If your cat often hisses at your dog, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about it.
The most likely reason why your cat hisses at your dog is that your cat is feeling threatened. It would help to train your dog to leave the cat alone and to give the cat areas it can go to where the dog can’t go.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat may hiss at your dog and it usually is a result of the dog’s curiosity.
Why does my cat hiss at my dog?
Below are likely reasons why your cat will hiss at your dog and what would make each of them more likely.
Feeling threatened
The cause could be that your cat is feeling threatened and it is hissing at your dog as a way to try and defend itself. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it more when your dog approaches your cat and pushes its face towards your cat and if your cat does other things such as hiss and scratch. In this case, it would help to separate them if possible and to give your cat another place that it can go where your dog cannot.
Your cat simply wants to be left alone
Another possible cause is that your cat wants your dog to leave it alone. This would also be more likely if your cat tends to do it more when your dog has approached your cat and if your cat tries to move away.
Defending territory
It is also possible that your cat is trying to defend its territory. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it more in situations such as when your dog tries to go to an area that your cat likes to sleep.
Things to consider
It would help to consider the timing of when your cat hisses at your dog. If your cat does it when your dog comes close to your cat, it would be likely that your cat is doing it to warn your dog to leave it alone.
How to get my cat to stop growling at my dog?
Below are options you have when getting your cat to stop hissing or growling at your dog.
Separate your cat and dog
It would likely help to separate your cat from your dog whenever your cat wants your dog to leave it alone.Give your cat access to a different part of the house
If it does not already, it would also help to give your cat access to a different part of the house where it can be away from your dog or to let it stay in a higher up spot where your dog is unable to get to.Train your dog to leave your cat alone
You could also try giving your dog positive reinforcement training so that your dog learns to leave your cat alone. However, it would generally be easier to simply give the cat a safe spot that it can go to when it wants to.Why does my cat growl at my dog?
The most likely reason why your cat growls at your dog is that your cat is feeling threatened. This would be especially likely if your cat does it when your dog comes near it and if your cat also scratches at your dog. In this case, it would help to try to keep them separated when possible.
How long does it take for a cat to get used to a dog?
How long it takes for a cat to get used to a dog will depend a lot on the dog. If it is a large dog and/or a dog that is regularly trying to interact with the cat, the cat many never become comfortable around the dog and the best option would be to give your cat places it can go away from the dog. Whereas, if the dog leaves that cat alone, the cat should become more comfortable around the dog in a few weeks.
Why is my cat so mean to my dog?
The most likely reason why your cat is mean towards your dog is that your cat is feeling threatened by your dog.
Do dogs understand cat hissing?
Dogs often understand cats hissing especially if it is accompanied by other things such as the cat showing its teeth. However, dogs do not always understand cat hissing and will often not get the message until the cat scratches at the dog.