Some cats may respond to the sound of “pspspsps” by becoming more alert and focused, as the sound might put them in the “hunting mood”! Many felines are drawn to high-pitched noises — like baby talk — whistling, and the rustling of paper bags. Getty/Kevin O'Mara Cats’ will react to “pspspsps” in “any number of ways” depending on the tone used and how they’ve been conditioned by their owners, according to DeVoss. By making this noise, we can show felines that we are interested in them and want to spend time with them! What’s The Origin Of The “Pspspsps” Sound? 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

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. The Inverse analysis — Veterinary behaviorists state cats' reaction to noises like “pspspsps” is partly a learned response to repeated interactions with their human owners — a sort of Pavlovian conditioning if you will. If your cat’s pupils dilate when you say “pspsps” it could be a sign of fear or intrigue depending on the context. Getty Humans make strange noises; cats respond because they are social animals, as they recognize the sound of the human voice.

What Other Weird Noises Do Cats Like?

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. 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.

While the exact origin and history of the “pspsps” sound is unknown, it is clear that this peculiar sound has a powerful and enduring place in our interactions with furry friends! 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!’”

The pspspspsps sound has a lot of reasons why it attracts cats. It piques their curiosity, may sound familiar as it’s similar to a purring sound, and it’s at a frequency that makes it very easy for them to hear,” Chyrle Bonk, a veterinarian at PetKeen, tells Inverse. Have you ever noticed that when you make a strange noise or sound near a cat, they often perk up its ears and start looking around for the source? It’s almost as if they’re trying to figure out what the noise means.