5 reasons why a cat growls

Pay attention to body language

Your cat can tell you how she feels, not only by her sounds, but also by her posture. It's important to note what your cat looks like when she growls. An angry or aggressive posture will look like widened eyes, ears up, and an arched back. However, a scared cat will have normal eyes, ears and a tail underneath.

Image credit: Dimitris Vetsikas, Pixabay

While you shouldn't immediately address your growling cat, you can list a few of these different reasons why cats growl and see if they apply to your cat's situation. Then, once you know the reason, you can better calm or comfort her to potentially stop the behavior.

The cat declared himself in charge?

In cases where a cat hisses at its owner, the character of the animal still plays the main role. Some cats are ready for any manifestation of affection from the owner and will even unquestioningly hang their heads down from a strong child’s embrace. Others are wary and dissatisfied with any light stroking, being too independent.

And yes, the cat really considers himself in charge. He thinks that they have to give him all the goodies from the refrigerator. When the cat comes to sleep on the owner’s bed, he does him a great honor. And often he prefers to come himself. And if a person puts a cat to bed, she will suddenly have completely different plans.

Cats rarely hiss at people they know, as this is a more active manifestation of aggression. They first try to communicate their displeasure by lightly biting or flicking their tail. A calm, contented cat will never wag its tail. If this happens, it means

excessive attention. It must be left alone, even after stopping stroking. In order for a cat to stop biting a person, it is enough to freeze and not move. The majestic animal will immediately accept this submission and stop attacking.

Causes

Anger . Anger may be the most obvious reason for a cat to growl. Frustrated and angry cats may express their emotions by growling. When your cat doesn't want to be put in his crate, he may respond by growling. He may growl at you if you try to touch him or move him when he doesn't want to be moved.
Aggression . Aggression and anger are closely related, but aggression is worth talking about separately because cats become aggressive for many reasons. The two main ways a cat may growl at you or another cat can be related to non-recognition aggression and possessive aggression (or dominance aggression). Rejection aggression occurs when a cat was previously familiar with a person or other animal, but because they have been away for a while, the cat no longer recognizes the outgoing party.
Fear . Cats do not always growl from a defensive position. Sometimes they do this to show that they are confused or scared. This can happen when a stranger enters your home who has never been there before. A growling cat in this situation does not know what to do with the new thing, so it growls.
Pain . If your cat growls alone and does not exhibit aggressive or fearful body language, she may be suffering from physical pain. Some cats growl when they are experiencing internal pain that you can't see, such as a urinary tract infection or aching teeth. Your cat may be communicating to you that she is in pain through this behavior.
Moderate irritation . Sometimes cats that growl frequently are simply saying that they don't like something. Your cat may growl when the veterinarian checks teeth during an exam, trims nails, or takes his temperature. Some cats are easier to irritate than others. This will largely depend on the individual and their background.

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What does a cat express when it hisses and growls?

Communication between animals, both wild and domesticated, mainly occurs through various sounds, postures, and movements. Typically, a domestic cat experiences only positive emotions and, accordingly, behaves affectionately and purrs. When he experiences negative feelings, his behavior changes dramatically. By finding out why your pet's mood has worsened, you can easily change the situation for the better.

To understand why a cat growls and hisses, you should know about the main reasons for aggression in animals. These are :

The desire to warn a person about your bad mood or dissatisfaction. Domestic cats for the most part do not like playing with small children. Exceptions occur in cases where the parents taught the child how to play with the furry correctly. Namely, be affectionate with him, stroke him, understand that the cat is a friend and you cannot offend him. Sometimes the cat growls, warning of the danger threatening its owner. There are cases when a pet was the first to smell the gas and with its behavior saved the lives of its owners. The cat also growls loudly, sensing the approach of bad weather or an earthquake. It turns out that a cat can even help a person with its negative behavior. The main thing is to understand it in time.
Fear is another common cause of cat aggression. An animal can be afraid of many things: from a new thing in the house to a stranger. Even an owner suddenly jumping out from around a corner can greatly frighten a pet. At the same time, a calm, generally non-aggressive cat hisses and growls in surprise. Human fear is no less common. It is relevant for a cat picked up from the street. The fear of people can last a lifetime, even if you pick up a small kitten. It is possible that he will only allow a select few to approach him, and perceive the rest as a threat. The cat will not be wild, but it will never stop behaving cautiously with new people.
Instinctive defense of property. This category includes the cat’s area of residence, favorite resting and sleeping places, toys, food bowl and other items that the animal considers personal. It is not surprising that, in defense of his cat, he growls and hisses, thus scaring away everyone who encroaches on his personal space and things.
Resentment or dissatisfaction. The domestic cat experiences these feelings in different situations. All furry owners are familiar with the offended look of a pet whose tail has been stepped on; this happens very often. Naturally, the cat will want to express his grievance, so he begins to hiss and sometimes growls at the offender.
Dissatisfaction (frustration). Small kittens that are abruptly separated from their mother are most susceptible to it. They do not receive enough maternal care and milk, as a result of which they suffer emotionally. Frustration is easy to recognize. In this case, the small kitten is reluctant to make contact, but attacks the food, growls, hisses, and tries to eat everything as quickly as possible. He can also rush around the room, screaming and meowing loudly. An adult cat, in a state of dissatisfaction, becomes nervous and growls at its owner for no reason, although it perceives him as a friend.
Manifestation of predatory instincts. Often, during the game, the cat gets so carried away that the basic instincts of his ancient predatory ancestors awaken in him. Then the cat growls, letting his wild nature take over. Just slow down the pace of the game, he will calm down and will be a cute pet again.
Pregnancy. A cat in an interesting position needs peace, rest and maximum care. The changes occurring in her body greatly influence her behavior, and changing hormonal levels sometimes provoke frequent mood swings, increased sensitivity, and nervousness. All this leads to various manifestations of character and becomes the reason that she growls in response to certain actions of familiar and unfamiliar people.

It turns out that finding out why a cat growls and hisses will not be difficult if you take a close look at the general situation, the environment and the attitude of people towards the cat.

How to respond to a cat's growl

Don't rush things . Pay attention to your cat's posture. Does she look like she might attack now or is she very scared? In any case, you probably shouldn't try to comfort your cat with physical touch. Growling can lead to attack and injury.
Don't reprimand . Verbal or physical punishment of a growling cat will only add fuel to the fire. Now is not the time for reproaches. It's best to leave the cat alone for now.
Get to the point . The best thing you can do for your anxious cat, whatever the cause, is to try to determine the cause of his anxiety. A possessive person should be praised when he is not aggressive. A cat that is afraid of another animal, object or person should be gradually exposed over a period of time and rewarded for remaining calm.

If you haven't yet figured out the cause of your cat's growling, it may be time to take her to the vet. Your veterinarian will check for potential pain points or work with you to diagnose behavioral problems to help you find a solution. I hope you soon find out why your cat is growling and put an end to it.

Posted by Jordyn Horne Jordyn Horne is a freelance writer who has covered a variety of topics including home improvement, gardening, pets, and parenting. She had moved so much over the years that she had not had time to settle down and have a pet. However, as an animal lover, she adores and cuddles any pet she comes across!

Why does aggression appear?

There are several common reasons: separation from the mother, severe stress, the arrival of a new cat and poor diet.

Early separation from the mother is the most common reason. Little kittens always eat together and get used to sharing or at least being close. Therefore, when they are brought a common bowl, they already have a familiar behavior pattern. If the kitten is separated from its mother too early, it simply will not have time to learn the rules of living together.
Stress from living on the street and in a shelter. The second risk group is street and shelter cats. During their hard life, they got used to fighting for food, eating for the future and not letting anyone near the food, even if there is a lot of it.
The appearance of a new cat in the house can bring out dormant instincts. A domestic cat could be soft and fluffy as long as there were no competitors near its bowl.
Improper diet can provoke aggression. For example, if you feed the cat only once a day. In nature, cats eat small meals several times a day. If this natural schedule is disrupted, the cat may sense danger and violently attack the food and not let anyone near it.

Hissing as a breed trait

It has been noted that hissing may be a consequence of the breed's temperament. Thus, emotional, easily excitable cats, characterized by a quick and vivid reaction to what is happening, are prone to outbursts of emotions. These are, for example:

Siamese;
egyptian Mau,
Turkish van;
Abyssinians;
Cornish Rex;
orientals.

Living in isolation and lack of regular physical activity does not benefit the character of these cats, making them even more obnoxious and grouchy.

Features of other breeds. Persian and Siberian cats are very jealous of the cleanliness of their “fur coat” and can become angry if you constantly touch them with your hands. In turn, independent British people do not like hugs and cuddles, so they can hiss when treated with familiarity. And sphinxes are prone to sound outpourings and can hiss from an excess of feelings without any negative connotation.

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Hissing is inherent in this breed

In some cases, a cat hisses because it is inherent in its breed. It is possible that Siamese hiss due to the inherent behavior of this type of temperament. Some active breeds begin to hiss because the physical stress is too much for them. These are Abyssinian, Oriental, Cornish Rex and some others. Some furry breeds (Persians) cannot stand it; sometimes they wash themselves and immediately begin to pet them. And hairless cats (Egyptian breed) - they hiss every minute, because hissing is part of their conversation, and does not necessarily mean aggression.

Features of kitten behavior, reasons for growling

Each stage of growing up a pet has its own characteristics, including behavior. A playful kitten, no matter how tame it is, also growls and hisses at other cats, humans, unfamiliar objects, and so on. Due to his age and lack of knowledge about the world around him, he gets scared many times more often than adult cats. In addition, like all children, kittens are very emotional, which is why they often react sharply to any irritants. Therefore, they immediately take a defensive position and begin to growl, hiss, fluffing their fur and preparing to attack or flee.

The main task of the owner of an immature cat is to introduce it to the world around it, teach it to interact with it, distinguish between safe and dangerous places, objects, and living beings. It is imperative to show the kitten that the owner is a friend, trustworthy and a leader who is responsible for him. This must be done gradually, patiently building a trusting relationship, without suppressing the pet psychologically and physically. With proper upbringing, the kitten will grow up to be an affectionate, kind, playful cat.

Imposing your authority on a kitten provokes it into greater aggression, forces it to go on the defensive, and leads to psycho-emotional stress for all participants in the upbringing process. This makes him more aggressive, often growls and hisses, in severe cases he lunges with his claws and fights back.

Thus, it becomes clear that the young cat growls and hisses due to a lack of life experience, timidity, and emotionality. This goes away with age, he becomes calmer and more flexible.