Cats are social animals and may respond to strange noises to seek attention and interaction. • Playfulness A final theory is the fact that a lot of cats are conditioned to respond to the pspsps sound. It’s like when you train a dog to come when you call its name. With enough positive reinforcement, your dog will eventually learn that every time you call their name, something wonderful happens. You probably aren’t purposefully training your cat to come when they hear that specific sound, but it happens all the same. Cat’s pupils can be dilated when they have big emotions — arousal — both when fearful and when stimulated such as in anticipation of play,” Pankratz says. Is Something Wrong if My Cat Doesn’t React to “Pspspsps?” On the flip side: If humans used the noise around their pets when they were kittens — followed by petting or cuddling — then the cat will learn to associate the sound with a positive outcome. Other body language patterns may be more ambiguous and you’ll need to use the context to judge whether your pet is amused or threatened.

Cats also can experience a condition called audiogenic reflex seizures — some cats are especially sensitive to some sounds, such as the tapping of a keyboard and the crinkling of foil,” Delgado says. One theory is that the sound mimics the sound of a small animal (onomatopoeia), such as a mouse or a bird, which are a cat’s natural prey.

How Do Cats Respond to “Pspspsps?”

If your cat’s pupils dilate when you say “pspsps” it could be a sign of fear or intrigue depending on the context. Getty

In a word: no. Experts say you shouldn’t worry if your cat pays no heed to your frantic “pspspsps” whisperings.It’s the feline equivalent of Kryptonite — and no, we’re not talking about catnip. We’re talking about the odd, high-pitched noise of “ pspspsps.” If a human dares whisper this strange sound, a cat is likely to perk up and rush to their attention, or, alternatively, flee for their lives. They may have learned that their human will also make this sound and when they respond they get attention or pets,” Delgado says. Assuming their hearing is intact, a cat may have learned that the ‘pspspsps’ does not signal anything of interest to them, neither a threat nor something worth investigating and so they may ignore that sound,” Pankratz says. By making a similar noise, we may be able to grab their attention and engage their predatory instincts. Theory No. 2: They’re Curious To See “What’s Up” If an adult cat has never heard the sound before, he might respond in alarm to the unfamiliar noise,” DeVoss says.

Molly DeVoss, a certified feline training specialist who runs the nonprofit Cat Behavior Solutions, tells Inverse that high-frequency noises mimic the chatter of rats, so these sounds naturally draw the attention of felines. Why Do Cats Respond To The “Pspspsps” Sound We Make? Theory No. 1: It Reminds Them Of The Sound Their Prey Makes Cats are known to be curious animals, and they may be drawn to the “ pspspsps ” sound out of a desire to investigate and understand what is happening.

During the pandemic, cats became a huge part of artist Joey Veltkamp’s life. What started as taking in one persistent stray kitty soon turned into a brood of five after Veltkamp and his husband, artist Ben Gannon, also took in that kitty’s pregnant mate. After making residence in his heart, these cats are now popping up in Veltkamp’s work.

Further, cats may have learned over time that their humans make that noise for largely no reason, and, therefore, it’s a sound they can safely ignore without consequence. Delgado explains that cats “may have learned that the ‘pspspsps’ sounds means ‘my human is bothering me and there are no treats involved!’” Some cats may respond to strange noises as an invitation to play, especially if the noise is followed by movement or other stimuli that resemble prey. • Training Cats can hear sound frequencies three times higher than we can — presumably so they can find prey more easily,” DeVoss says.Ultimately, the response of an individual cat to the sound of “pspspsps” may depend on the context in which it is used and the particular cat’s personality and preferences. Why Do Cats Respond To Strange Noises Humans Make (Such As The “Pspspsps” Sound!)? Finally, some people believe that saying “pspspsps” to cats is simply a way to bond with them and show them affection.