Cat hisses when playing – reasons and helps

If your cat hisses while playing, it can be due to several reasons. In order to react correctly, you need to understand the cause behind it.

Is it really aggression or is there a disease behind it? You should be able to answer this question with certainty in order to prevent danger.
However, it is not always easy to interpret the intention behind the snarling. This guide will help you.

In this article you will learn why cats hiss while playing and how to recognize the different moods or problems behind it. We also show you when it is a case for the vet.

Why do cats hiss when they play?

Cats hiss for a variety of reasons – not just when playing. However, if you are holding a cat rod, rolling a ball, or letting your fingers chase it, it will probably irritate or even frighten you at first.
However, hissing does not necessarily indicate aggression.
Your cat can also use it as communication, because it is annoyed, the game is too wild for it or it suffers from pain.

How can you distinguish between the different causes? We’ll show you in the following sections.

Reason 1: Playing is too wild
Whether your cat plays with you or with other cats, sometimes it gets too wild and too rough for an animal.
Already kittens but also their mother then hiss to stop the game or make it calmer.

Both mother animals and the offspring can also hiss if scratching or biting occurs during play. This is also a warning.
It can be compared to a “no” or a “don’t do that” in humans.

You should take this into consideration and retreat quickly. Otherwise your cat could go over to the attack.

Reason 2: Your cat is annoyed
Does your cat not feel like playing anymore, but further requests are made by you or another animal?

Is your cat just relaxing, but keeps getting played on?

Then it is understandable that she is annoyed. She will then hiss and turn away.

Here, as with the first reason, you should leave her alone. Otherwise, she will become more vocal in her dislike and may scratch or bite.

Reason 3: Your cats have their 5 minutes
Well-known among owners of rabbits, dogs and cats, and often a cause of amusement for people: The wild 5 minutes of the animals.

In English, this state is also called “zoomies”.

Cats, for example, can dissipate excess energy during this time and vocalizations are not uncommon.

Wild running, jumping, hissing and growling are among them. None of this is a cause for concern. On the contrary, the behavior is normal and shows that your cat feels good all around and can move.

Reason 4: Your cat is scared
When your cat is frightened or scared, it may react by hissing and growling.

The reaction is very sudden and is often accompanied by a crouching posture, fur raised and ears flattened. Your cat may also try to flee, growl or strike.

In this case, you should immediately distance yourself, speak in a calm voice and find out what the animal is frightened for.

This will make it possible to avoid the trigger next time.

Reason 5: Your cat is in pain or sick
Cats are usually good at hiding pain. This makes it difficult to detect it early.

When playing, however, pain can be noticeable if your cat moves faster, abruptly or incorrectly and hisses because of it.

It may then seem as if the animal is hissing into the void or even at its own body.
If there are no other reasons for the sound or if the hissing occurs more often during independent play, you should consult a veterinarian.

This also applies if other symptoms and behavioral changes occur. Loss of appetite, staring into space, an increased need for rest, emaciation, or relieving postures should always be considered as warning signs.
Perhaps your cat has been injured, has a chronic illness, or is limited by advancing age.
A comprehensive examination and early treatment of health problems is urgently needed.

What should I do if my cat hisses while playing?

Keep your distance, give her space and try to calm her down.

Can’t you find a harmless reason like being annoyed or playing a little too wild?

Then an examination by the veterinarian should be in order. In addition, you should study the body language of cats more and control your own behavior.

Perhaps you are unconsciously acting in a way that your velvet paw perceives you as threatening and is therefore afraid or understands something as an attack.

You may also not have recognized previous signs of defense and your cat is increasing its communication by hissing.

When cats hiss during play

When a cat hisses while playing, it can often be traced to simple triggers.

Something too wild, too long, a little fright or pain you can distinguish well from each other, if you already know your cat for a long time and also extensively studied its behavior and body language.

It is important that you take the hissing seriously and react to it calmly and with distance.

If you ignore it and force your cat to get close to you or to play with you, it can be dangerous for you. On the other hand, it damages the relationship and the trust.
A scratch is often not bad, as long as it is thoroughly cleaned and cared for.