All About Cat Hissing — Why Do Cats Hiss?
Picture this: Your cat is sitting peacefully, minding his own business, when suddenly the family dog comes bounding up to him and goes in for a playful sniff. The cat leaps to his feet and, before you know it, his ears are back, his mouth is wide open and his tongue is curled into a U shape … and then you hear it: the unmistakable sound of cat hissing. But why do cats hiss, where did the hiss originate and what should you do if a cat hisses at you?
A gray kitten hissing. Photography by edwindejongh/Thinkstock.
First, the origins of cat hissing
Some feline behavior experts believe that the cat learned how to hiss by imitating the sound of snakes. Mimicking the sound of other species is a survival technique used by many animals, and there’s no mistaking the distinct warning given by a hiss.
What’s going on inside the brain of a hissing cat?
He’s feeling a mixture of fear, confusion, unhappiness and surprise. The cat’s adrenaline is flowing because he’s startled and scared, and he’s operating on sheer instinct when he hisses.
Why do cats hiss?
There are many reasons, but here are some of the most common.
There are a few different reasons for that cat hiss. Photography ©manop1984 | iStock / Getty Images Plus.
1. The warning hiss
A mother cat may hiss to defend her kittens from intruders. Two cats who haven’t been properly introduced yet may hiss at one another as a way to say “stay away from me!” In that case, the hiss serves as a way to warn the other cat without escalating into an actual cat fight in which one or both cats may be injured.
When a cat meets an unfamiliar person in your home, he may hiss at that person because he doesn’t know them, and possibly because they carry the scents of other pets on their clothes. In this case, the cat hissing is a “distance increasing” behavior — a way of warning people to stay away.
2. The in-pain hiss.
Cats who are in pain hiss when they’re touched in a spot that hurts. Sometimes, cats even hiss at the veterinarian because they don’t like being handled, poked and prodded — especially when that poking and prodding produces pain.
3. The feline non-recognition aggression hiss.
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. It’s part of a phenomenon known as non-recognition aggression — because the cat no longer smells familiar, he becomes a stranger until he gets the “family scent” back.
4. The play hiss.
The play hiss is generally a shorter hiss than the defensive hiss, and it’s particularly common in kittens. You’ve probably seen a young cat respond to a sudden loud noise by jumping up and hissing, with all his fur standing on end. A kitten may also hiss if his littermates are getting a little too rough in their play.
What should you do if a cat hisses at you?
First, recognize that the hiss is a warning: your cat is feeling vulnerable, frightened or in pain, and he needs time to chill before you approach him again. Give him some space, and don’t chase after him. You might even want to close the door to the room he’s in so he can regain his composure without having to worry about being interrupted by other people and pets.
What if your cat hisses when you’re petting him? It may be because he’s getting overstimulated. Stop petting and let the cat be. If he wants to go away, let him. In the future, observe your cat’s body language while you’re petting — if his tail starts twitching or he keeps looking at your hand, it’s time to stop.
If you have children, teach them to leave the cat alone if he hisses. That will prevent potential injuries.
Consider adding vertical territory so your cat has a way to be in a room with family but have a high vantage point so he can enjoy the company without having to deal with pesterers like little kids or dogs.
What if you must handle a hissing cat?
The exception to the “back off” rule is if it’s a medical emergency. An injured, ill or in-pain cat will hiss because he knows he can’t fight and he hopes that hissing will warn predators and people away.
Unfortunately, you’re going to have to pick up your injured or sick cat so you can get him to the veterinarian. But you’ll need to protect yourself because a cat who’s in pain will very likely lash out with claws and teeth if you handle him. Here are some guidelines on safe ways to restrain an injured cat.
What humans can learn from cat hissing
Ultimately, the cat hiss is designed to make people and animals back off. As long as you respect your cat’s boundaries and his “petting threshold,” you shouldn’t encounter too many hisses in your life.
Thumbnail: Photography by photodeti/Thinkstock.
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12 comments on “All About Cat Hissing — Why Do Cats Hiss?”
I need a bit of help… I have a small kitten, perhaps around 9 weeks old, and she keeps doing this weird, super short hiss at me that sounds almost like a sneeze, but it seems aggressive as she sort of bolts forwards when doing it. It is usually after a bit of play or if she is on the windowsill next to me and I attempt to pet het. She swipes at me a lot, bites a whole lot, but generally comes over to me when I call her and sleeps on my lap a lot, so she is not scared of me or anything. I do not know what this is about as none of my previous cats ever did this to me.
The cat I used to have had once turned to leap out the first floor window, and twisted one of her back legs in the process. She screamed and then hissed. It was an in-pain hiss all right.
In the wild, a wounded/sick animal is fair game for larger predators, so when cats are in pain, they get paranoid. The in-pain hiss signaling to imaginary predators, “I’m not weakened enough to become your dinner. Back off.”
My four feral cats hiss at each other constantly, trying to see how will blink first, trying to establish who’s the boss. It’s called the hissing contest.
Having to take my cats, and some sick feral cats on the streets, to the vet and forcing pills down their throat, I’m very familiar with hisses. They really are scary. Cats can inflict plenty of pain, despite their small size. Mine attacked me when I picked her off the streets as a sick kitten. Five weeks old, the size of an average rat, she’d almost tore the skin off my arms.
“Don’t mess with me. I’m a snake!”
I’ve had dozens of cats in the last 60 years, but my current purrtner is a male about 7 years old, now. He was the middle of three kittens. The very first time I put down solid soft kitten food, the kittens got a plate and watchful Mama got her own a couple of feet away. She was watching as the newbies rushed the plate and mortified when Captain Jack immediately started to growl as he chewed the food. Rauw, rauw, rauw, in between mastication machinations. All in attendance were stunned as Jack circled the small paper plate as he continued to eat, using his fuzzy little rump to move any competitors out of the way! He went around like the second hand on a clock with his face in the food as he chewed and growled. It took me two minutes to figure out where the weird noise came from. Now that he’s all grown up, he hisses at anyone walking nearby to simply make it known that, well, exactly as Dustin Hoffman blurted out in the great movie, Midnight Cowboy, “HEY, I”M WALKIN” HERE! Jack isn’t scared or startled at all. He doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything, but he liberally dispenses his GPS location with a loud hiss that sometimes is coupled with a big smile. He has an incredible sense of humor. I have to set up a video camera. He does stuff that nobody believes.