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Friday 25 October 2024

It's normal that a cat might hiss at a cat sitter (video)

The video gives the impression that this cat who hisses at the cat sitter has a unique personality; that her behaviour is rather strange but I would beg to differ as this is entirely normal. Some cats will be tolerant of cat sitters but by-and-large cats are going to be wary of a cat sitter that they have met for the first time for obvious reasons; they are complete strangers. 

"This cat sitter was told that Maple's a sweet cuddly girl, so she was surprised when Maple greeted her with nonstop hissing" - video caption. Comment: being a sweet cuddly female cat is consistent with that cat hissing at a cat sitter! 😃😎. It is an instinctive reaction of self-preservation.
 
Cats are instinctively defensive and focused on self-protection. To hiss at the cat sitter as this cat does is to be expected as the hiss is a warning from a cat to another to beware saying that 'I am potentially dangerous and will attack in self-defence.'


Once the cat understands that the cat sitter is friendly - made possible by being fed treats and play interactions which are so important for cat to get to know someone - the hissing starts to disappear. It may continue for some cats as an instinctive reaction borne out of slight anxiety and nervousness. Some cats are more nervous than others obviously.

Sometimes cats even hiss at their caregiver with whom they have lived for many years. This might happen when an indoor/outdoor cat brings home a mouse that they have successfully hunted and want to keep for themselves as their owner tries to get it off them.

The cat acts instinctively in protecting their kill and fleetingly the loving caregiver-to-domestic cat bond is forgotten and the cat reverts to their wild instincts and hisses at their loving owner much to their consternation. This is one example. There will be others.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

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