How to stop my cat from attacking and hissing at house guests?

You could try asking visitors to toss treats to him while they're in the house, and also ask them to ignore him and not reach for him, talk to him, or try to pet him as many fearful cats find these kinds of interactions threatening. Using a plug-in Feliway diffuser and a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure might also be helpful.

It's possible Mica is feeling a little stressed, or is a bit under socialized. If the behavior happened suddenly or occurred after a surgery it is also a good idea to schedule a vet visit as behavior changes can sometimes indicate pain or illness. if Mica checks out healthy, you may need to practice some socialization skills. This includes making sure she has a place to hide/relax when people are over. if she does check out new people, have them toss a treat or play with a favorite toy such as a feather on a stick that can introduce positive interactions rather than attempting to chase or pet her. If there are other pets in the house causing stress, making sure she has access to food, water, litter and bedding without competing with other pets can also help to reduce stress. Pheromone diffusers in plug-in or collar form can also release a calming pheromone which can help with stress and anxiety. If the behavior continues it is also a good idea to talk with your vet or a veterinary behaviorist about a training plan that may include medication to help reduce anxiety while instilling calming behaviors.

This can be perfectly normal behavior for cats. When your friend is over don't push Hershey to come out, allow him to go to the safe spot, and sometimes time and patience will improve things. If you try to force Hershey to come out it could cause aggressive behavior such as scratching and biting as a fear response.

If Cutie and his mom are only going to be together for a couple of days you may want to keep them separated to minimize stress. If this isn't possible you should make sure Cutie's mom has a separate food, water and litter area and plenty of places to hide if she wants (cats especially like to escape to higher elevation so you may want to put her bed or food up high). If he continues to try to make friends you should separate them if she's hissing to prevent them from injuring each other. It's not uncommon for cats to act aggressive when they're fearful or stressed, and this change in environment is likely stressful for her. Good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pip. Some cats simply do not like strange visitors in their homes. You can try a pheromone diffuser such as Feliway as this can calm some cats. It plugs into the wall in room where he spends most of his time. It secretes pheromones that he can smell, but not people. This can have a calming effect. Visitors can also offer treat or a toy to try to engage Pip. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! On the whole, I’m not worried about this yet. It can take a couple weeks to feel completely normal after a neuter, especially in adult males. If you have pain medication still, go ahead and give it as even mild pain can cause some cats to be a little crankier than usual. Sometimes, a long trip to the vet or anesthesia seems to disturb cat relations and anxiety is more of a problem. If this behavior is not improving with pain medication, or persists for another week or more, consider these anxiety-reducing home helps. -Feliway- calming cat pheromone- comes in many forms from pet stores or online. 

- Adding a litter box. Studies show that the ideal number of litter boxes for a home is #of cats +1 . This is regardless of how clean you keep his current litter box.

 -making sure he has plenty of “high space”. The safest (and therefore least anxiety-inducing) place for a cat is up. If you don’t already, get a cat tree or put up a shelf or two that he can go perch on. Best wishes to you and Gus!

Sudden behavioral changes can sometimes indicate pain or an underlying illness, so if this came on suddenly a vet visit is always a good first step to rule out any health problems. If your kitty is in good health, looking for something that may have triggered it such as a new object, new people, possession over toys etc may help you understand what caused it. Stress can make cats act uncomfortable or unpredictable, so removing the stressors or making it so your cat has a place to escape and relax may help him feel better. Pheromone diffusers/collars can also be useful in dealing with stress and aggression, and placing one on your cat or plugged into the area where he is being territorial may help him calm down.