their lives. The most common reason why your Bengal will meow is because they want something. They may be asking for food, attention, to have access to a different room and sometimes they just meow to say they’re happy that you’re home.
Other reasons why a cat will meow could be to let you know they are lonely or may even be sick. Older cats will often meow more because their senses are beginning to fail and this causes them anxiety because they can’t do the things they use to do when they were younger. The frequency of their meows can be indicators of your cats state of mind. Often a rapid fire of meows means they want you to pay attention to them.
If the meow is a longer more plaintive one may indicate they are annoyed, worried or they object to something. Meowing that is incessant might indicate they are injured or ill.
For pet parents, this is probably the most hypnotic and enjoyable sound coming from their cats. Most of the time this soft, deep, and throaty rumble that comes from them means they are in a really good mood and are quite content.
There are rare occasions when purring might mean your Bengal is agitated about something. The key to knowing what a worried purr is would be their body posture. If their ears are back and their body is tense, then this type of purr indicates they are concerned about something.
Sometimes purrs can indicate they are ill or injured. Some experts believe that purring has healing powers and can help calm a sick or injured cat down and in turn helps them to heal quicker.
If you listen close enough when your Bengal is chirping you may also hear the chatter of their teeth as they’re looking at a bird or squirrel outside. This chattering will often be accompanied by a squeak, faint cry or a chirp. The chattering is thought to be another indicator of your Bengals predatory excitement and their stress over not being able to go out and get their prize.
For most of us, there is no mistaking what the intent is of a cats hiss. It almost sounds like a steak that’s sizzling out on a BBQ grill, but it’s meaning is clear, your Bengal is feeling threatened and they are ready to fight if forced to. For example, a big clumsy dog that suddenly tries to get too friendly with your cat is sure to get a hiss directed toward them.
Along with this threatening sound coming from your cat will be an arched back, a twitchy tail, puffed up fur, ears flattened and mouth open with their fangs ready to strike if need be. Spitting will sometimes happen along with the hiss. When your cat does this you need to back off or remove whatever it is they see as a threat to them.
The hiss of any cat depends pretty much on their perception of what’s going on and their level of comfort. There are some cats that are so friendly and outgoing that they may never hiss, while others who are more shy and reserved will resort to hissing whenever they feel unsure or unsafe in any situation.
A yowl is a lot different than that happy meow when your cat greets you. A yowl is much longer and sounds like a draw out moan. Most of the time this means they could be worried about something, are having some sort of discomfort, mating issues or there’s some sort of territorial issue going on. Most of the time yowls are a communication for cat to cat. It can mean “I want to mate with you.” or “I don’t want you coming around my territory.” Sometimes they will yowl when they are feeling sick or their senses and cognitive functions are declining. Often if there is a change in their environment they will yowl until they are use to their new environment.
If you think that you cat is incessantly yowling, you might want to check for signs of them being sick or injured and take them to their vet to see what could be bothering them. If that’s not the case, check to see if there have been other cats invading their territory. You also want to make sure that your cat has plenty of toys to play with and that you give them plenty of attention so they aren’t bored or lonely.
You will only hear this sound coming from female cats that are in heat. This is the sound they make when they are calling for a mate. It is a hollow sounding version of a yowl. During a caterwaul, an un-spayed female will do everything she can to get outdoors to find a male cat.
You’ll hear this from un-spayed females when they get outdoors and her caterwauling has attracted a male cat and then mating most often occurs. The scream heard coming from the female is during the act of mating. Best advice here, make sure your female cats are spayed.
Another reason you may hear a cat screaming is when they are in the middle of a cat fight. These are primeval shrieks that come with an ominous yowl and usually come as a punctuation after a climactic paw swat or a horrible bite. To avoid these types of encounters it’s wise to make sure you keep your Bengal indoors.
After hissing cats will often snarl or growl. This usually means anger, fear, or there is territorial threat. Domestic cats snarls and growls are at a higher pitch than that of wild cats like tigers and lions. They also can start and end with a yowl. If your cat behaves in this manner it’s best to just leave them alone until they calm down.
By understanding what your Bengal cat is trying to say is going to make it easier for you to predict their moods, intentions, and their needs. It will be easier for you to know if they are sick, happy, hungry, lonely, mad, or just playful. You’ll grow closer to your Bengal and you’ll be more equipped to give them what they need, when they need it.
So, does that help you understand better why your Bengal chirps and what some of their other sounds might indicate? Please let us know what you think by leaving us your comment. Thank you!
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