Cat owners urged to stop saying words with ‘s’ in them as it’s like ‘swearing at them’
CAT owners should stop saying “Here, puss” to moggies because it is “like swearing at them”.
A pet charity says words with “s” in them sound like aggressive hissing.
PDSA vet nurse Gemma Renwick added: “Cats pick up on certain sounds and tend to prefer fewer ‘s’ sounds. The ‘s’ noise is similar to a cat hissing, which is almost like swearing at them every time you want their attention.
“Consider speaking their language and meowing at them.
“Unlike hissing, adult cats don’t really meow at one another, but do use meows to communicate with us humans.”
Gemma warned feline fans of several moggie mistakes ahead of next Tuesday’s annual #HugYourCatDay — including cuddles.
She said: “Hugging, and other approaches we may consider signs of affection, can actually be detrimental.
“If a cat runs away as you come towards them or they dash off as soon as you let go, it’s a good sign they don’t want to be touched or have their personal space invaded.
“Always let your cat come to you and you’ll reap the rewards of consensual kitty cuddles.”
Gemma added that making eye contact was “quite threatening” and advised we instead copy cats’ “slow blink”.
And playing with laser pointers leaves empty-pawed cats frustrated.
Gemma also warned against using citrus-smelling cleaning products on litter trays which “could actually put them off using it”.