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Cats are sensitive to high frequencies
While they might not always seem to listen, your cat actually has an incredible sense of hearing. Cats can hear sound frequencies three times higher than humans can, and the ‘s’-sound just happens to operate at a higher frequency than most other human sounds, which supposedly makes it stick out. When this high-pitched sound then gets interrupted by a ‘p’-sound, it is thought to create a rhythm that’s attention-grabbing to your feline friend.
The sound imitates other sounds in nature
The ‘pspspsps’-sound resembles other sounds in nature that cats would be interested in during their hunting game. Imitating impressive insects, rustling leaves, birds ruffling their feathers, or mice trying to vanish in the tall grass … the ‘pspspsps’-sound triggers the predatory instinct in the brain of a cat, leaving them no choice but to investigate.
The sound resembles a mother’s call
While the ‘pspspsps’-sound might indeed remind your cat of prey, there’s a different theory in which the sound actually signals to your feline that there may be a predator nearby. When cats are angry or afraid, they will hiss at whatever frightens them. So, when kittens grow up, they learn that when mom makes that aggressive sound, they better stay close to her for shelter. As domesticated cats often see us as their human parents, they may be alerted by any warning sound we make as well, after which they may approach us to seek our protection.
Cats are conditioned to respond
A final theory is that we unintentionally trained our cats to respond to the ‘pspspsps’-sound. Think about it: if your cat actually came to you when you called them using this sound, you probably rewarded them with treats and cuddles, right? So, you taught them that good things happen when they respond to the sound, probably without even realizing it. For that reason, it’s not the sound itself your cat is attracted to, but the attention and benefits they get from it. Clever, right!
