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Why Does My Cat Hiss At Everyone But Me? (Possessive?)

If you have noticed that your cat is hissing a lot, but for some reason never at you, it may make you wonder why this is happening…

Why does my cat hiss at everyone but me?

There are several reasons why your cat hisses at everyone but you. The most common reasons are it fears them, feels threatened by them, or wants to warn them it feels uncomfortable with them around. Because you have a unique bond with your cat it’s unlikely to treat you in the same manner.

So, now you know. But, could your cat just be jealous? Could it be territorial? How can you prevent your cat from doing this? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…

3 Top reasons why cats hiss at everyone but you:

As briefly discussed earlier cats may do this for several reasons. Therefore, in this section I will explain, in more detail, why they do this:

01. Feel threatened

A cat may feel threatened for a coupe reasons such as it could fear you will take their owner’s attention away from them, or something about you makes it feel uneasy. Regarding the latter, this could stem from its upbringing as a kitten.

For example, it could have been abused as a kitten and made it cautious around other adults apart from you.

02. Fear

Some cats are generally fearful. This could be because they have been a rescued cat, or had a bad home as a kitten. When this happens they may only extend their trust to one person, you, the person that feeds them.

03. Warning

When a cat feels fear or anxiety it may hiss at anyone that it wants to warn to back off. Some people like to stroke all cats they see and your cat may not feel comfortable with that. If that’s the case it may send out a warning hiss.

Do cats have a favorite person?

Cats do typically have a favorite person. They will usually choose the person that gives them the most attention, plays with them, and feeds them. And, in most cases, the feeder is more likely to be the favorite person. There are theories that cats gravitate to female adults more so as well.

Regarding the female connection, could this be the reason why a cat may be aggressive to a lady’s husband? Potentially, but there could be other factors to consider to say for sure.

Could cats hiss at people through jealousy?

A cat could hiss at someone through jealousy. They have a real territorial nature and that territory can also include people. So, a jealous cat may show its lack of approval by hissing in this way. However, cats can also go beyond this. Meaning, they could even get physically aggressive or attack.

So, jealousy in cats is not to be taken lightly. It can be a real issue that can cause problems for the cat’s elected victim.

What can you do when your cat is hissing at everyone?

If your cat is hissing at everyone and getting worked up it’s best to give it lots of space and give it time. Be patient because it’s not likely to be minutes, it could be hours. Once that time has passed and your cat has visibly calmed down you can attempt to reengage with it.

A good method to get it back to you, after it calmed down, is using some cat treats (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) or even some catnip.

How can you prevent your cat from hissing at everyone?

Earlier I explained what to do once your cat has already flipped out and hissed at everyone. But, ideally, you can prevent it even getting to this, right? Therefore, here are some tips to do just this:

01. Get your cat familiar with others

One of the reasons your cat is going nuts is the fact that is not comfortable with anyone but you. So, if you have a close friend, partner, flatmate, whatever, get the cat used to them. One method could be allowing them to feed or give treats to the cat (Click here to see the price, on Amazon #Ad) occasionally.

02. Positive reinforcement

A key technique is a positive reinforcement. This means rather than shouting or getting frustrated with your cat you should reward it when it’s well behaved. This method works by making the cat desire the result of good behavior. This should, in time, make it want the treats and conform to your wishes.

03. Play with the cat with your guest or partner

Quality time with your cat can be as simple as playing with its toy ball (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad), or other games. But, the key thing, to make it get used to the third person is to introduce them to the games.

Could your cat be hissing because it’s territorial?

A cat is very likely to hiss because it territorial. This is because cats make these claims without informing anyone and expect us to fall in line. So, if it deems you as its territory and a guest is breaking that boundary it can start hissing in this way.

This hissing is a way to warn you off in the hope that you will get the message and back off from them and give them space.

How do you assert dominance over a cat?

Asserting dominance over a cat is done by being firm but kind with the cat. It should not be confrontational but firm enough that it knows who is the boss. In reality, it’s a fine line and if you overstep the mark your cat can try to test your dominance resulting in a violent backlash.

Therefore, be patient and take your time with it.

Do cats get angry at their owners?

Cats do get angry from time to time, and this is normal and expected. Like any person or animal, things can happen that rub them up the wrong way. Meaning, they may hiss or act aggressively towards you from time to time.

An example of this may be if you hurt them accidentally. Say you stepped on your cat’s tail by accident it is likely to hiss, get angry, and may even scratch you. This does not mean it no longer loves you, it may just need a few hours to cool off, or less.

How do you tell if your cat respects you?

To tell if your cat respects you it’s important to observe the body language. Meaning, the way it slowly blinks at you, licking your hand,  rubbing against you, purring, etc. These are all examples of their subtle signs that they love, respect, and trust you.

Should your guests avoid eye contact while your cat hisses?

If your cat is hissing at your guests, friends, or partner it is a good idea to get them to avoid eye contact at that time. This is because your cat may take this as a challenge to its dominance and may make it attack. It’s best to back off and look away.

When a cat is acting in this way it may be hard to avoid eye contact. Why? Because it is an instinct to look at your aggressor, whether that is fear or returning the aggression. But, in this case, you will need to avoid this temptation.