Weddingbee boards

Hi Bees :)  I posted a while back about how we were thinking of adopting cats and asking for advice.  Well, we've had them for a month and a half now and things have been going really really great, except for something that happened last night (this might be a book, I'm sorry!).

The year old male cat we adopted is a total mama's boy, has to be with me at all times.  Last night, I was having a snack on the couch and he kept trying to get at my food.  I was gently pushing him away each time he tried to come from another direction and firmly saying "No."  He kept trying and trying to get at my plate so in frustration (I'm terribly embarrassed by this) I hissed at him. I had been told that sometimes you have to communicate with them in ways a cat can understand.  He immediately left the room and I figured it had worked, so when he came to try again a few minutes later, I repeated the hiss. 

Well.  His ears went back, his pupils got ENORMOUS, and he started hissing back.  He became very agressive and making weird meowing noises with his mouth open trying to bite me.  He managed to get a hold of my arm but did not bite hard enough for it to hurt or break the skin, but I was terrified of him (my previously gentle little love bug!) 

He eventually calmed down and came back for cuddles, and I took his kneading on my leg as an "apology" of sorts.  He is not declawed and is due for a nail clipping, and a while later he accidentally scratched me.  I instinctively did that "sss" suck in of air (a la Peter Griffin) and he thought I was hissing at him again.  Even the sound of "shhhh" to try and calm him would send him into a rage.  He was in my lap at this point hissing at me and chirping with his mouth open, trying to bite my arms and climbing up to my face.  Needless to say I ended up going to the bedroom (very freaked out) to avoid him and let him calm down.

I came downstairs a bit later to give the cats some wet food and treats in hopes he would forgive me after a bit of spoling and a good nights sleep.  But today he is still very wary of me and not his usual "MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY I LOVE YOU" self.  

What have I done?  I want to take it back but obviously I can't - I didn't mean to terrify him!  I'm just so mad at myself and feel terribly dumb for even trying to hiss at him in the first place.  I want my sweet little guy back.  I thought I would ask the cat experts here for some advice.

Thanks Bees.

TL;DR:  I hissed at my normally sweet cat to try and get him to stop begging for my food, he hissed back, is now very skittish and any hiss-like sound now turns his pupils to saucers and sets him off into attack mode.

I'd give him time, really. Just let him come to you and provide lots of yummies. If you really want to talk 'cat' try slow blinking at him and yawning. Slow blinks are a sign of calm. If you have a long tongue you can try licking your nose too, but you'll look pretty silly.

I think he was just a little shocked and upset at the situation (we both were).  I kind of freaked out because I've never owned cats before and I absolutely adore mine, and it's shocking to see something you love so much turn on you like that!

But in the end he just needed time, he is absolutely fine now and back to his sweet self.  I won't be trying that again though!

I did try the slow blink that night, that's something I've done with him ever since we brought the two cats home (I think that has a lot to do with him trusting me so much in general).  He had seemed fine after the first incident - was in my lap kneading and slow blinking back at me, but as soon as I made that "sss" sound when he scratched me he flipped again. 

I do think he is starting to learn not to bother us when we are eating now, though.  So maybe it did work in it's own way.