Cats are one of the cutest creatures that you can ever find. However, one of the main traits of a cat is that even if they look cute and lovely, they have a kind of weight in their personality. Sometimes they can shower unlimited love and affection to you, while sometimes, they can show you some weird behaviors like meowing or hissing at you.
While you might wonder why your cat is hissing at you, the fact is that they do have some reasons to hiss at you that you are unaware of. However, if you want to better understand your cat’s behavior, knowing why it is hissing at you can help you much.
Why does your cat hiss at you? Here is what you need to know!
There is no doubt about the fact that cats are one of the best pets in the world. But they possess a very unpredictable behavior. If your cat loves you today, it can make a grumpy face at you tomorrow. Hence, you must not be surprised when you see your cute little kitty hissing at you tomorrow, which starts each day with your cuddles. So, it is better to find out the correct reason behind your cat’s hisses.
1. Stress is a common factor
One of the main reasons why your kitty hisses at you can be the outcome of stress. While cats are very playful as an animal, they are much prone to anxiety. In case any disruption happens to the cat’s environment, it can cause immense stress to your pet.
Cats usually prefer to stay away from conflicts and flee from the place if they smell any issue. But some cats decide to get into a defensive mode and tend to hiss at you.
Various reasons like when you are moving to and fro during your busy hours or making continuous loud noises can disrupt your cat’s normalcy. Such sudden changes in their surroundings can make them feel threatened. And this feeling of threat can make your cat hiss at you.
To let your cat avoid stress, you can offer engaging toys to them like Indoor Cat Interactive Swimming Fish Toy and let them enjoy happily.
2. Unknown fear can cause a change in their behavior
Cats have a very prominent tendency to feel threatened when they feel any new thing around them or any specific change in their surroundings. With their hissing, they usually try to express their fear to you.
If your cat is indulging in aggressive hissing with the very sight of you, there are chances that your presence is fearing your little pet. Also, you can take it as a warning sign, as your cat might attack you if it is continuously hissing at you. So, it is better to move away from that place slowly.
This feeling of fear can also be caused due to an unfamiliar object, which leads to distress in your cats, making them hiss at you to show their discontent with that stuff. In such cases, it is better to use a positive and slow reinforcement technique to introduce the new object to your cat that you have brought to your house.
3. Pain can be another potential reason
It is not always necessary that your cat hisses at you because it is pissed off on you for any reason. Hissing can sometimes be their way of communication with you. For example, if your kitty is suffering from pain, it can hiss at you to inform you that you must pay attention to its agony.
When you touch the painful area on your cat’s body, it can also make your cat hiss at you. So, how do you understand that your cat is hissing at you due to pain? Here are the various signs to look for.
- You will find that your cat is sleeping more than playing.
- You can see a very restless behavior in your cat as pain will cause a lack of relaxation.
- You will find that your cat is repetitively biting or licking a particular area of its body.
- Panting breath is another important sign that your cat is feeling uncomfortable with something.
- A sudden change in their personality is also a very prominent indication that they might be in pain.
4. Your confrontation with another cat can be the reason
Cats are very possessive about their possessions. They do not prefer to share things or people they love with other cats or any other animal. So, if you are confronting some other cat, it can become the reason for your cat’s feeling of insecurity.
When it smells or senses that you have cuddled some other cat, it can start hissing at you. This can either lead your cat to feel uncomfortable with you, or they can indulge in a fight with the cat you have encountered with.
5. It can be a warning shot
Your cat hissing at you can sometimes be the warning shot for you. Most of the time, cats tend to warn others through their hissing. It is their unique way to tell you to back off if they feel not so pleased with you.
You can find this kind of warning hissing in your cat if it has recently become a mother. It is one of the very prominent instincts of their motherhood to protect their kittens. The mommy cats are usually overprotective and can recognize you as a threat to their kittens, which can make them do such acts.
On the other hand, if you have recently brought a new cat to your home, which is not yet properly familiar with you, it can consider you as a threat. In such cases, the cat may hiss at you.
What do you do if your cat is hissing at you?
While hissing is a prevalent behavior in cats, it can sometimes be threatening for you. So, how do you tame your cat in such cases?
Here are some ways to apply.
What is the reason for your cat’s hissing? |
How to deal with it? |
If your cat is having a fear of the unknown | First, you need to find out what is the exact reason for its fear. Then, you need to introduce your cat to that object slowly. |
In case of confrontation with another cat | Separate the two cats in a confrontation to control the situation. |
If your cat is suffering from pain | Take your feline pet to the vet if you find signs of pain in them. |
In case your cat is a newbie mother | Give your cat and its kitten the necessary space. It is better not to interrupt them quite often. |
If your cat is suffering from stress | In such cases, it is better to give your cat their preferable hiding place or toys that can help them avoid stress. |
Conclusion
Cats can hiss at you due to various reasons. While not all hissing is dangerous, sometimes it can really be. Thus, you must find out the potential reason why your cat is hissing at you and take action accordingly. Understanding your pet well will help you to care for them better.