Should i punish my cat for hissing

Try again when the cats seem to be calm. If it takes more than seven days for the hissing to stop, things need to go more gradually. Allow the cats to see each other while maintaining a physical barrier, such as stacking baby gates in the doorway, opening the door an inch or two and using a door stop to keep the door open, or putting in a screen door.

Continue to feed treats to the cats on opposite sides of the door. Praise them for being calm when they see each other. Continue this until the cats have shown no tension around each other for a couple of days, then open the door and proceed as above. Note: The initial introduction should take place during a time when the cats are calm - perhaps shortly after a meal or play time. You need to be calm, as well. Cats can sense tension; your nervousness could translate to anxiety for them, causing a rocky meeting.

Gradually increase the amount of time the cats spend around each other while you are home and supervising. Once they are routinely spending 4 or 5 hours together without incident, you should be able to give both cats free run of the home overnight and then when you are away.

The average time frame is a few weeks but it could take months for the cats to learn to tolerate each other. Maintain a separate litter box and feeding area for the new cat in his room for a few weeks.

It is highly recommended to have multiple resources for multiple cats. As long as the cats are getting along after a few weeks of being together you can try to forgo the extra food and water bowls if you must but watch for any signs of animosity or stress and return the bowls. If you would like information from an Anti-Cruelty Society Behavior Specialist regarding this behavior topic, please call or email behavior anticruelty.

Play biting is normal kitten behavior. While it might not make any sense to you, your cat is trying to communicate with you. In the wild, cats hunt alone. They depend on stealth to survive; not only to avoid enemies, but also to hide from prey they want to catch. Cats like warmth and small places help to retain their body heat.

However, cats also always want an emergency exit. Just as voices differ in people, hissing sounds differ in individual cats, says Dr. Lauren Demos, chief veterinary officer of Pettable , a veterinary telemedicine service. Mimicry is a common survival technique used by animals and insects. Cats hiss at people because that cat feels an immediate threat, says Bennett.

Even a cat you share a close bond with might hiss at you, she says. Humans can unintentionally trigger hissing in a number of ways, says Dr. Given that cats base their social structure on available resources, a new pet can be seen as a threat to those resources, says Bennett.

Cat hissing is a warning, reminds Demos.