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Why is my cat suddenly hissing from his perch at family members?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 2 years old | 15.4 lbs

Why has my cat been hissing spontaneously when he is on his indoor purch? He never did this before until 2 days ago. He looked at my dad and hissed while he was walking by with his dinner. Monty then ran off and out the cat flap.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 5th, 2017

Monty could be acting protective if his perch. For some reason, he may feel the need to defend it when people walk by. A sudden change in behavior could also be caused by an illness, so if this behavior continues, I would have Monty seen by a vet for a health check.

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