Cat suddenlt started hissing at us - why?

[DrNortherner]

She is a tabby and we have had her 2.5 years - she was born outside and lived outside till we gave her a home. She has always had a slight 'wild' streak in that she is not a lap cat like others we have had.

She never sits on you and is not very affevtionate except at bed time when she snuggles between dh and I for about 10 mins then she is off.

Recently sh has started really hissing at dh and I. It's always when we go to stroke her when she is on something (window sill/chest of drawers etc)

Today she hissed at and scratched ds - he was going to stroke her as she was sitting on a coffee table.

She does not appear to be injured - I have checked, so am a bit flummoxed.

Any ideas/experience?

pregnant?

Nope we had her speyed

My cat always does this when he's hurt - are you sure she's not injured or ill?

No injury that I can see. I checked last night whilst she was on her bed. She allowed me to stroke her all over. She's not limping either.

We are having a bit of trouble with an uneutered male, he keeps coming in our house. When ever we come home we see him legging it through our cat flap

Could he be hurting her?

She might have been in a cat fight, often cats go off colour for a few days, then start limping or develop an abscess - other times their immune system kicks in and the abscess doesnt develop. This tends to be fairly acute though.

Could it be she is just feeling she deosent want to be "bothered" by ds just now?? Cats are not known for their endless patience
She actually sounds like a great cat, loving the "wild" streak.

Just keep an eye on her. Is she happily eating and taking herself off out for her ablutions?

She is hissing at dh and i also though lucyem.....

She is still eating, still going out, still weeing and pooing. Atm she is aprawled out asleep, upseide down stylee on our sofa.

I'll just keep an eye on her then.

Thanks.

Oh, actually, if there is another cat around and she is somewhere high she may be being territorial, in which case she may feel that getting a stroke is spoiling the fierce image. My cat does this too (but then he is a bit odd)

Good point actually ib - that makes sense.

yep - i read that after i posted sure she will be fine, its prob a street cred thing. NExt she will be telling you to "talk to the paw"

at talk to the paw!

You REALLY need to stop this other cat coming in to your house.

But HOW?

Don't want to lock mine in or out when we are at work all day.....

get a super soaker and stand guard - soak it a few times and it will get the message, and of course your Cat will be king of the road

Get a magnetic cat flap and the collars that go with them for the cat. Do a google search for the best ones.

honestly, cats are really territorial and other cats on their land really upsets them...they can beome depressed and stressed.

Imagine after a hard day at work, you sit down to eat dinner/watch tv in the evening...some stranger walks into your living room, plonks themselves in your chair, grabs the remote and turns tv over. Would you be a little bit bothered?

oh and the water spray on the intuder cat is a good move too, do it whenever you see it (if you ever do)

Before you spend your hard earned cash on a magnetic catflap, be aware that some cats can still get in through the magnetic catflaps with their bare paws. I know this because, rather embarassingly, I am the owner of the "one cat in 1000" (according to the manufacturer) who can still get in. Several of my neighbours invested but couldn't stop him getting in. His technique was amazing, repeated punches to the mechanism! I was mortified - we had to move in the end.
He definitely responds to a water pistol.

It's overheating and the radiator has sprung a leak.

Oh.. sorry cat...