# Cat hissing when in bed



## Passman86 (Aug 13, 2012)

Hi there folks, 

Me and the girlfriend are currently having a few issues with our 10 month old cat Lola. Back at the start of December my girlfriend had to move back home with her Mom because of financial issues, and thus meant taking the 2 cats with her as neither of my parents like cats as pets. Anyway, we have Lola and Jade, who is about 5 months old now, who both get on fine together. We both knew that moving can be stressful for little kitties so we were very careful to make sure they had their own space and plenty of love when they settled in.

The problem is now, Lola has taken to hissing whenever you go near her when she is in bed with the little one, they share an enclosed kitty bed, and tonight as I was leaving and popping her back into bed, she flat out refused to climb in and started hissing instantly. The bed is situated on a big recess/landing at the top of the stairs, right outside my girlfriends bedroom and up until now she has been fine. We thought it may be because one night when it was dark and I was a little groggy I accidentally kicked her when I came out the door, resulting in her hissing at me when I did it. Of course I gave her lots of fuss and apologised with a few special kitty treats. 
The other problem is, that if she has been hissing at you when she is in her bed and you pick her up and pop her on my girlfriends bed, she will tend to cower for a bit, and flinch slightly when you try to pet her. After about 10 minutes, she is more than happy to be cuddled on your lap and purrs away cutely. 

Do you think it will be an idea to change the bed? Or remove it completely and set up a few kitty pillows. Unfortunately there is nowhere else we can let the kitties have their bed as the girlfriends Mom is rather strict on where they are allowed to go. I also forgot to mention there is a rather loud 5 year old niece of my girlfriends who stays round non Saturday nights and doesn't know the meaning of "kitties don't like loud noises or your face right in theirs, now go away and leave Lola alone" 

Also, we are moving in together in the summer, so they will have full roam of a house by then if that is the issue. 

Sorry for super long post, I'm just worried that our poor kitty is getting far too stressed out


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Do you think she could be doing this because she is guarding territory? Sounds like she needs a place where she can be undisturbed, and she's chosen her bed as that. I'd suggest regarding this as her safe place, and not touching her at all when she's in there. Let her be secure in the fact that she has control over something, then she may be much happier for you to make overtures to her in her special place.


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

Cats like to choose their own beds and quite often choose the most unlikely places to sleep! 

She probably doesn't want to share the same sleeping place as Jade, mine will sometimes share or swap beds but usually they will choose a few places as their own personal favourite sleeping place, and keep it to themselves for a few weeks!!


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

In my experience, hissing is usually fear-related rather than aggression. Is there a possibility you can move her bed to a less open, more enclosed space tucked away where she is less exposed? She may be nervous and insecure where she currently is. All cats need a safe place where they can sleep without fear of disturbance. Once she is settled in her bed, do not approach her or bother her. All my cats have a safe haven where they can retire to sleep where humans are not allowed to touch them (I wish I could have one too, though).


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

I would hiss if someone tried to pick me up when I was comfortably in bed for a sleep. I would also hiss if someone tried to put me in bed with someone else when I wasn't expecting it.

Make sure you have more than enough beds to go round, and try to make some of them high up - for example I have some display cabinets and have beds on top at about 160cm, 5'4".

Leave them alone when they are in bed, don't try to put a cat in bed with the other one. If they are on your lap, simply put them on the floor when you want them off.

And keep that little girl away. We really hate people shouting in our faces, so do cats, and I've seen a dog that thankfully was on a lead lunge at a little girl that was stupidly being allowed to bark at it.


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## Passman86 (Aug 13, 2012)

When she is in bed, we always leave her alone and she walks in there of her own free will. She never hisses at Jade when they are in the bed together, and when we did have seperate beds for them, they always slept in the same one.

We set up a small bed for her last night in a sort of closet/secluded space in my girlfriends bedroom last night, but after about an hour or so both Lola and Jade were crying at the door to see each other. And unfortunately we can't have Jade in the room when we sleep with us because she is far too active at night and has a fun habit of sitting on my face in the middle of the night. I'm sure this is great fun for her, but for me, not so much.

The worst thing is, that for now, we are rather limited on space as to where we can let them sleep. I have also asked my girlfriends mother to stop leaving the hall/landing light on all through the night as I am sure this is also causing problems. I know I hate having to sleep when there is a light on all the time.

I will try the methods suggested here, what I can with our limited space, and see what happens. The best I can do now is leave her alone and let her be.


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## Passman86 (Aug 13, 2012)

Just had a chat with a friend who is currently studying vetinary medicine. He has shared the situation with the vet he is currently shadowing and he has said the following:

The big cat is feeling threatened by something, either a bit of a bad play fight with the little kitten, or someone has hurt her. And with her bed being at the top of the stairs, whenever someone comes up and she is in bed, she can't run away and hide. 

I was a bit surprised by the statement that someone had hurt her as both me and my girlfriend are both extremely loving and caring towards the cats. Other than the slight mishap in the dark, neither of us have hurt either of the kitties, which leads me to believe either the niece has done something and not told us, or Lola has had a bit of a tiff with Jade.

The vet suggested, even though they start to get upset, that we need to build Lola a nice secluded area with her own bed and some nice toys and to simply let her be in there in the girlfriends bedroom. And that we need to build her confidence back up and show that things are ok. The more of this behaviour I see in her the more worried I become, she was always a very happy kitten and she would place chase with me for hours happily. But now she is older, she seems very upset by something.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Guess the other thing you can do, if at all possible, is bring forward getting a place with each other.


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