What Is a Cat's Hiss? Those cats are hissing to communicate fear, confusion, unhappiness and readiness to lash out if they have to. You should also always make sure that you keep a close eye on your cat’s body language, this way you’ll be able to determine how they’re feeling before petting them and could avoid your cat hissing at you. Fear is an emotion that is observed in most animals and cats are no exceptions. Normally this is a quiet process, but by forcibly expelling air from the glottis, the telltale hissing sound emerges. This lack of close family ties means that their indoor shared territory is more of an imposition than a choice. If this happens, you’ll need to slowly introduce new items into your home to help them get used to them. Without such a mechanism, they will more often than not lose their food, water, and their favorite sleeping places. Wrap Up. But, why do cats hiss? Communicating with humans and other pets is essential for them, and vocalization, which may manifest as hissing, is high on the list. Cats have adapted to living indoors or near homes; this comes with its share of challenges which they have to overcome. Your cat will also hiss at you out of jealousy. They are basically saying that they need you to back off. Of course, this defense lesson takes time so don’t be worried when hissing becomes a common sound amongst the litter. If you’re wondering why does my cat hiss at me, it might be because you’re annoying them. Since at a young age all cats are impressionable, kittens will diligently do everything their mother does. Most commonly, this includes things like getting in the carrier , moving off of a … Read our article on why do cats wag their tails. When a cat feels threatened, they’ll release a burst of air through their mouth, and it’s this burst of air that makes a hissing sound. For the hiss to be effective, they arch their tongues upwards and to the center of the mouth. This indicates trouble, and the old members will be edgy and unfriendly. Hissing is an innate behavior that is observed in all cats including the big felines in the wild. Typically, your cat will pull back her lips at the same time and flatten her ears against her head. If you have a young kitten and you’re wondering why kittens hiss, it could well be down to rough play. Most cats enjoy their own company and will be rattled if they sense a new cat, especially a stray, making a move on their space. Cats hiss at people because that cat feels an immediate threat, says Bennett. Warning shots. You may see them do this when there’s another cat on your cat’s turf, if a mother cat has kittens to protect or if the vet’s trying to handle them. You could be trying to get her in a carrier or bathing her, and she ends up announcing her displeasure by hissing. Have you identified other things that have triggered hissing in your cat? This behavior mimics that of a snake, which is one of the most feared creatures in the animal kingdom. A warning hiss is a call to action. This is a form of betrayal on your part, and your kitty won’t take it lying down. This sound will usually be paired with other cat body language signs such as bared teeth, flattened ears, an arched back and their fur will also stand on end (also known as piloerection). Some cats follow a growl with a hiss. Cats can be incredibly loving and friendly creatures, but don’t underestimate their ability to defend themselves when the situation calls for it. A mother cat will try her best to keep kittens away from suckling; hissing is one way of doing this. Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website. A cat that is hissing at people is sending a message that there is a problem. Cats hate to have stressors in their environment and notoriously don’t cope well with stress in the home. Did you find this post helpful? She will behave menacingly towards them and withdraw herself from them. Coffee Names for Cats: For that Strong and Energetic... How To Get Your Cat To Sleep With You: 9 Easy Steps. A hiss is a distinctive cat sound, and while we can mimic it as humans, our version isn't exactly the same thing. If given a choice, cats would rather not engage in any type of harmful conflict or fight. Why Do Cats Hiss? This kind of hissing can be brought about by the presence of something she is not familiar with. Your house guest probably won’t go near a hissing cat. The most well-known reason as to why cats make these snake-like sounds is to warn others that they are not comfortable with the situation they are in and will attack when provoked even though they’d rather not. Your fur babies get so scared that they turn on each other. 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