My cat has recently started aggressively hissing at relatives whom he has not hissed at before.
Should I be concerned that he may have been harrassed/abused by the cleaning ladies my wife and I sometimes use (while we are at work)
We were told they were pet friendly but we don't have any cameras to monitor this for sure.
We did have one incident in late july when a cousin came by with his girlfriend and their child - and he did hiss at the child - who was being over agressive with him - so we repremanded the child and seperated them both.
Could this hissing be a hold over from that.
If so I'm not so concerned but is there a way to help the cat re-adjust to the relatives again?
2006-10-12 03:12:00 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
cats know who they like and don't like i wouldn't push the cat into a situation where he feels threatened let him come around on his own maybe he is getting older and can,t handle all the stress where kids are concerned
2006-10-12 03:18:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Part of a cat's charm is his choosiness when it comes to people. It's possible that your relatives are wearing a scent that offends the puss; this could cause the hissing. My cat won't go near my mother when she's wearing Obsession, but otherwise quite likes her.
I am the owner of a cat that has been abused (clearly not by me), and cats who have been or are being abused are not so selective about who makes them nervous.
Frankly, I don't think a cleaning lady has the time to torture a cat. But if you're really concerned, by all means, check it out.
On the "readjustment" front, there really is no way to explain to a cat that they should like someone because they are related to you. You'll just have to wait it out. if it really bothers you, you might consider having your relatives over long enough to make a positive impression on the cat. (Like overnight).
Best of luck.
2006-10-12 03:28:06 · answer #2 · answered by ginevra1weasley 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did your relatives recently get a new animal? Could your cat possibly be reacting to a new smell that they didn't have before? There might be something about your relatives that offends your cat now. My cat is not liking people as much as she did before but she just hides, she never hisses.
I don't think it's from the child incident. Cats can be pretty forgiving, at least my cat anyway.
2006-10-12 03:24:41 · answer #3 · answered by ♥Jules♥ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If he was always very friendly with these family members, I would first have him checked by a vet. Medical problems can lead to all kinds of behavior changes.
If he was always just polite with family, or ignored/avoided them but was never aggressive, this could be a natural progression of his feelings about them. Have visitors toss treats to him or play with him with his favorite toy. Do this many. many times. He should stop hissing at them once he has lots of positive experiences with them.
If the maids are not being hissed at, they are probably not the cause of this. If they are, maybe they purposely did something to the cat. Maybe they unwittingly did something that scared him (woke him with the vacuum, accidently stepped on his tail). Regardless, the above technique should help.
2006-10-12 03:29:18 · answer #4 · answered by melissa k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like something has happened either it is scared of the cleaning people because either they were mean or they use a vacuum which the cat is scared of or some other cleaning device. I think if you can find a way to monitor what is going on when you aren't home then you can determine the best course of action.
2006-10-12 04:39:37 · answer #5 · answered by kna0831 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is only a guess, but here goes: You say that you have cleaning ladies come over your house twice a week. And you have relatives come over too for visits (with kids and all). I would say that your cat is VERY ANGRY at all this "invasions" of his home and is directing his anger at those he KNOWS do not belong in the house. Suggestion (and this is what I do for my own two cats): When there will be visitors to my house (freinds, family, repairment, whoever), I confine my cats to my room with their litter box - here they will be undisturbed. Of course it could be any room with a door, but my room happens to be the quietest in the house. This way, my cats just nap away through all the hub-bub in the living room and kitchen.
I don't know how your cleaning ladies can avoid your cat though since presumably they will clean thorugh the whole house. And you know what? I have a terrible suspicion that one or both of the cleaning ladies have been mean to your cat and frightened it.
Change your maid service. I would!
2006-10-12 04:07:08 · answer #6 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Children are often too aggressive. Just the way the walk and talk can be aggressive footing for a cat. Sometimes vacuum cleaners scare them...I know mine hides in her favorite kitchen drawer. Your cat might associate loud noises with "intruders" in their space.
2006-10-12 04:33:14 · answer #7 · answered by Robert B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would get one of those small cam's and place it where it couldn't be seen and see if the cleaning women done anything, if they did they'd never step foot in my house.,again. I don't think that one incident would make the cat act like that.Those cams are cheap on the Internet
2006-10-12 03:21:49 · answer #8 · answered by Tinkerbelle 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will never know what or who spooked the cat. I would not force the issue, let your cat decide when and how he will receive guests. Sometimes its just a matter of time,and often it takes longer than you would like, but your kitty will adjust.
2006-10-12 03:27:04 · answer #9 · answered by dsrspring 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋