Cat Problems ... Hissing

by Tammy
(Slough, England)

My cat often come in the front room, to let us know she wants to go out the back. Yet when I walk towards the back door she will run to it then hiss at me.

Also if she is sitting on the floor and I go to walk past she will then run in front of me and hiss at me as I walk along. Why does she do this?


Reply from Liz (Editor): These cat problems, as long as they're isolated and not accompanied by other aggresive cat behavior problems such as biting, scratching etc. are probably not too much to worry about.

I'm pretty convinced a lot of cats that hiss in this way, but are otherwise fine, are playing a bit of a game with their owner. It's like they're saying "I'm the alpha cat, I'm the boss round here!"

The best way to deal with this behavior is to completely ignore it. Don't show fear, don't look at the cat directly (they perceive this as aggression) and don't speak to them. When they realize this behavior is getting them nowhere - and more importantly not getting a reaction or any attention - they'll usually stop it.

This page gives some more information:

Dominance Driven Angry Cats