Why does my cat rub, then hiss and swing at me during feeding?

Hi there. If Buddy is older and this is a new behavior then I suspect he could have an underlying health issue. It is very common in cats to get some diseases as they age. The two that come to mind right away are hyperthyroidism (elevated thyroid level) and diabetes. Both can cause a cat to be very hungry which makes them impatient when it comes to eating. These diseases are easily diagnosed with simple blood testing. So, I suggest you get Buddy to your vet for an exam and some blood testing as soon as you can. If health issues can be ruled out then you can talk to your vet about the behaviorial aspect. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Cats are very temperamental creatures and can be thrown out of balance by small changes in their environment. Sometimes these changes are imperceptible to us humans, while others the cause may be something more obvious (the addition of another person or animal, moving to a new location, change of diet, etc). Based on what you are telling me he sounds very stable and overall overtly healthy. I understand it is difficult to get a hold of him, but another reason for him to be acting abnormally would be if he is in some measure of discomfort or pain. I would suggest ruling this out with your vet, and once this is done, begin trying to produce an environment that is as enriching and stress-free as possible for Jhumru. I would not push him too much in an attempt to regain his affection. Allow him to come back into his own and come to you when he is ready. Obviously, if the doctor is able to find something physically to explain this behavior, ideally resolving this issue will also resolve the behavior change. Hope this helps.

Sometimes they become more territorial over the food as they get older or as their kittens get older. Or she could not feel well. Usually they will be lethargic or not want to eat though so this is less likely. With them being feral there isn't a lot you can do. Please be careful feeding them as I do not want you or your daughter to get bit. You may start putting the food in a place where you can place it and the cat not be able to reach you until after you put it down. Also when she or her kittens are eating I would not touch or mess with them as this can make food aggression worse. I hope this helps!

Hello. Having had many, many cats, I can tell you this is probably a sign of affection, or she is trying to tell you to hurry up with dinner. Either way, I would discourage this a bit by just turning your back on her when reaching for her dish. She may not mean to, but she could inadvertently scratch or snag you with a claw. But this is definitely not an aggressive thing she is doing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I’m sorry to hear about your cat. Perhaps he is protecting another cat (do you have a female in heat)? Perhaps he is not feeling well. Or perhaps he is just taking out some male aggression on you? If he is not neutered yet, I recommend that. You can also try a cat toy to see if he just needs to get some prey-drive type behavior out of his system. Otherwise, talk to your vet to see if there is something we’re missing or something else we need to try. Best of luck to you and your boy!

Cats can develop many odd eating rituals and I suspect this is one of them. If only Bandit could talk! You may try switching the area you prep the food and see if this makes a difference. I hope this helps.

Great name! It is true at this age he could be having a growth spurt, but cats also learn very quickly to keep asking for food when they are rewarded! I would make sure his body condition is good (not too fat or too thin), and that he is on a good quality food with enough protein. If that is the case, I would get him on a meal schedule so that he (and you!) are not as tempted to ask for (or give) food when it is not meal time. If he is still staring at you, try playing with him or giving him new cat toys instead of feeding him. I think it is good you are asking this question instead of feeding him more as many of our cats are overweight!! I hope this is helpful!