Controlling cats with hissing
 

My cats occasionally try to mooch human food from me. For instance, if I'm
eating a TV dinner in the living room, they will approach, sniff, and
occasionally try to snag some tasty morsel from me.

If I tell them to keep away in my "no!" voice, it doesn't have much effect.
However, I've found that if I hiss at them, as much like a cat as I can
manage, Bebop will stop immediately. Samba is not so easily deterred by the
hiss but can be dissuaded by gently pushing her away.

I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their cats to
make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you got?

I'm pretty much convinced that a hiss from one cat to another means "Back
off!" - no more, no less - and it works very well on Bebop. If he's bugging
me while I'm trying to sleep, hissing works very well on him. Unfortunately,
Samba is not quite as attentive to hisses - at least not mine! Then again,
she's also pretty feisty and isn't shy about ignoring Bebop's hisses when
she wants to. Maybe she's just employing a little selective deafness with me
too :-)

--
Rhino

Controlling cats with hissing
 

On 2006-05-03, Rhino penned:

I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their
cats to make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you
got?

I hiss at Oscar when she does something really upsetting, like
scratching or biting. Other than that, a simple "Oscar" in a warning
tone (low voice, drawn out, with a slight change in tone at the end)
typically works. For me, that is. DH can use the same warning tone,
but she ignores him.

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

Controlling cats with hissing
 

"Rhino" wrote in message
.. .
My cats occasionally try to mooch human food from me. For instance, if I'm
eating a TV dinner in the living room, they will approach, sniff, and
occasionally try to snag some tasty morsel from me.

If I tell them to keep away in my "no!" voice, it doesn't have much
effect. However, I've found that if I hiss at them, as much like a cat as
I can manage, Bebop will stop immediately. Samba is not so easily deterred
by the hiss but can be dissuaded by gently pushing her away.

I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their cats
to make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you got?

I'm pretty much convinced that a hiss from one cat to another means "Back
off!" - no more, no less - and it works very well on Bebop. If he's
bugging me while I'm trying to sleep, hissing works very well on him.
Unfortunately, Samba is not quite as attentive to hisses - at least not
mine! Then again, she's also pretty feisty and isn't shy about ignoring
Bebop's hisses when she wants to. Maybe she's just employing a little
selective deafness with me too :-)


It works on dogs too. And is not as annoying to everyone else as yelling
No! at them.

(Or maybe just on dogs that are "cat broken")

Jo

Controlling cats with hissing
 

Rhino wrote:
My cats occasionally try to mooch human food from me. For instance, if I'm
eating a TV dinner in the living room, they will approach, sniff, and
occasionally try to snag some tasty morsel from me.

If I tell them to keep away in my "no!" voice, it doesn't have much effect.
However, I've found that if I hiss at them, as much like a cat as I can
manage, Bebop will stop immediately. Samba is not so easily deterred by the
hiss but can be dissuaded by gently pushing her away.

I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their cats to
make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you got?

I'm pretty much convinced that a hiss from one cat to another means "Back
off!" - no more, no less - and it works very well on Bebop. If he's bugging
me while I'm trying to sleep, hissing works very well on him. Unfortunately,
Samba is not quite as attentive to hisses - at least not mine! Then again,
she's also pretty feisty and isn't shy about ignoring Bebop's hisses when
she wants to. Maybe she's just employing a little selective deafness with me
too :-)

--
Rhino

Hissing is a very effective training method - I recommend it and use it
on my own kitties, too.
-L.

Controlling cats with hissing
 

"Rhino" wrote in
:

I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their
cats to make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you
got?


It only works for me if I'm actually angry when I hiss - if I just try to
make the sound, they don't believe it for a minute. But if I'm mad and
hiss at Pi, he goes and hides under the bed. Doc is made of sterner
stuff, but he does back off.

And I think you're right - hissing is kittian for 'Back off! You're about
to get it!'

Chak

--
There is something wonderful in seeing a wrong-headed majority assailed
by truth.
--John Kenneth Galbraith

Controlling cats with hissing
 

On Wed, 3 May 2006 17:17:00 -0400, "Rhino"
yodeled:

My cats occasionally try to mooch human food from me. For instance, if I'm
eating a TV dinner in the living room, they will approach, sniff, and
occasionally try to snag some tasty morsel from me.

If I tell them to keep away in my "no!" voice, it doesn't have much effect.
However, I've found that if I hiss at them, as much like a cat as I can
manage, Bebop will stop immediately. Samba is not so easily deterred by the
hiss but can be dissuaded by gently pushing her away.

I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their cats to
make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you got?


I pretty much always hiss at my boyz if they get a little feisty with
each other, and it practically always works.


I'm pretty much convinced that a hiss from one cat to another means "Back
off!" - no more, no less - and it works very well on Bebop. If he's bugging
me while I'm trying to sleep, hissing works very well on him. Unfortunately,
Samba is not quite as attentive to hisses - at least not mine! Then again,
she's also pretty feisty and isn't shy about ignoring Bebop's hisses when
she wants to. Maybe she's just employing a little selective deafness with me
too :-)

Theresa
Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com

Make Levees, Not War

Controlling cats with hissing
 

Jo Firey wrote:
"Rhino" wrote in message
.. .
My cats occasionally try to mooch human food from me. For instance,
if I'm eating a TV dinner in the living room, they will approach,
sniff, and occasionally try to snag some tasty morsel from me.

If I tell them to keep away in my "no!" voice, it doesn't have much
effect. However, I've found that if I hiss at them, as much like a
cat as I can manage, Bebop will stop immediately. Samba is not so
easily deterred by the hiss but can be dissuaded by gently pushing
her away.

I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their
cats to make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you
got?

I'm pretty much convinced that a hiss from one cat to another means
"Back off!" - no more, no less - and it works very well on Bebop. If
he's bugging me while I'm trying to sleep, hissing works very well
on him. Unfortunately, Samba is not quite as attentive to hisses -
at least not mine! Then again, she's also pretty feisty and isn't
shy about ignoring Bebop's hisses when she wants to. Maybe she's
just employing a little selective deafness with me too :-)


It works on dogs too. And is not as annoying to everyone else as
yelling No! at them.

(Or maybe just on dogs that are "cat broken")

Jo

I wonder if it would work with small children. ;-)

Controlling cats with hissing
 

Rhino wrote:
My cats occasionally try to mooch human food from me. For instance,
if I'm eating a TV dinner in the living room, they will approach,
sniff, and occasionally try to snag some tasty morsel from me.

If I tell them to keep away in my "no!" voice, it doesn't have much
effect. However, I've found that if I hiss at them, as much like a
cat as I can manage, Bebop will stop immediately. Samba is not so
easily deterred by the hiss but can be dissuaded by gently pushing
her away.
I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their
cats to make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you
got?
I'm pretty much convinced that a hiss from one cat to another means
"Back off!" - no more, no less - and it works very well on Bebop. If
he's bugging me while I'm trying to sleep, hissing works very well on
him. Unfortunately, Samba is not quite as attentive to hisses - at
least not mine! Then again, she's also pretty feisty and isn't shy
about ignoring Bebop's hisses when she wants to. Maybe she's just
employing a little selective deafness with me too :-)

During human meal time, it's almost a feeding frenzy. Bam-bam, Barney and
Betty are really bad, climbing all over *us* (ouch, claws) in an effort to
see what it is that smells so good (look out if you've got bacon, Barney
luuuvs bacon). We call them our little furry piranha. One time, I got up
to get something, and Betty decided to brave actually getting into my
plate - I gave her a really ferocious hiss, and she fled the room and has
never done it since. The other two have, at times, tried it, but a hiss
only makes them back off. Now they are getting more 'manners' and wait
until the plate is offered before converging on it to lick it clean (little
fuzzy dishwashers - do a better job than the dog!). Although they do still
try to go for what's on the fork! After all, it's not on the plate any more
:D

Hissing is how I taught all the others to mind their manners, too.

Controlling cats with hissing
 

On Wed, 3 May 2006 17:17:00 -0400, "Rhino"
wrote:

My cats occasionally try to mooch human food from me. For instance, if I'm
eating a TV dinner in the living room, they will approach, sniff, and
occasionally try to snag some tasty morsel from me.

If I tell them to keep away in my "no!" voice, it doesn't have much effect.
However, I've found that if I hiss at them, as much like a cat as I can
manage, Bebop will stop immediately. Samba is not so easily deterred by the
hiss but can be dissuaded by gently pushing her away.

I'm just curious whether anyone else has ever tried hissing at their cats to
make them stop doing something and what, if any results, you got?

If the cats are being very norty (like trying to steal food from my
plate) and I don't have the spray bottle handy I'll hiss at them.
Sometimes they back off and sometimes they just sit there and STARE at
me... I think they're thinking 'boy, Meowmie has a bad accent...'

Controlling cats with hissing
 

Sometimes I growl too-- Chibi uses that if anyone is after her food or
is bugging her too much-- but it has to be accompanied by direct eye
contact and wrinkling the upper lip. If I could only fold my ears
back...

Cantate