Why a cat hisses at its owner

Such hissing may be caused by the presence of something unfamiliar. A new squeaky toy can be treated as a threat for the first few days. If your cat steps on it or squeezes it, the sound will cause it to rush away and hiss from a comfortable distance.

Why do cats hiss?

If you are a cat owner or just want to understand cat behavior, you may have one question: why do cats hiss? Most cat owners will attest to the fact that their furry friends sometimes exhibit highly unpredictable behavior; one moment you have a pleasant pastime, the next you're petting a scratch on your arm. Another common behavior is hissing. It is a snake-like voice that animals in the feline family make to kittens, people, inanimate objects, and even other cats.

Cats have adapted to living indoors or close to home; this comes with certain challenges to overcome. Communication with people and other pets is important to them, and vocalization, which can manifest as hissing, is at the top of the list. Hissing is not just a sign of aggression; it can communicate different things.

To better understand hissing in cats, we will begin by looking at how the sound is made. We'll also look at eight different reasons why cats find it necessary to hiss. Read on to learn more about this strange cat behavior.

How do cats hiss?

Before we delve into the reasons why cats hiss, let's first learn how they do it. The sound is created when these fur babies push air through their tongue. To make the hissing effective, they arch their tongue up and toward the center of their mouth.

Usually the cat pulls its lips back and presses its ears to its head at the same time. With her mouth open and teeth bared, she looks menacing and intimidating.

In addition, her body will be curved, giving the illusion that she is taller and ready to attack. Her hair will also ruffle, which is a reflexive reaction to any emotion she is experiencing.

Peculiarities of kitten behavior, reasons for growling

Each stage of a pet's maturation has its own peculiarities, including in behavior. A playful kitten, no matter how tame, also growls and hisses at other felines, humans, unfamiliar objects and so on. Because of his age and his ignorance of the world around him, he is frightened many times more often than adult cats. In addition, like all babies, kittens are very emotional, and therefore often react to any stimuli. Therefore, they immediately assume a defensive posture and start growling, hissing, fluffing up their fur and getting ready to attack or flee.

The main task of the owner at the cat's immature age is to introduce him to the world around him, to teach him to interact with it, to distinguish between safe and dangerous places, objects, and living creatures. It is necessary to show the kitten that the owner is a trustworthy friend and a leader who is responsible for him. This should be done gradually, patiently building trusting relationships, without suppressing the pet psychologically and physically. With proper education, the kitten will grow up to be an affectionate, kind and playful cat.

Imposing its authority on the kitten provokes it to greater aggression, forces it to go on the defensive, leads to psycho-emotional stress on all participants in the process of education. From this it becomes more aggressive, often growling and hissing, in severe cases it throws itself with claws, fights back.

Thus it becomes clear that the young cat growls and hisses due to lack of life experience, fearfulness, emotionality. As he grows older, he becomes calmer, more compliant.

How to deal with a growling cat

The first thing to do is to analyze the situation and understand why the cat is unhappy. The best thing to do is to immediately stop all actions, stop, then go out into another room if possible. Or move some distance away so that the animal calms down.

And while the cat retreats to its corner, the owner can reflect on the reasons for his pet's bad behavior. After a while the attempt to make contact can be repeated. The cat will probably be the first to come to his senses.

If the cat growls or hisses for no apparent reason, you should immediately take him to the vet. Aggressive behavior may be a sign of trauma or illness in a cat.

It may also be due to the cat's temperament. Frequent growling and hissing of kittens as a reaction to the world around them, if not properly raised, will last a lifetime.

Knowing the main reasons why the cat growls, wean him from this unpleasant habit will not be difficult. The main thing is not to use physical force, to act persistently, carefully and gradually. Then the pet will calmly get used to the new rules, and the owner will be satisfied.

Why is there an attack of cats on people?

It is not uncommon for owners of pets to encounter various behavioral problems of the latter. Cats that have a naturally willful character, but are happy to get along with people, can suddenly begin to show aggression. In fact, nothing just happens, and if the cat attacks the person, it means that there are reasons for it. They can be diagnosed by the owner himself, but quite often only a veterinarian can do it, so you should not put off going to the vet. Especially in cases where there is a sudden change in the cat's behavior.

The psychological and emotional condition called aggression in cats can be divided into the following basic types:

• Pathophysiological. The most common form of aggressive behavior in cats. Occurs when the animal is ill or has any damage inside or outside that causes it pain when touched, stroked, or walked on. Since a cat cannot tell its owner about its physical condition, it signals it in other ways available to it – by being naughty, behaving badly, not wanting to make contact.
• Protective. No less common is this cause of attack by cats. In wanting to defend itself, a pet is quite capable of attacking any superior opponent, even if it is its owner. In such a situation you should first find out why the cat has decided that it needs to defend itself. Sometimes cats react aggressively just because they have been awakened, pressed too hard, held in their arms without their consent and so on. All this the pet perceives as a threat and accordingly attacks the source of it.
• Idiopathic. This form occurs very rarely, but still happens. It has no basis in itself, just a domestic cat suddenly becomes angry and attacks the person. If we compare it to human behavior, we can say that such aggression comes from a bad mood. As a diagnosis, the idiopathic type of negative behavior is diagnosed when no other reasons for a cat attacking a person are found upon full examination at the clinic.

Why House Cats Become Aggressive

A cute, playful fluffy cat, lying on your lap or having fun with the owner – perhaps the best antidepressant for many people. But what to do if the cat suddenly began to behave completely differently, began to rush at all family members, using the claws and fangs? First of all, find out the reason for this behavior.

Basically, a domestic cat will attack a person because:

1. Sick, experiencing physical discomfort from an explicit or implicit injury received. Unpleasant feelings when stroking, playing, trying to put the animal in your lap, take in your arms, caused by painful conditions provoke the cat to negative actions.
2. Experiencing the effects of hormonal imbalance, malfunction. It often happens that after treatment with hormone-based medications, the cat becomes more nervous, begins to lash out at others, behaves not quite adequately.
3. He is a kitten and his teeth have begun to erupt. In the process, his gums swell, itch, and sometimes even become inflamed. The cat needs to chew on something constantly to relieve the condition and stimulate the growth of the teeth. To this end, he attacks those around him.
4. Has claws that are clipped. Deprived of one of its basic defense mechanisms, the cat feels insecure, so it switches instincts from scratching to biting and becomes aggressive, thus trying to avoid repeating the procedure.
5. Natural traits. Cats are very willful, eccentric and have a peculiar character. Do not exclude the fact that in the case of actions that the cat does not like, it will bite, defending his opinion.
6. An overabundance of emotions. If the cat attacks the person during active games, then, most likely, he just played. Sometimes the fluffy cat gets so into the game that it may not calculate the strength of the bite and scratch.
7. Overexcitation caused by stress, prolonged negative psycho-emotional influence on the cat by family members, strangers, their habits and actions. For example, it may be persistent petting, which he does not like, forced play with small children, moving his toys and so on.
8. Speaking of children. Since domestic cats very rarely attack small children, tolerating to the last of their rubbing, they transfer all negative feelings to adults, biting and scratching them in response to any touching.
9. Fear and it doesn't matter what it is caused by. Instinctively defending itself, the cat will lunge at the person it feels threatened by. In the mild degree, when the cat is just a little afraid, he tends to hide. In the medium, it begins to hiss, retreating when an attempt is made to approach it. If the cat attacks the person, it means that the degree of his fear has almost reached its maximum. When frightened to the maximum, the pet behaves inadequately and poses a threat not only to the owner, but also to itself.
10. The appearance of offspring. The maternal instinct of the cat is very strongly developed. Therefore, when she will have kittens, she will protect them by all means, even from the closest people, until she is completely convinced that her children are not threatened.
11. Fighting for territory. Cats are fierce possessors, they will protect their home from all. There are cases when a cat attacks the person who first came to the house, because it perceives him as an invader or a competitor.
12. Habits from childhood. Quite often, new owners play with the kitten, allowing him to attack hands and feet. Over time, the cat gets used to such games. It will be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to wean him in adulthood.

This is a warning sign

If cat behavior in general is unfamiliar to you or you have never seen a cat growl before, you may not understand why cats growl. Cats growl at other cats, people, objects, or when they are alone. A cat making growling noises can be alarming, and it should be. Cats growl for a variety of reasons, but they all usually mean one thing: back off!

Your cat can tell you how it feels, not only by its sounds, but also by its posture. It's important to note how your cat looks when he growls. An angry or aggressive posture will look like dilated eyes, ears up, and a bulging back. However, a frightened cat will have normal eyes, ears, and tail underneath.

Although you should not immediately address your growling cat, you can list a few of these different reasons why cats growl and see if they apply to your cat's situation. Then, when you know the reason, you can better soothe or comfort her to potentially stop the behavior.

Reasons

1. Anger. Anger may be the most obvious cause of a cat's growling. Frustrated and angry cats may express their emotions by growling. When your cat doesn't want to be caged, he may respond by growling. He may growl at you if you try to touch or move him when he doesn't want to be moved.
2. Aggression. Aggression and anger are closely related, but aggression is worth talking about separately because cats become aggressive for many reasons. The two main ways a cat can let out a growl to you or another cat can be related to unacknowledged aggression and possessive aggression (or dominance aggression). Aggression of non-recognition occurs when the cat was previously acquainted with a person or other animal, but because they have been away for some time, the cat no longer recognizes the departing party.
3. Fear. Cats do not always growl from a defensive stance. Sometimes they do so to show that they are confused or frightened. This can happen when a stranger enters your home who has never been there before. A growling cat in this situation doesn't know what to do with the newcomer, so it growls.
4. Pain. If your cat growls alone and does not show aggressive or frightening body language, she may be in physical pain. Some cats growl when they are in internal pain that you cannot see, such as a urinary tract infection or aching teeth. Your cat may inform you of its pain with this behavior.
5. Moderate irritation.. Sometimes cats that growl a lot are just telling you that they don't like something. A cat may growl when the vet checks its teeth during an exam, trims its nails, or takes its temperature. Some cats are easier to annoy than others. Much of this will depend on personality and their background.

Causes of hissing

A hiss is a vibration that a cat makes with her vocal muscles as she exhales. At this point, she tenses up and assumes a characteristic posture: arching her back, raising her fur up, pressing her ears down, and opening her mouth to show off her sharp teeth.

The hissing is used to express negative emotions, to warn of danger and to signal readiness to attack. Let's take a closer look at the reasons why such a reaction is demonstrated.

Protecting the territory

Cats are loners by nature. Pride and independence are frequent traits of their character. Growing up in the house, the pet considers itself the rightful owner of the territory, so it is jealous of those who encroach on its possessions.

In what situations an adult cat may react irritably and startle by hissing:

• Someone in the family has tried to occupy the pet's favorite chair;
• The cat is defending its bowl or any object it considers its own;
• There is a new family member in the house;
• The owner has gotten another pet;
• The cat has smelled someone else's scent brought in by the owner from the street.

From the first days of life in the new home, you should bring up the kitten: establish boundaries between the animal and human, teach the rules of behavior. The cat should have its own place (a cot, a house) for privacy and rest.

If another animal enters the house, the fight for territory may continue until the hierarchy is established. In such cases, it happens that the cat not only spits out its irritation at the new pet, but also shows its displeasure to the owner. These attempts should be suppressed so that such behavior does not become a habit.

The main leader position in the house is often taken by a cat, and not only among felines. Cats jealously protect their territory from other pets and people. Castration can help to cope with such a problem, after the procedure the behavior will become calmer.

What to do if the cat hisses at the owner or a stranger

A cat hisses its displeasure not only to the stranger, but also to its owner. Why does a previously friendly pet suddenly issue a warning signal to its family members?

The reasons for hissing at the owner there may be several reasons:

• The cat is new to the house and hasn't had time to settle into its new place;
• The pet smells an unknown odor coming from the owner: it smells like another person or animal;
• The owner's behavior is different from usual: noisy or intoxicated;
• A family member has returned from a long vacation;
• There is a newborn baby in the house;
• The pet came home after being held for the duration of the trip;
• The cat was pulled by the tail, teased and did something unpleasant;
• The cat was suddenly petted or touched while it was sleeping.

Sometimes the cat hisses when attempts to get attention by meowing have failed and the owner continues to ignore the pet.

There are a few recommendations, How the owner should behave If the cat hisses:

The owner should avoid stressful situations that cause the cat to react by hissing. If the pet is new, remember about the kitten's adaptation to the new home. From the first days, accustom him to the rules of behavior, show attention, kindness and care.

Negative emotions in cats are often caused by strangers. It may also be due to the behavior of the stranger: violates the pet's boundaries, behaves aggressively or is too noisy. If a cat does not like the smell, the voice of a stranger, it senses an unkind intention, it will express its displeasure by hissing.

Why a cat hisses at a person for no reason

A hiss is a vibration of the vocal muscles in the lower larynx. To hiss, a cat needs to extend its lower jaw and extend its tongue.

All breeds can make these laryngeal sounds. Some of them growl instead of hissing, such as British, Sphynx, and Maine Coons. Many people think that the pet just hisses at people. But in fact, this behavior of the pet has its own reasons.

Most often it is a protective signal or warning of danger. In this case, the cat assumes an appropriate posture. It arch its back, releases claws and grinds its teeth. Its hair stands up straight and its pupils narrow. His whole appearance shows that he is ready to attack the enemy.

For humans, this is fraught with bites and scratches. A cat hisses at its owner because the person may frighten it with its actions or the cat feels aggression. For example, a child is actively trying to play with the cat.

Aggression. The cat expresses anger at the person or other animal. For example, someone has hurt her, and she spews her anger on the owner. In this case it is important to show the animal to a zoopsychologist in order to exclude such behavior in the future. Sometimes a cat hisses at a person if their first contact scared her. For example, the person swung his hand sharply, and the pet was frightened. Forcibly holding the pet in an embrace is also seen by the cat as stressful. He remembers it and then reacts negatively to the person the next time he meets her.

Fear. It can be caused by the sudden appearance of a person or animal. The cat gets frightened and hisses. Or the cat has just moved to a new home and is not yet accustomed to new owners. Among strangers, cats especially dislike active children, pungent smells (such as alcohol).

Stress. For example, a new pet has appeared in the house and the cat is stressed. Any change is enough to negatively affect the cat's condition: new food, rearrangement of furniture, the arrival of a small child. Such changes make the cat feel unprotected and helpless. By hissing it defends itself.

What postures does the cat use to show aggression?

If the cat is in an irritated state, it will wave from side to side with the tip of its tail . The animal's mild discontent may turn into aggression.

When the animal sharply wags its tail up and down, it shows great excitement and anxiety. He should be left alone when he is in this state.

Its tail between its legs demonstrates that it is upset and frightened. In order for the cat to calm down and stop being afraid or angry, the trigger must be removed.

If the tail trembles and the ears are pressed against the head, the cat senses danger. Sometimes it can be just a game. Cats understand that it is dangerous to attack someone who is bigger and stronger than them.

Aggression in cats and cats: the main causes and solutions

Most cat lovers get furry friends in the hope that they will give them only affection and love. What a surprise their favorite cat gives them when it suddenly becomes aggressive! Let's consider in this article why cats change behavior, what symptoms to pay attention to, and what to do with an angry cat.

Symptoms and causes of aggression

Very aggressive cat behavior does not always indicate pathology. The fact is that all wild feline habits cannot be eradicated. If a cat has recently become a mother and now attacks the owners, just passing by her offspring, there is nothing surprising about it. This way she shows her maternal instinct and protects her kittens from possible danger.

Cats can suddenly change their behavior to aggressive during hormonal surges. They often show hostility toward people during the spring, since that is when they are on the breeding cycle. Even neutered cats may react in this way, since dominance and aggression are embedded in the brain.

Interestingly, it is the white cats that are the most prone to negative behavior (growling, scratching and biting). They are all distant relatives of the Angora breed, famous for its bad temper.

hissing at people

Often pets become displeased with a loved one and family members. However, strangers cause even more negative emotions.

Why a cat hisses at its owner

Affectionate purrs are always expected to be friendly to their significant other. But it's not uncommon for a house cat to start making warning, obnoxious noises for no obvious reason. Why cats hiss at the owner:

1. Fluffy is new to a new family and hasn't had time to get used to a different living environment.
2. An unfamiliar odor may come from the person or the owner's behavior has changed dramatically. Such a reaction is caused by a loved one who has returned from a vacation or business trip.
3. The arrival of a new person in the family. This is how a cat reacts to an infant, which it perceives as a threat.
4. The owner regularly teases the pet, pulls its tail or does something unpleasant.
5. The whiskered friend may be offended by a loved one because he was temporarily given to a holding facility or left with relatives.
6. The cat was just engrossed in something or sleeping and was suddenly touched.

The owner doesn't need to worry the pet unnecessarily. A change of home, prolonged separation, aggression or intrusive attention are stressful situations that make life difficult and make a cat a nervous creature.

Why a cat hisses at a stranger

When guests come into the house, whiskers begin to treat them differently. To some they are friendly, but to others their attitude is extremely negative. A cat hisses at strangers, and this may be due to their behavior – for example, the guest violates the peace of the pet, wants to pet her or take her in his arms, and she warns: you do not know me, do not touch me.

Sometimes a cat dislikes the smell of a stranger, the timbre of its voice or a guest demonstrates an aggressive attitude to the owner of the house. Some sensitive individuals are able to recognize guests with bad intentions who behave in a supposedly friendly manner.

Hissing at other animals

Displeasure and aggressive behavior can be demonstrated by a whiskered purr to its congeners, kittens, or other pets.

On adult cats and cats.

All members of the feline family are considered solitary. Even when living in the same house or apartment with people, the pet wants to feel independent.

Therefore, the cat hisses at the new cat, trying to kick the stranger out of the territory, which he considers only his own. Females are more jealous of their owners and everything around them. Adult males are more relaxed about new neighbors, taking them under their protection. But other males are treated as competitors.

Aggression and displays of discontent are a defensive reaction that lasts until the adults come to terms with living together and divide the territory in half. The task of man is to make friends with the pets with the least losses for both sides.

On kittens: their own and other people's

More often than not, spayed kittens hiss at other people's kittens who have never given birth. They are frightened by strange creatures that smell of milk and another female.

The mother's emotions toward her babies, on the other hand, may be due to a variety of reasons:

1. The mother calms the babies, letting them know to be quieter and not to attract attention.
2. The female trains the babies, teaching them aggressive behavior so that they can stand up for themselves later on.
3. If a kitten is picked up too early, its scent will become foreign to the mother.
4. A cat will hiss at a kitten if it bites her nipple painfully during feeding or if she runs out of milk.

Sometimes the mother does this to drive her weakened cub away, not wanting to waste her milk on it. This is the natural instinct of natural selection. The mother does not want to waste her energy on her calf. Mothers are also aggressive toward their mature cubs, considering them competitors.

Hissing at other animals

Almost all cats by nature are considered loners. Even when living in a house with their owners, they want to feel their independence. Therefore, the appearance of another animal in the house immediately leads to a defensive reaction – hissing, growling and other manifestations of discontent. This lasts until the "roommates" are reconciled to each other's existence and divide the territory between them.

Most of all, cats get mad at dogs. This is another instinct that you can't get rid of so easily. Even if the dog is somewhere far away, the cat will hiss, scaring the animal away and not letting it into its territory.

If the dog and the cat have to live in the same yard or apartment, over time the relationship between them will improve. The owners can also help them in this. To do this, they must pay the same amount of attention to all pets.

What to do?

Of course, an overly aggressive cat immediately becomes an irritant to everyone living under the same roof. Many breeders who have purchased a kitten for the first time simply do not know what to do in this situation. If the little friend just started hissing, it is possible to wean him from this habit.

It is enough just to leave him alone and do not say anything to him.

In addition, you should know that the hissing cat absolutely will not tolerate any stroking and in this state it is even able to scratch a man. At this time you should not interfere with it. After a while, when the animal is convinced that there is no danger, it will calm down by itself.

In the case of frequent such behavior of the pet, you should contact the professionals. After all, this can not just happen. Most likely, there is really something wrong with the cat, and it is either stress, or illness, or dissatisfaction with the circumstances. But if these are isolated cases, you need to heed the following recommendations.

• The first thing to do is to eliminate the person or objects that irritate the animal. If they are guests, you should ask them to stay away from the cat until it wants to. If this does not help, then in order to distract her attention, you should just throw the first object you see in a completely different direction. This can be either keys or baby rattle.

In an extreme case, if the animal really behaves too aggressively, it can be sprayed with a sprayer. The splash of water will immediately scare the animal and make it run in a completely different direction.

• You can also let your pet sniff some of the stranger's belongings so that he gets used to the smell and understands that no danger is coming from the person.
• Young children may also be affected by the cat's hissing. An aggressive animal can even scratch a baby. To prevent this from happening, you need to convince your child that a cat just shouldn't be touched at certain times. The baby should respect others from childhood, even if they are animals.
• In some cases, cats can be annoyed by their potential partners. Then it will be better to find another animal that the pet will like and not aggravate the situation.
• In addition, you should not offer the pet any treats while it is hissing. After all, this may cause the cat to develop a reverse reflex. That is, she will hiss when she wants to get something.