That cat deals with weather, vermin predators (such as owls, foxes, coyotes, etc); starvation, sleep deprivation; disease and countless forms of cruel illnesses and death. When your cat hisses, back off. What You Should Do When Your Cat Hisses or Hides. What’s Mew At Catster: December 2020 Cat Events, Turn Excess Holiday Boxes into Hangout Spots for Your Cat, Cat Cuddles — What to Know About Your Kitty’s Snuggling Habits, What to Do if Conflicts Between Your Cats Arise. You’ll stress him out. Is your kitty feeling trapped? ANSWER: To get your cat to stop hissing, try giving it some space and time to relax and calm down, since cats sometimes hiss because they are stressed or nervous. However, cats may still hiss out of aggression. Many experts believe that cats hiss to mimic snakes- with the hope that it leads to the animal to back off. They include ripping out her own hair, especially near her lower back and tail region; reacting to your stroking with loud or irritated cries; and delivering a fury of paw swipes toward your hand on her back or worse. Picture this: your cat hisses at you because of an aggravating circumstance and you engage with a loud “no” or raise a finger or tap your cat, you will just further scare and trigger feline instincts. Consult your vet if you notice any bad or unusual odors when your cat … Foolish to apply human labels to a feral cat by: Anonymous A cat living in feral conditions is a wild animal, not your pet. This generally means ‘Ok I have had my fun, now leave me alone!’ Just seconds prior to death, the cat might be seen rasping to compensate … Is It OK to Discipline a Cat for Hissing? Funny Video of a Cat Licking Human Before Hissing at It Watch This Cat's Mood Change in a Matter of .02 Seconds Because . Fear: Your cat might be fearful of his new surroundings if you just adopted him. If they do make any noises, you are more likely to hear a meow than a hiss or growl. It's called feline non-recognition aggression and here's what to do. Cat Hissing. If there is still friction put the new cat back into their room. At night, Chase will hop up on the bed, cuddle on me for awhile, and then go down toward my feet and make himself comfortable with his back to me. Read related stories about cats and vet visits on Catster.com: About the author: Heather Marcoux is a freelance writer in Alberta, Canada. That’s when Ghost Cat started hissing, surprising all of us — especially poor baby Speck. Take them to the vet if you suspect a health issue. Even if your cat is the sweetest little cat on the planet, if she has ever felt threatened or needed to send a warning to someone (feline, canine or human), she has probably hissed at some point. This can be emotionally damaging to the cat and create more fear. If you think that your kitty’s hissing is the result of not feeling well, a trip to the vet could help you get answers. “Stop that/fuck off/leave me alone!” I’ve hissed at every cat I’ve owned when they misbehave. Yelling may cause your cat to feel stressed and anxious, which can cause additional misbehavior. If you don’t, your cat might react by hissing at you to show their displeasure! Until your next appointment, here are some of the less-obvious signs that your cat may be sick: Bad breath: Stinky breath can indicate kidney problems and serious dental disease in your cat — and sweet or fruity-smelling breath can be a sign of diabetes. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Schedule Cats at the Vet Together In fact, it's believed that feline hissing is a form of protective mimicry — an animal mimics a more dangerous creature to protect itself if it feels threatened. This gives him time to cool off, and your ignoring of his tantrum teaches him that he's going to face isolation when he acts out. A hissing cat sounds like a radiator on overload. Have You Ever Felt the Need to Break Up with Your Vet. Of all the potential problems I worried about when it came time for my kitten’s spay surgery, bringing her home to my older cat never even crossed my mind. In the wild, it's very energy-intensive to fight. When the household cats greet the returning cat with hisses, it naturally gets its back up and acts defensive, too. Stay informed! However, a dying cat suffers irregular breathing, either too fast or too slow. If the skin on your cat’s back ripples when you touch it, then it probably has anxiety or hyperesthesia (an obsessive-compulsive disorder). That way the humans can see how other cats in the household are going to react, and proactively prevent conflicts. Hissing may seem like a comical sound for a cat to make but trust me, your cat isn’t viewing it with any type of sense of humor. I had no idea my older cat would hiss when my little one got back from the vet. Tom Ryan is a freelance writer, editor and English tutor. We all know that cats meow, and we most certainly know that they hiss, too. His sizzling vocalizations warn you to stay clear, to step away fro… Give him space. “I feel they [cats] have the worst PR person ever because somewhere along the line they got the bad reputation that hissing is mean, and it’s not,” she said. As we have said earlier, some animal behavior … Cat Hissing. It makes sense when you look at it from the aggressive cat’s point of view. Reasons Why Cats Hiss. Whatever the case, be sure your cat has a few hiding places to retreat to until he feels safe enough to come out. If you hear an unending succession of growling or hissing, then your cats may be fighting. 2 Give your cat the option of where to sleep. Get the Most from Vet Visits; Learn to Better Observe Your Cat. Hissing is a good indicator of impending aggression to follow, but it also signifies that the cat is feeling bothered or even frightened. Instead, we let Ghost Cat stick around (at a distance). Specter, who had followed me from the bedroom to the kitchen, went right up to the door to see Ghosty. A hissing cat sounds like a radiator on overload. Don't just teach your cat how to behave when he isn't -- show him the rewards of good behavior the rest of the time. . In fact, it's believed that feline hissing is a form of protective mimicry — an animal mimics a more dangerous creature to protect itself if it feels threatened. Let us know in the comments. Whether your cat is hissing at veterinary staff or a newcomer to the household, your cat is feeling vulnerable, threatened, or insecure. In my experience, most cats take it to mean exactly what its supposed to mean. According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners, a returning cat should be left in their carrier for a few minutes when they get home from the vet. Don't rub your cat's nose in an accident: The only thing you're going to accomplish by rubbing your cat's nose in her accident is upsetting her. Healthy gums are pink (or if your cat is black, gums may be black). If you felt threatened by someone, you might put up your hands and tell them to back off -- this is your cat's … Fisherman’s wives kept black cats while their husbands went away to sea, believing that this would ensure their … Reasons Why Cats Hiss. To stop your kitties feeling stressed, always … It was like suddenly Ghost Cat didn’t even recognize her little buddy — because, I guess, she didn’t. It creates a stark contrast between the consequences of good and bad attitudes, so when he does act out, you can just leave him alone to his own devices. He may even seem to be hallucinating - following the movement of things that are not there. While it's technically OK to discipline a hissing cat, that doesn't mean it works. “Cats typically hiss as a warning,” Koski explains. If we hadn’t let Specter out so fast we would have had the opportunity to see how uncomfortable Ghosty was, and we could have moved Specter to another room while she was still protected in the kennel. Don’t block the exit. New objects: Unfamiliar objects in the house that move strangely may trigger your cat to hiss or be fearful. Many experts believe that cats hiss to mimic snakes- with the hope that it leads to the animal to back off. Let the cat decide, now is not the time to be fussy about where your cat sleeps. Heather is also a wife, a bad cook and a former TV journalist. Held very … All these won’t solve a cat’s tendency to hiss nor would magically correct your cat from his bad behavior. One of the best ways to discipline a hissing, fussing cat is to just remove yourself from the situation. If not, try leaving the door open and letting them investigate each other in their own time, with a place to go back to safety if needed. This can come out in the form of aggressive behavior, such as randomly hissing and clawing at you, attacking other pets, or meowing nonstop at night. Listen for growling or hissing. If you felt threatened by someone, you might put up your hands and tell them to back off -- this is your cat's way of doing the same thing. This situation can escalate beyond the posturing, particularly if the ill cat continues to make trips to and from the vet clinic. Feline non-recognition aggression isn’t uncommon and happens when one cat in a household comes home from the vet.  |  It your cat is a closet dweller block the door open, clear out where ever the cat's favorite space is and put a cat bed there. If your cat has the syndrome, he may show sensitivity when any point along his spine or back is touched. Hissing "rude". Your cat is simply asking for space when it is hissing. White or pale gums need immediate attention … Back arched, fur standing up: Frightened or angry. If you try to “correct” or punish your cat for hissing, you will only make a bad or scary situation worse, and make your cat more upset. How to Approach a Hissing Cat. By Kathy Blumenstock With a cat or two around the house, even the most dedicated cat parent may slack off and take Kitty’s presence for granted. Feel free to send your cat health questions into the Pets’ Best Facebook page, and I’ll answer them next time. I agree that hissing back at your cat is generally a bad idea, but I do think it’s okay to hiss at them at times. Even in the wild, a hunting cat will catch the prey now and then. If not, try leaving the door open and letting them investigate each other in their own time, with a place to go back to safety if needed. This situation can escalate beyond the posturing, particularly if the ill cat continues to make trips to and from the vet clinic. Foolish to apply human labels to a feral cat by: Anonymous A cat living in feral conditions is a wild animal, not your pet. Your cat may feel that they, or something they're protective of, is being threatened. Her beloved Ghost Cat was once her only animal, but Specter the kitten and GhostBuster the dog make her fur family complete. Their buddy smells different, acts different, and maybe even looks a little different. This can signify a loss of blood flow or circulation, shock, or anemia. If I had kept Ghost Cat downstairs until Speck started smelling like herself again, maybe Specter would have been greeted with kisses instead of hisses. If your cat has very pale gums that aren’t pink or are white, time to take your cat to the vet. Back pain in cats can be caused by psychological or physical factors. If your cat has very pale gums that aren’t pink or are white, time to take your cat to the vet. When your cat growls and hisses, he's effectively saying, "Back off now, or else." A feline non-recognition aggression hiss Cats don't hiss just to be rude. Is your kitty feeling trapped? If your cat isn’t getting enough attention and play, then they will have a lot of pent up energy that has to be released. If your cat is miserable maybe improving it will make a difference. We never should have brought the cats back together until Specter (who had slept over at our vet’s office) stopped smelling like medicine and other animals, and until she was done with the pain medication that made her move slower than normal. Picture this: your cat hisses at you because of an aggravating circumstance and you engage with a loud “no” or raise a finger or tap your cat, you will just further scare and trigger feline instincts. The next time either of my girls makes a trip to the vet, they will be having a full day of separation before being brought back together again. Discipline should be administered indirectly for the best results, because if you try to scold your cat like you would a dog, you're not going to get the response you're looking for. If you have multiple cats and you take one to the vet, your other cats may hiss at that cat when he comes back because he smells like the clinic, and that’s not a smell they greet with joy. The hissing sound and posture is far from funny to your cat, though, because a cat that hisses is in defensive mode. Get Your Dog to Start Barking at People at the Front Door→, Aggressive Male Umbrella Cockatoo Behavior→. Hissing is a clear sign of communication that your cat understands very well. Either way, trying to punish a cat for hissing will only make it more upset, and likely to hiss even more. Hissing "rude". Usually, a growl is just a warning and he won't actually attack. I now know that springing Specter from her kennel so quickly was a total mistake. . You won't suddenly know her motivations for not using the litter box and she won't promise to never … Telltale Signs Something Is Wrong Prepare a special space for your cat’s recovery after he or she returns from the … When a cat turns its back to you, it’s actually a sign of trust, and a huge compliment. Back arched, fur flat: … We thought we were safe to let her hang out across the living room from poor little Specter, until Ghost Cat suddenly jumped up on the couch and took a swat at poor Specter. Avoid any … Warning shots. Tail. The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends placing food, water and a litter box in a separate room for a minimum of 24 hours while the retuning cat regains the smell of home. But there’s no catching that alluring, fast-moving red dot! To alleviate the hissing, it’s important to observe your cat's situation next time they are hissing. Your cat will often act like they are upset at you too when you bring a new … Sure, you can give him a little tap on the nose as a sign of disapproval, but odds are, he won't learn anything from it -- in fact, you might just make him angrier. In general, cats that are play fighting will not make much noise. Sure, they might do it because they're aggressive, but it's just as commonly a defensive action. Some of her friends have hidden her feed because of an excess of cat pictures. It was almost as if nothing at all had happened. Leave your cat with the cleanest, most comfortable and inviting room that you can. Everyone remarks that she is such a mellow feline; she purrs , meows and rubs lovingly on anyone in her vicinity, and she’s never once hissed . Cats don't hiss without a reason, so if yours is getting mouthy, take a look at the situation and try to figure out why. Usually, a growl is just a warning and he won't actually attack. If your cat’s back feels stiff to the touch, this may be due to arthritis, injury, or an infection of the spinal discs. Check your cat’s gums for signs of illness periodically. When we woke up my husband and I decided to see if Ghost Cat was still freaking out, so we opened the basement door just a crack. Chances are that your reaction would be to back away — and that’s exactly the effect that your cat is going for when he hisses. Disciplining your cat for hissing may only make matters worse, so play it cool and think before you act the next time your little guy starts running his mouth. 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