Cat Hissing & Growling At Me, I Can't Live Like This

[SweetLilly123]

My cat and I just moved into a new apartment almost 2 weeks ago. It took some time for her to get used to and the first few days she cried at night and wouldn't eat or use the bathroom. 2 nights ago was the first time she didn't cry. She even sleeps in other parts of the apartment now and things have been going well.

Last night, she was chasing a bug to eat and I ran across the carpet to get a shoe to kill the bug but I think the way I glided my feet across the carpet scared her because by time I came back with the shoe her back was hunched and she looked really scared.

The bug was gone and I ended up going into the bathroom. She cornered me in hissing and growling at me. SHE HAS NEVER HISSED OR GROWLED BEFORE AND SHE IS 3 YEARS OLD HUMAN YEARS. I HAVE HAD THIS CAT FOR 3 YEARS.

She has NEVER showed signs of aggression. I was so scared as I thought she would attack me. I finally got the balls to leave the bathroom and as I got closer to her instead of attacking me she ran away. This morning it happened again. I think its my feet she is scared of because last night while I was cornered in the bathroom she stared aggressively at my feet. But this morning I was getting dressed to go outside (I think its when I move around a lot she does this) and she started hissing again. When I got back from the store she was fine, I took a shower, and she was normal but of course, when I came back in the room and started looking for something to put on she does it again.

Now she is back to normal and I am really scared to even leave my bed. I get so scared she she hisses and growls as I feel she will attack me. I do not think anything is wrong with her because she was perfectly fine before I went and got the shoe to kill the bug.

I am scared to be in the same room with her and I am even thinking about taking her to a shelter. HELP!!!!

 

[ArtNJ]

She is still adjusting to the new apartment when you inadvertently scared the heck out of her. Take extra effort to be quiet, gentle and slow for a few days. Lure her with treats when quiet, talk soft. Maybe order a calming collar but this episode will probably be over by the time it arrives.

Cats still have the wild side in them, and stacking scary on scary (new place with scary event) messed with her head a bit. It happens. You just have to reset the brain chemistry by being super quiet, patient and gentle.

You can do it! Go get your cat back! Gently and patiently.

 

[MarcEwing]

You prevented her from hunting a bug, now she will hunt you
I think your cat just sees your feet as a threat, as in an attempt to harm him (after she was scared once).
Try not to cause her such signs of aggression, walk slowly, sit down to pat or feed her, maybe after some time everything will turn right.
And don't panic this way, your cat will not attack just when it shows aggression, it is primarily a defensive reaction because of fear.

 

[SweetLilly123]

She is still adjusting to the new apartment when you inadvertently scared the heck out of her. Take extra effort to be quiet, gentle and slow for a few days. Lure her with treats when quiet, talk soft. Maybe order a calming collar but this episode will probably be over by the time it arrives.

Cats still have the wild side in them, and stacking scary on scary (new place with scary event) messed with her head a bit. It happens. You just have to reset the brain chemistry by being super quiet, patient and gentle.

You can do it! Go get your cat back! Gently and patiently.

Thank you for the advice! She pretty much calms down quickly and she will jump on me and rub against me. Its when I am moving quickly she gets aggressive. I have even started to wear socks around the apartment so she is not threatened by my feet lol right now she is sleeping peacefully so hopefully by time shes up and running again she will be calmer and won't feel threatened.

 

[SweetLilly123]

You prevented her from hunting a bug, now she will hunt you
I think your cat just sees your feet as a threat, as in an attempt to harm him (after she was scared once).
Try not to cause her such signs of aggression, walk slowly, sit down to pat or feed her, maybe after some time everything will turn right.
And don't panic this way, your cat will not attack just when it shows aggression, it is primarily a defensive reaction because of fear.

I do not think she wants to hurt me as I was very shocked when she ran instead of attacking. She usually runs and hides under my bed. She actually stayed under my bed for the first two days so I know this is a safe space for her. She doesn't even try to attack my feet when I get on the bed. I tried to give her treats yesterday and today and of course she would not come from under the bed to take them. I will just move very slowly around her and hope within a few days this will pass by. When she gets like this I get very scared to get close to her or walk pass her and its extremely uncomfortable.

 

[war&wisdom]

Please do not bring her to a shelter just because she's having an extended reaction after being frightened. It's only been a day, and she's not trying to hurt you -- she's just scared.

Think about how terrified she would be in a shelter, without you or anything else she knows, when simply adjusting to a new apartment has been difficult for her.

She will calm down. Give her love, and leave her in her safe space when she wants to be there, but keep talking to her in a soothing voice. If you act like something is wrong, she'll sense that too.

 

[SweetLilly123]

Please do not bring her to a shelter just because she's having an extended reaction after being frightened. It's only been a day, and she's not trying to hurt you -- she's just scared.

Think about how terrified she would be in a shelter, without you or anything else she knows, when simply adjusting to a new apartment has been difficult for her.

She will calm down. Give her love, and leave her in her safe space when she wants to be there, but keep talking to her in a soothing voice. If you act like something is wrong, she'll sense that too.

She has just done it to me again. I have been very cautious around her taking slow and gentle steps. Its like she watched me all day just to hiss and growl at me and its very creepy. I am curious as to why she is all of a sudden doing this. Its really scaring me.

 

[Wile]

If it makes you feel better, my very skittish female bengal did something like this the last time I moved as well. She felt insecure in my new apartment and started lashing out at my male bengal after he surprised her. I believe this is called redirected aggression. It took her a week to calm down and get used to the place, She only adjusted so quickly because I have a much more outgoing and adventurous male bengal that she loves to follow around, which helped with the transition.

Your cat will need a bit of time to get used to the new place. If she does lash out at you keep in mind that this is an extreme situation for her that is triggering her fight or flight instincts. Her aggression has nothing to do with you, she just feels unsafe. Almost nothing but time will help that. Once she feels like the new apartment is home she will return to her usual loving self

If you want something constructive to do in the meantime, here are a few things you can try.
-Feliway diffuser (this does nothing for my cats, but some people have had success with it)
-Play. My female cat loooooves to play with wand toys. Any time she was feeling anxious I whipped one out and it seems to have helped distract her from her anxiety)
-Vets generally sell supplements like Nutricalm (triptophan) can help reduce stress. Triptophan is the chemical in turkey that makes you sleepy. I give it to my male for interstitial cystitis, which is a condition brought on by stress. I find it is helpful in combination with other things to reduce his stress and anxiety. There are also milk protein supplements like Zylkene (alpha-casozepine) that has a similar effect.

 

[SweetLilly123]

If it makes you feel better, my very skittish female bengal did something like this the last time I moved as well. She felt insecure in my new apartment and started lashing out at my male bengal after he surprised her. I believe this is called redirected aggression. It took her a week to calm down and get used to the place, She only adjusted so quickly because I have a much more outgoing and adventurous male bengal that she loves to follow around, which helped with the transition.

Your cat will need a bit of time to get used to the new place. If she does lash out at you keep in mind that this is an extreme situation for her that is triggering her fight or flight instincts. Her aggression has nothing to do with you, she just feels unsafe. Almost nothing but time will help that. Once she feels like the new apartment is home she will return to her usual loving self

If you want something constructive to do in the meantime, here are a few things you can try.
-Feliway diffuser (this does nothing for my cats, but some people have had success with it)
-Play. My female cat loooooves to play with wand toys. Any time she was feeling anxious I whipped one out and it seems to have helped distract her from her anxiety)
-Vets generally sell supplements like Nutricalm (triptophan) can help reduce stress. Triptophan is the chemical in turkey that makes you sleepy. I give it to my male for interstitial cystitis, which is a condition brought on by stress. I find it is helpful in combination with other things to reduce his stress and anxiety. There are also milk protein supplements like Zylkene (alpha-casozepine) that has a similar effect.

She just got back from a nap and came for cuddles. I gave her a treat for her good behavior and she hissed lightly but not in a threatening way. I am very confused by this but I think it is best that I choose not to be scared of her and only touch or pet her when she comes to me. Really hoping this goes away. I feel horrible because next weekend I have to leave her alone for two days for a trip. Hopefully this allows her time to get around the apartment and make herself comfortable. I just do not want her to bite or attack me.

 

[Wile]

I think you're taking the right approach with this. Give her time and the space she needs. Be a positive and safe force in her life right now. Follow her lead for how much interaction she needs, and respect her limits when she tells you she is overstimulated (hissing). Once she gets used to the new space and feels like it is safe I promise she will adjust and be back to her normal self soon.

 

[SweetLilly123]

I think you're taking the right approach with this. Give her time and the space she needs. Be a positive and safe force in her life right now. Follow her lead for how much interaction she needs, and respect her limits when she tells you she is overstimulated (hissing). Once she gets used to the new space and feels like it is safe I promise she will adjust and be back to her normal self soon.

I sure hope so lol she is resting under my bed right now and I hate to say this but I only feel safe around the apartment when she is sleep. IDK what randomly triggers her hissing and growling. We will be so fine and then out of no where she does this. I am both worried and scared. I called the pet adoption place in tears today. I would hate to have to give her up because of this. Especially because I purchased her off of Craigslist from a couple who was moving and their new complex did not accept pets. I would hate to have her go through something similar again smh

 

[Hellenww]

Hissing and growling she's saying she's scared too. She hasn't done anything physical and probably doesn't want to. Does she enjoy string toys or fetch? Get her play hunting toys. Play sessions will build confidence and connection for both of you.
Brew up some chamomile tea for both of you. Just make sure to use the bags the other type is poisonous to cats.

 

[SweetLilly123]

Hissing and growling she's saying she's scared too. She hasn't done anything physical and probably doesn't want to. Does she enjoy string toys or fetch? Get her play hunting toys. Play sessions will build confidence and connection for both of you.
Brew up some chamomile tea for both of you. Just make sure to use the bags the other type is poisonous to cats.

I really hope she does not get physical with me as that would really break my heart. She isn't one to play with toys. The only thing she has ever really engaged with is a scratching post I got for her but she has not touched that since we moved in.

 

[jen]

Cats more more flight then fight, if she was going to attack you she would have by now. She is trying to seem scary to show you she is tough. Get a calming collar to put on her when the is being lovey, or get a couple Feliway plug ins ideally to calm her down, keep a laser pointer and treats in your pocket so when you need to walk by her, you can direct her the opposite way with the laser. Treats to reward her when she lets you pet her.

 

[jen]

I had a cat who did that too. Everytime I moved to a new place I could not touch her for a month or two. At one point she wouldn't even let me in the bathroom. Gotta be patient. Taking her to a shelter could be a death sentence for her.

 

[SweetLilly123]

I have larger knowledge on cats than most 13 year olds, but I'm a little vague on this situation. Possibly she can't get past the fact that you moved her from her comfortable home into this strange and foreign place, and she is taking her anger out on you as she sees you as the cause of it. As many people have suggested, she could just be scared of being in a new place and will jump and defend herself in case of... whatever could happen. You might also want to pay attention to her environment. Are there any weird cats spooking her or making her feel invaded? She could be taking that anger towards those cats or animals on you. My cat does all the time. On my arm. Or leg. Or face once. My cat is brutal sometimes.

She is an indoor cat so she does not interact with other animals. The hissing and growling is so random and didnt start until last night - 9 days since we have moved in. Thats why I am so confused about it. I am afraid to even pet her anymore or pick her up because of fear she might switch up in that moment and attack.

 

[SweetLilly123]

XD I can't imagen anything worse than the day your own pet won't let you go to the bathroom

LMAO I felt like such a wuss

 

[Firetail]

She is an indoor cat so she does not interact with other animals. The hissing and growling is so random and didnt start until last night - 9 days since we have moved in. Thats why I am so confused about it. I am afraid to even pet her anymore or pick her up because of fear she might switch up in that moment and attack.

Do you think she might have some sort of illness like rabies? I'm not saying she has rabies, or any illness for that matter, but she might be acting up as the effect of some sort of aliment. Did you take her to the vet recently?

 

[SweetLilly123]

Cats more more flight then fight, if she was going to attack you she would have by now. She is trying to seem scary to show you she is tough. Get a calming collar to put on her when the is being lovey, or get a couple Feliway plug ins ideally to calm her down, keep a laser pointer and treats in your pocket so when you need to walk by her, you can direct her the opposite way with the laser. Treats to reward her when she lets you pet her.

I am more relaxed when she is sleeping like she is now - away and under my bed. I must admit I am a bit worried about later tonight when she is usually up and active. Scared she will hiss and growl again and scare me. I guess I will try my best not to go to the kitchen as much smh I feel like prisoner in my own home. I do have a laser cat toy which I feel can grasp her attention. I will keep it close to me tonight just in case. I am also going to order the feliway plug ins. I think this would really help! Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[SweetLilly123]

Do you think she might have some sort of illness like rabies? I'm not saying she has rabies, or any illness for that matter, but she might be acting up as the effect of some sort of aliment. Did you take her to the vet recently?

It has crossed my mind. But I honestly think I just scared her last night with my running and acting silly trying to catch a bug because she was perfectly fine before this. I am kind of cursing at myself because she had been doing so much better. She was now sleeping out side of my room and in the kitchen which is a big step. Now I feel like I pushed her back to the beginning smh but if this persist I will definitely have to take her to the vet because this is very unusual for her. i really do not want to have to give her up.