Someone on Reddit Asked The Reason Behind Why People Say Pspspspsps When Calling Cats

Have you also wondered why they respond to the sound?

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• Published in Animals
• December 6, 2021

Whenever we see adorable cats on the street, some of us can't help beckon them. What's that one thing we say whenever we want them to come close?

You guessed that right. It's "pspspsps."

But have you ever wondered when people started calling felines this way? User ChuckBass11 wanted to know, so he asked people on Reddit.

This way of calling cats is nearly failproof. If you want them to come near you, calling them with pspspsps is always the way to go and guaranteed to work.

Reddit may not have the complete answer to the user's question, but scientists do have an explanation about it. According to Eötvös Loránd University Professor of Ethology, Dr. Péter Pongrácz, long ago, people started these noises for calling cats.

Then it was passed on from our grandparents to our parents, and so on. The professor mentioned that "pspspsps" may have originated from “here, pussy, pussy, pussy.”

The original call was popularized by the Texan band The Light Crust Doughboys. Their song "Pussy, Pussy, Pussy," is about a girl looking for her cat.

You might also wonder why we can't get their attention by using our regular voice. That's because "pspspsps" works at a higher frequency than typical speech sounds, and cats are capable of hearing them.

Other experts have different takes regarding this sound. But for now, let's look at what Redditors have to say about it.

The question.

This user is aware of the facts. Then it was followed by different version of the sound across various countries.

It's interesting how it differs by country. It's not just "pspspsps."

This one has been using the sound for as long as they can remember.

Others never really learned how to call the cats, they just found out by experimenting. Then there are also cats who won't respond to such sounds.

For others, it's a way to shoo away the felines.

Then it's also for stopping a cat's mischief.

How they call cats in France is different.

Germans call cats like the French do. Perhaps it's indeed a thing in Europe.

Others would just use their own voice.

It's also different per household.

There are users wondering why cats are attracted to the sound.

According to some users, they are confused why this became a thing.

These users have never used "pspspsps" before too.

This is among the valid answers.

It's the first time for some users to hear about using "pspspsps" when calling cats.

The user has another opinion.

For some reason, the correct answers aren't popular.

Poor cat.

More users agree that it comes from calling cats "here pussy, pussy, pussy."

Other experts have a different take on the sound.

They believe that "pspspsps" is similar to something that cats want to chase or stalk. Hear the sound triggers the feline's predatory instincts.

When they hear it, they are compelled to check it out. For experts, it's a sound that tells cats that there might be a critter near them.

Cats generally keep themselves aloof. But they can't help it when there's possibly something they can prey on.

What do you call cats at home? Do you use the "pspspsps" sound, or do you call them with something else?

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