hissy fits?

I've had some interesting communication issues with my two cats lately. Ill start by saying both are VERY sweet, and have never scratched or bit in an aggressive way.the most I've ever dealt with was a clawless couple pats. Even when dealing with a small child pulling ears and tail. And there still hasn't been any aggression, nor are they ill. They are both good weights, eat well, drink lots, shiny coats. Playful, etc etc etc. They're good cats.

The problem, I guess, is that they have taken to hissing at things they don't like. If they climb up on a counter and I tell them to get down, usually they will without me getting up. But if I stand up after telling them to get down and they haven't, they will hiss and run off. Those sort of things.

My first encounter with this was when I was trying to make my bed and one of them decided to jump up and lay down in the middle, when I went to pick him up he hissed at me and I backed off for a minute and was like "ok dude, what's with the attitude?", he has had constipation problems before so I thought maybe I touched a sensitive spot, poked at him a bit, nothing. Brought him in for a check up. Clear bowels, healthy cat. Seemed good to go. I figured id give him some time and bring him back in if need be.

A couple days later both cats had started hissing whenever something didn't go down the way they seemed to think it would. From climbing on counters so just being shooed out a room. But no actual aggression. No biting, scratching, nothing. I can pick them up just as easily as ever, and at the most they give me the ears back, annoyed "how dare you interrupt me" face.

Ok, that said I should add this as well. Neither are or were abused. one we got as a 7 week old kitten, the other we got from a shelter she was in since she was a small kitten. They're both about a year old now. Maybe this is like a terrible 2s thing? I'm not sure. I do know my husband will hiss at them when he doesn't like what they are doing. Maybe it was picked up from that? (He tries but is absolutely not allowed to throw things, even soft things, at the cats without it coming back 10x to the back of his own head. So he's taken to hissing....)

I'm not sure where else this behavior came from, or why, or how to make it stop. If I should be looking for other causes, or if its just a kitty tantrum. The ONLY other symptom of anything I can
think of is one (the female) has, and always has, smelly gas and will skunk people if she gets excited or scared...or really happy. But she has been like that since we got her, and the shelter warned us of this, that its just her.


Well anyways, advice and opinions always welcome!

I have no evidence to support it, but I think it could be that your husband has taught them to hiss.  It seems to most likely explanation.

See what others think...

It is strange the hiss. It is often suggested on here to hiss in order to correct bad behavior so your husband is not doing anything out of the norm. Does he hiss at them all the time? It does make sense that they think that hissing is ok to do if he his always hissing at them for every little thing. I have hissed at my new kitten when she is doing something really dangerous like chewing on a cord (bitter spray doesn't seen to bother her). When I do something she doesnt like she does meow at me, but has never hissed.

Its not all the time, a couple nights a week maybe when he is home. If one them claws the couch or something, now they just hiss back before they run off. Or, like I said, if we do anything that's not what they were wanting. =/ I'm at a loss here, I hope its not going to turn into an issue down the road.