Cat Hissing
Cats generally hiss when they are frightened or threatened by their environment or something in it.
Hissing and Growling
A cats’ hiss can be an indication of fright or anger. This is shown by a number of body signs. It half opens its mouth and crouches, then arches its back with its ears laid back and eyes slanted, and its tail slowly, deliberately lashing. Then to complete this angry expression, there comes the hiss. This expression is a mimic of the snake. Just like hissing in snakes, a cat’s hiss is quite intimidating, capable of scaring and deterring any threat before it. Hissing and growling are a defensive mechanism in cats, with different meanings for different sounds.
At Owner
You cat depends on you for shelter, water, protection, food and comfort, thus before long, you come to think of it as a baby. However, it is quite unsettling when you try to pick it up or pet it and it hisses at you. The cat’s reaction may either be because your appearance frightened or startled it, or in retaliation for you scolding her for misbehaving some days earlier. Cats do not relate incidents with wrongdoings but with humans and while you may have forgotten an incident, the cat remembers you and sees the scolding as an attack, hence the hiss when you approach it. It is best to keep away for the meantime.
At Other Cats
A hiss can sometimes prevent a fight by making the opponent to back off before the fight starts. Hissing is more common in un-neutered cats as they are more aggressive. This can be to enforce dominance or just due to their natural urge to fight. Neutering your cat can reduce the hissing and also keep him safe from injury and viral cat infections by reducing the tendency to fight.
For No Reason
Your cat may be feeling threatened for a reason you can’t comprehend. The solution at such times is just for you to reassure your cat. You can hold out your hand gently, or softly call its name or dangle its favorite toy to distract her. Also check if it is in pain, hurt or frightened.
At Strangers
Cats hissing at strangers may simply be because it does not like them, or it is scared or they are encroaching on its territory. To prevent this happening often, you can give your cat a treat when strangers come around so they mark it as a good thing to have strangers visit the house. This will increase their confidence in the face of strangers and make them more welcoming.
If your cat is hissing, back off immediately. Each time you encounter the cat, try to get as close as possible before it hisses. With each consecutive time, get closer and with time, it will receive you without hissing. Alternatively, you can hiss right back at the cat. This will surprise it into silence since it is used to human behavior from you.
If your cat hisses at you, ignore it for at least 20 minutes, then you can try approaching it again. Muster up your courage and pick up the cat by grasping at the back of its neck. This helps it relax and disengages the claws. If your cat is hissing, it is probably frightened, so constant love and patience would slowly but surely solve the problem.