When your cat starts to hiss, it's time to back off.
When people hear a cat hissing they usually try to stay clear of it. Hissing often comes just before a fight with another cat or scratching and biting a human. Cats sometimes hiss at people as they walk past. One of my cats Cassie is most unusual in that she will be purring and rubbing at your legs then will suddenly hiss then purr again. She is the only cat I have ever met who can hiss and purr at the same time!
If your cat starts hissing at you for no apparent reason, try distracting her by calling her name. If this doesn’t work, very carefully put your hand out in a non-threatening manner while talking softly to her. Try to find out why she is hissing. Is she in pain? Hungry? Hurt? Anxious? Frightened? Some cats that have been teased in the past are always unsure if they are safe. They may just be ‘lashing out’ to get in first. If this is the case you need to spend time making your cat feel safe and wanted. Learn your cat’s body language so you are aware of what your cat is telling you.
Cassie is like this. After she was spayed she became very fearful of everyone. She had previously been a normal kitten we had had from birth so this behavior was quite unusual. Even her mother Tikki reacted badly to her when she came home.
It took me many months of just talking to her each time I saw her, then starting to stroke her as I walked past. Overall, I suppose it took about a year before she trusted me enough to jump onto my lap. At first she would only stay for a minute or so but with gentle stroking and a soft voice, she slowly gained confidence and now sits on my chair waiting for me to sit down and would sit on my lap most of the day if she could. In fact, she complains if I have meetings or work too long on the computer. I still can’t pick her up but she no longer hisses at me when I try.
If your cat hisses at regular visitors, try asking them to get down to the cat’s level and stroke it before coming into the house. If you are there while this is happening, your cat will start to get used to new people. By experimenting, you can work out if it is the people or the door bell that frightens her. If it is the bell, try muting it a little if possible or perhaps spend some time ringing it yourself and letting your cat see it’s nothing to be frightened of.
Remember, cats hiss because they are either frightened or because they are trying to scare someone away. By spending the time trying to understand your cat and to help it, you will find a wonderful friend in your pet.
To find out what to do if your cat continually hisses at you or your visitors, Cat Secrets Revealed. could be just the book you need. I wish I’d had it when Cassie first became frightened and timid as there is a section in there about gaining a timid cat’s trust. It would have certainly speeded up the process of having her trust me.
Tags: cat attack, cat biting, cat hiss, cat hissing, cat scratching, reasons cats hiss and bite
[...] what she is trying to tell you. Body language is just important has the verbal sounds such as hissing and [...]
I have 2 cats, one has always been a little skittish while the other is very social. Over the last few years the skittish cat will run from the social cat and only recently has begun to fight back. Today however I have come home from work to find the skittish cat acting very volital against the social cat. Cornering him and hiss and talking loudly at him. he hisses back but the skittish cat is making very strange odd noises and voices at his brother. Hopefully this will not be something he does ofter since I do not want them to not get along. We shall see.
Good luck Carl. With my two cats the mother (Tikki) has always been the alpha cat and Cassie was very timid. I’ve noticed recently that Cassie will lash out at Tikki when she walks past, especially if Cassie is on a box or similar. I’m not worried about this, I silently applaud Cassie for finally standing up for herself.
Thanks. I’m glad my skittish cat is finally standing up for himself too…they get along now but the dominate cat knows better than to mess with the skittish cat now.
My cat hisses at my boyfriend. Now I’m wondering if when i’m not looking he’s teasing her and she’s afraid of him. She does hiss and purr at him so it’s confusing. Any ideas?
Hi Carri,
One of my cats does exactly the same – hisses and purrs at the same time at my husband! I know that he teases her, no matter how many times I tell him not to. This is part of the reason that I am the only one she trusts and comes to. Your boyfriend could be teasing her but it could also be that he is not a ‘cat person’ and she is picking up on that. Sometimes cats will avoid people for no reason that we mere mortals can fathom! Try to get your boyfriend to get down to her level and make friends with her. It can be frightening when a huge hand comes down from above. See if he will sit (or lie) on the floor and talk and play with her.
Kathy
Our cat is 10 mos. old and has never been a hisser. Out of the blue last night he went over by the front door and started hissing and then ran for the kitchen and continued hissing. He appears scared to death but we couldn’t find a source of that fear. He did the same thing again this morning. I’m scared the store bought flea medicine i put on him yesterday might have made him sick or something and he keeps shaking his head. Any one have any ideas of what might be going on? My daughter would be devastated if something happened to her cat!
Sue
Hi Sue,
I think what could be happening is the fleas are objecting to the flea medicine. They are probably scrambling to get away from it and drive your poor cat crazy at the same time. It’s not going to last for too long, just till the fleas die. Do be careful of what you put on your cat’s skin though. Chemicals in some flea preparations can have adverse affects. Try to find something natural if you can.
Kathy