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
I have a year old cat. She has had a pretty rough couple of weeks, I had her spayed on a Monday and moved on the following Saturday. After her spay she was in a cone for a week and in and out of the vet (though not sick, I am a little paranoid it seems). We had previously lived on a quiet street in a three story townhouse and we moved to a small one bedroom apartment on a busy street. She seemed to adjust well to the new place, and I notice some signs of stress (increased shedding, dandruff, one instance of urination on my bed which has been a previously overcome stress reaction). She has a new behavior I don’t understand, she is hissing at the street three stories down, only in the evening. She gets to the point that she looks ready to pounce. She is not on the balcony when this occurs, however it only happens when the glass is open, the screen is shut, and she can hear the street traffic. I think she might be hissing at pedestrians on the other side of the street. She also has her mouth open and I can smell a cat-body odor type smell. We’ve been here three weeks now and it only started this past week. I’m not sure what is going on or how I might be able to help her through this. Other than the hissing she seems to have adjusted to the new apartment quite well.
Steph
Hi Steph,
It seems like you’ve all had a few rough weeks. I’m glad you’re all adjusting. I think the hissing behavior is your cat hissing at the traffic noise. If she’s previously been in a quiet area, this new noise must be unsettling. I think the delay in her starting to hiss is due to the other changes. She needed time to get over the operation and the move. Now that she’s feeling better physically she’s exploring her new enviornment and that sound from below is new and upsetting her.
Each time you notice her hissing, pick her up (if she’ll allow you to do this without scratching you) and gently talk to her while stroking her. If you’re worried about being scratched, get down to her level and stroke and talk to her. This will have the double effect of calming her down and letting her know that the noise won’t hurt her. It might take a little while but by treating her this way she should be settled in a week or perhaps less.
If the ‘dandruff’ doesn’t go away, check the article on Cat Mites as she could have the Cheyletiella Mite, also known as walking dandruff. As this is very contagious to people, you might need to see the vet again.
If you have further problems, please let me know.
Kathy
Curious if anyone can help! I have two kittens – 10 months – brothers. They are cute, cuddley – love each other, play fight – normal kittens! The one has always been a little more assertive – hogging food, mom to get food when they were first born. He has taken an obsession to playing fetch. Obsession! Occasionally when he’s returning the object to me and his brother is laying watching, he’ll hiss at his brother. I kind of get that. Now 3 times he has hissed…at ME! I’m holding the toy, ready to throw it and he hisses at me. He has never hissed at me before and has remained cute and fun in every other way. Any advice on what to do/how to react when he hisses at me or his brother? Yelling no does a little but not enough. I don’t want to stop playing fetch with him cuz he loves it, and it’s hilarious to have a cat that plays fetch! But has he gone insane? =) It’s my first time ever having cats so I’m figuring them out as I go. Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
Yours is only the second cat I’ve heard of that will fetch! Do you think he is hissing as you’re not throwing it fast enough? Does he stop hissing once it’s thrown? If this was my cat I’d be like you, thrilled at game but not the behavior. Next time he hisses, get up and walk away saying “no hissing” in a firm voice. Don’t yell as it is counterproductive. Leave him for half an hour or so then go back and play the game again. As soon as he hisses, repeat the firm “no hissing” and leave him. He will soon learn that his hiss is causing you to stop playing.
He is obviously the ‘alpha cat’ so you need to make sure his brother doesn’t get left out with feeding and affection. Use the “no hissing” then leaving if he hisses at his brother. If the behavior is bad enough (fighting or taking the food etc), remove the alpha cat from the room for a while. Otherwise your other cat will become timid and not want to play or socialize normally.
Have a look at the article Behavioral Problems in Cats for some more tips.
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
He only hisses once and then looks as if nothing ever happened. I prefer to pretend he’s insane. =) It’s weird because I always wait a second to throw it because I make him sit first, so nothing is different. I’m not sure what goes on in his head.
I will try a simple ‘no hissing’ and walking away. Each time I stop playing with him so will continue that.
He is SUCH the alpha cat. Yes, he tries to hog both food bowls so I’ve been telling him ‘no’ and directing him to the other bowl. They get equal time – one falls asleep with me, and my alpha-cat has been next to me when I wake up laying on his side to get his belly rubbed. When I’m playing fetch with him, I play with a ribbon of sorts with the other. So I do make sure we all play! They don’t outright fight – they’re still kittens so they play around. I haven’t seen anything crazy but I will definitely keep an eye out for that.
Thank you for the advice! Much appreciated!
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Looks like you’re doing all the right things. Enjoy your kittens because if you blink, they’ll be adult cats. I blinked with my two children and they are now 24 and 27! The more you play with them both now, the more you will enjoy them when they are adults, and the more they will enjoy being with you.
Kathy