# Cat takes a hissing fit when she is hungry or upset...



## Jenlee (Mar 21, 2008)

Almost every AM, my cat takes a fit and hisses at her tail and acts like it is going to attack her. She acts as if she is trying to run away from it! I think she does this because she is hungry and upset. She also does it occasionally when she seems nervous about something. 

About 3 weeks ago, I started her on a feeding schedule of wet food instead of free feeding her dry. She loves the wet food but has started doing the hissing thing every morning at 5:00 a.m. She continues acting crazy until I get up and feed her. She is driving me nuts! 

What can I do?

Thanks,
Jennie


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

That's an easy one: stop getting up to feed her until you're ready to feed her. She keeps doing it because she knows you'll get up to feed her. Give it a couple weeks. Be consistent; don't give in.


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

Yep what Coaster said. My cat will knock my books off the window and knock stuff off of our head board if I dont get up to feed her. I ignore her the best I can but sometimes you just want to give in to the meowing but you cant :roll:


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## Jenlee (Mar 21, 2008)

I really have been trying to ignore her for 3 weeks now. I put her out of the bedroom and close the door. I am then determined to not feed her for at least an hour after she starts this, but I can't take much more. I am considering getting an automatic feeder with ice packs and setting it up the night before. Is this the wrong thing to do? 

Thanks,
Jennie


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

trust me even if you do that there will be times she still does it for attention.It took Munchkin 3 months to learn that "mommy doesnt get up just bc you want her too"


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

When you put her out of the bedroom and close the door, are you doing that when she starts making noise at 5am? Because then you're defeating the program. ANY attention paid at all, even getting up to shut the cat out, shows her that she's being heard and gettiing a response.


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## Jenlee (Mar 21, 2008)

coaster said:


> When you put her out of the bedroom and close the door, are you doing that when she starts making noise at 5am? Because then you're defeating the program. ANY attention paid at all, even getting up to shut the cat out, shows her that she's being heard and gettiing a response.


Yep..that is what I am doing. How in the world do I ignore her for 2 hours? I certainly can't get any sleep while she is running around acting like a crazy cat!

Jennie


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## Smirkitty (Apr 19, 2008)

Yep, it's a bit like a new baby in the house, you don't get much sleep the first few months (though for babies I hear you don't get much sleep the first few decades...)

It's hard, but if you want a good result, you really have to be firm about it.


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## Jenlee (Mar 21, 2008)

The more I research, I really think she may have hyperesthesia. Would I still ignore her if that is the problem? 

Thanks,
Jennie


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

I don't really thing that's it based on your description. But your vet should be better qualified to decide. Hyperesthesia requires behavior modification and sometimes medication.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

If she does have hyperesthesia, I would get it treated and then you can address the 'romping through the house' in the AM that keeps you up. for that, I'd suggest earplugs or a good white-noise machine. I use a noise machine (set to crickets chirping) to cover the noise of the kitties playing through the night/morning and Hubby up and getting ready for work at 5am.


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