Why do cats chatter their teeth when they see a bird?

[iheartruby]

Does anybody know why this happens? It looks like they're chattering their teeth and sometimes they make a noise with it too. What's behind this behaviour?? Meow.

[ratbag66]

Experts disagree on this - some say it is the result of the cat's frustration at seeing prey that it can't get too, leading to the build up of tension in the muscles which leads to the 'chattering'.

Others say that it is the cat's way of practising it's killer bite - cats use a special technique to bite the back of the neck when dispatching prey.

[lillythepink]

I'm so glad to have read your question and answer because I thought there was something wrong with my kitten. Now I realise that she was just looking at the birds out of the bedroom window!

[Kroozer]

The colloquial name we have given this is
"Nick Nick" coz thats what it sounds like.

[hwgray]

If you play "cat-wrestling" - cradling the cat on its back in your arms and tickling its tummy - with an un-neutered tomcat, it will react as though it was fighting another tomcat. But, if the tomcat is your pet, it will not hurt you, if you know what you are doing.
The cat will do the disemboweling kick with his hind feet, but with its claws sheathed. it will grab your arm with it sforepaws, with its claws slightly sunk into, but not piercing, your skin. it will also sink its fangs into the fleshy part of your forearm, but, once again, without piercing your chin. Its jaws will quiver and judder and and its teeth will chatter. Naturally, since the cat loves you, it will strain to keep itself from biting and scratching you.
Now, this will hurt you, but you simply tough it out, because, if you move, the cat will lose control of itself and bite and claw the bleep out of you. But, if you blow into the cat's face, it will merely release and jump down. And you will see in your flesh deep imprints of the cat's fangs and claws. But your skin will not have been pierced.
Naturally, you have to have courage and deep love of cats to do this, since it's next to impossible to remain still enough to keep the cat from losing control. My forearm is a spiderweb of fang-marks and claw-marks. but, that's the breaks.
So far, I have not found a female cat that will cat-wrestle.