Cat hisses when I don't let him do what he wants

[NikSibeMom]

First-time cat owner with a question I haven't seen asked in quite this way. Just now I had a drawer open that I was placing t-shirts into, and my cat jumped up into the drawer. I didn't want every t-shirt pre-cat-haired (ha ha), so I lifted him out, and he hissed at me. He is male, 2 and a half years old, neutered, indoors except for taking him outside on a harness to hang out in the yard. He hisses when I pick him up to go inside, too. Does he hiss simply because he wants to do what he wants to do and is frustrated when I stop him? I don't think picking him up feels like a threat, because I can pick him up fine other times. But I have read that hissing is a defensive warning from a frightened cat.

 

[Purr-fect]

Greg started doing this about 6 months ago. It almost always happens when I pick him up to inside or when I brush him outside.

Arnold also hissed yesterday when I picked him up to go inside.

But strangely they only seem to hiss when we are outside. Once we are inside they behave like it never happened. I think they are on high alert outside and perhaps dont want to be picked up as it takes away their control. They certainly dont seem frightened. In fact im the only one frightened.

If they were hissing at me inside I would be more concerned.

 

[susanm9006]

Some cats just hiss more than others. While most hiss out of fear, hissing while angry or annoyed is pretty common. My girl also hisses for absolutely no reason. She may go to yawn and a hiss comes out instead. It’s just her.

In your case that is just your cats way of saying he isn’t happy with what you are doing. If he doesn’t try to bite or scratch I would say just let him express himself and ignore the behavior.

 

[Purr-fect]

One day I got fed up with greg hissing at me when I brought him in. ( I spend many many hours outside watching over them as a coyote tried to kill them and as recently as last sunday a fox threatened them. I have even fenced off a large area for them to roam. )

So when greg hissed at me for the fiftieth time I had enough and hissed back. I figured at ten times his size, with a much louder hiss, he would quickly understand who was the boss.

I was right.

He knew who the boss was.

It was him!

He went satanic on me; the cat from stephen kings pet cemetary looked like a loving pet compared to Greg, and far less dangerous.

I dont hiss back at my cats anymore.

But 2 minutes latter they act like it never happened and we are buddies again.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Hekitty hisses at me occasionally when I do something she doesn't like. A hiss is Universal Cattish for "STOP THAT!" It can indicate fear, but it can also indicate annoyance. I hiss right back at her. In fact, hissing is so effective that anytime she's doing something I don't want her to do, I hiss and she quits. They come in this world knowing that. LOL, as I was typing that, I actually gave a little hiss, and Hek, who is lying next to me on the couch looked up, as if to say, "WHAT??? I'm just LYING HERE!" Poor baby.

 

[Tobermory]

My guess is that he hisses because he wants to do what he wants to do. Or wants you to stop doing something he doesn’t want you to do. Two of mine have never hissed at me, but the third, Lily, hisses at me often. She hisses when I stop her from doing something she’s doing. She hisses when she wants me to stop combing her or stop petting her. She hisses when one of the other cats walks too close to her. That just seems to be the way she communicates her displeasure! Iris and Mocha might make little complaining meows, but they never hiss.

 

[Willowy]

Some kitties are sassier than others, lol. As long as he isn't attacking you, it's just communication.

 

[fionasmom]

Jamie is moody and has a temper, along with being the most adorable little orange boy. If DH and I have to do something to him like put Advantage on, administer meds or eye drops, or do sub Q fluids he will walk by my husband a few minutes later and give a huge hiss. He apparently has not connected me with being the one who is "doing" whatever we are trying to help him with, but blames my husband for holding him down.