Cats like human have their own personality and some are laid back and reserved while some are hyper off the wall playful, some are sporadic, and others are in between, no matter the differing personality one thing can be said about them all, they all have the tendency to hiss, bite, scratch etc. leaving most owners and observers to think of them as misbehaving. Below are some common reasons as to why cats might do these things;
Hissing- When cat’s hiss they project their head slightly, open their mouth and curl their lips so that their teeth are revealed, other cats hiss with minimal facial exaggeration, cats hiss because they feel endangered, nervous, or bothered. Cats also hiss to ward off other cats, to let other cats know when they are crossing the line. Overall cats use hissing to scare off people and other animals. Hissing is not misbehavior, it is a defense mechanism. If your cat hisses it is best not to yell at him, spray him with water, or pick him up. It is best to leave him alone, by turning your back or walking away. Look around at your atmosphere and see if there is anything there or that is going on that might cause your cat to hiss. Once you find the problem your cat will stop its hissing.
Cats hiss when;
They feel threatened (by a person, by a person’s presence, by another animal, an object in the house)
They feel bothered (by you, or a younger or even older animal)
They are hurt and do not want to be touch
They have been abused (and associate humans with pain)
They are not socialized and have not got used to you or any humans
Biting- When cats bite they’ll open their mouths and quickly nip at your skin, other bite and hold on to your skin. Getting bit by a cat is a sure way to get you angered, but you must not hit at your cat. The best way to curb your cat’s biting is to firmly project your voice with a No!. If your cat bites you when petting her and has not been socialized it is best not to spray her with water, but to leave her alone. You should approach her a little bit later and use a nice soft voice to talk to her, and then leave her alone, you should do this a few times throughout the day until she is a bit warmed up, and then you want to go over and pet her, and if she bites, you have to firmly say “No!” and still talk sweetly and nice to her so that she does not think that you are angry with her. Be sure to bond with a nervous cat by talking to her, and playing with her, never use your hands when playing only use toys. Spraying a cat with water that has not been socialized should be the last resort as she might be a bit nervous and distrustful of people already and spraying her might make her more nervous and distrusting, so you should use a firm voice with cats that have not been socialized. However if your cat is well socialized and is biting you for the fun of it you should spray him with water, (enough to stop him from biting you) this way your cat will associate biting with something unpleasant such as getting told No! or getting sprayed by water. It might take some time but your cat will began to understand what acceptable behavior is.
Cats bite when
They become over stimulated through petting and playing
You pet them in their sensitive areas
If they have not been socialized
If they are used to being played with roughly
They fear and mistrust humans because they have been abused
They are sick
They are in pain
They have not been spayed or neutered
As a note kittens and cats that have been played with roughly will grow to play with you roughly they will use claws, and teeth. You can not deem this as misbehavior if you teach the cat that this is the right way to play with humans. However, someone that has just adopted this cat might not be aware of its history and deem the cat misbehaving. It is important to raise kittens/cats with the knowledge of what type of play hurts humans and doesn’t and this can be stored into the kitten’s memory by using a firm No and a spray of the water bottle whenever he bites. If you notice anyone rough housing with your cat you must discourage them right away.
Scratching- When cat’s scratch they either scratch you or your furniture. When and if they do, you should not run to google declawing when your cat exhibits this type of behavior. In most cases, cats are not scratching you or your furniture to misbehave, because scratching (furniture) is just as natural to cats as breathing air is to humans, and scratching (humans) despite the pain can be playful in the cat’s eyes.
Cats scratch (furniture)when;
They mark their territory
They exercise, stretch their muscles
They stretch their paws
They can not distinguish what hurts and what does not hurt when playing with humans
They feel good on his claws- scratching helps to remove outer layer on claws
Instead of punishing a cat who scratches it is best to purchase him a scratching post, or to drape your furniture in plastic or in sheets. You might want to take caution when using plastic because some cats might scratch through it and accidentally swallow the plastic. When your cat scratches on your furniture you should simply direct her attention to the scratching post. If your cat scratches you, you should yelp or say No and spray him with a water bottle. If you start off with a kitten it will be easier to train, if you have a cat it will take him sometime to understand scratching is wrong, but you should not let scratching (you, a person) slide.
Cats scratch humans when;
They are being bothered (usually by young children)
Their temperament includes being not so tolerant
They are picked up against their will
They are being held down
They are scared of a person
They have not developed a trust for people
They have been played with roughly
They do not understand what hurts a human
They are going through changes due to not being neutered or sprayed
They are irritated
They get overexcited in play
You will have to use patience and persistence to get a cat to trust you. Always use patience, time and understanding when gaining a cat’s trust
