# Cat hisses before puking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 22, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362 "2008-04-22T03:38:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/1 "2008-04-22T03:38:55Z")
Today, my cat Shadow suddenly stood up, hissed, went through the horking and writhing that they go through, then barfed. He has done this before. I have never known a cat who hissed because he felt like he was going to puke. It kind of redefines what I thought hissing meant. I always thought of it as a reaction to outside threats. Has your cat ever done this or is my cat a weirdo? Should I be worried about this? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/2 "2008-04-22T04:07:07Z")
It could be a sign of pain. If it continues, you might want to have him checked out. Is there any blood in the vomit? What does the vomit consist of? Is it just dark yellow stomach acid, or is it a hairball? ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/3 "2008-04-22T04:28:20Z")
There wasn’t much barf, just the yellow stuff, no hairballs or food. He seemed OK afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/4 "2008-04-22T04:38:07Z")
I have one that pukes with almost no warning whatsoever - just horks, writhes and blows - and another who makes A Big Production out of it, starting with a low, growling distress call, then an “oh-oh-oh-oWWWWWWWWWWWWWW” and then the hork hork hork gag gag gag before the blow. I prefer the latter, if only because at least I KNOW she has puked and I don’t have to discover it barefoot and unawares. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/5 "2008-04-22T07:40:19Z")
One of my two screams just before heaving. Really. Scared me to death the first time. And I agree about needing to know there’s cat puke someplace in the house; sound effects help. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/6 "2008-04-22T08:01:10Z")
I dunno about hissing, but my old roommate’s cat used to moonwalk before it coughed up hairballs! It was absolutely hilarious to watch! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/7 "2008-04-22T08:10:25Z")
[QUOTE=LifeOnWry] I have one that pukes with almost no warning whatsoever - just horks, writhes and blows - and another who makes A Big Production out of it, starting with a low, growling distress call, then an “oh-oh-oh-oWWWWWWWWWWWWWW” and then the hork hork hork gag gag gag before the blow. I prefer the latter, if only because at least I KNOW she has puked and I don’t have to discover it barefoot and unawares. [/QUOTE] Is the Drama Queen Siamese or part Siamese? It’s my belief that Siamese will do whatever they do with the maximum noise and drama. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/8 "2008-04-22T15:35:16Z")
[QUOTE=Lynn Bodoni] Is the Drama Queen Siamese or part Siamese? It’s my belief that Siamese will do whatever they do with the maximum noise and drama. [/QUOTE] Nah, she’s a run-of-the-mill garden variety tabby, but she’s always been the dramatic sort. She makes the BEST offended face I’ve ever seen on a cat. ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-hisses-before-puking/446362/9 "2008-04-22T16:06:29Z")
Maybe she’s just a mean drunk.