Because of this, squirrels need to constantly chew or gnaw on things to file down their teeth. Oral Pain. This signals to other squirrels, letting them know to be on their guard and look out for trouble. Email the author. The Squirrels in the attic problem come with many other problems that are existent with the presence of squirrels. It looks and sounds as though your cat is talking to himself, but what is he really doing? This sounds like chattering teeth to us, as their teeth move against each other. In fact, they do it so much that if you ever spend time watching squirrels, you’ll quickly notice their tail is an essential part of their communication & survival strategy. Why do cats chatter when they spot prey? These incisors are used for cracking nuts or chewing through things to find food. Squirrels keep them sharp by gnawing on wires or … Squirrels’ teeth grow six inches a year and never stop growing! Squirrels are adorable animals with long bushy tails that they like to twitch back and forth. They also use other ways of communicating. Squirrels are adorable animals with long bushy tails that they like to twitch back and forth. When a cat sees prey, it will practice the 'killing bite' - they move their jaw in a fast opening and closing motion to disable their prey by cutting through the spinal cord. Many squirrels … They live something like birds do, in nests or tree holes, and although they do not fly, they can really move across the sky. In addition to vocal sounds, squirrels chatter their teeth. Squirrels are extremely adaptable to their environment especially when sharing that environment with humans. Flying squirrels, a nocturnal species, tend to live in silence, although they do make a soft, high-pitched sound similar to a bird's "tick-tick" call, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Why Do Squirrels Like Your Attic and Eaves? Squirrels are rodents, which mean their front two teeth always grow! In general, squirrels tend to wag their tails when they are startled or alarmed. Tales from Exit 22 by Al Batt . Though fox squirrels chatter their teeth, they don’t really make any facial expressions like we do … They often wag their tails when they're upset, such as if a person gets too close to some squirrel babies. In forested areas, squirrels have plenty of places to build nests, forage for food, and sharpen their teeth. Teeth chattering could also be caused by loss of enamel, which makes the teeth more sensitive, or a painful condition like tooth resorption. Squirrels chatter their teeth when they want to portray hostility. Different Theories Behind Cat Chattering Teeth chattering is such a common symptom of oral pain, Fink says, that some dogs will chatter their teeth even when they're under anesthesia.