Does Your Cat Hiss At You?
Is your cat hissing at your or a family member? Will your cat not tolerate certain people approaching it? Or maybe you just got a new cat from a shelter and it is always hissing at you. Here are some ways to get rid of the hissing using desensitization and positive reinforcement techniques.
Cats normally hiss because they either are scared or want to scare something away from them. This is a common problem among people adopting cats from shelters or trying to tame stray cats. Often this they have learned this behavior because someone may have mistreated them in the past.
Sometimes the cat will just hiss at one person. This person is usually adult human males. This could be either do to their large size or not approaching the cat in a cautions manner.
One woman I worked with had a boyfriend, and her cat only hissed at him.
Cat Hissing Solutions
There are two ways to stop your cat from hissing. One of them is desensitization. This basically involves slowly approaching your cat until it hisses and then back away. Over time, days, try to see if you can get that distance smaller.
When you approach the cat do so in a gentle manner showing you mean no harm. Over time most cats will tolerate you moving closer and closer without hissing.
The second technique is positive reinforcement. If the cat is hissing at you try to get them to associate you with a reward, like a treat. Approach them until they start to hiss and then place the treat down.
Repeat this over the next week and hopefully your cat will allow you to get closer and closer.
Summary
Remember that changing behavior takes time. Use lots of patience and love. Teach your cat that you are their to care for them, and not harm them.
