Why do cats Huff?

by Anonymous

I have a very sweet (never scratches or bites me), recently spayed female who is very possessive, protective and territorial, with minor food aggression (she is an adopted stray). She stands like a warrior, swishing her tail at other incoming cats and growling.


Then she Huffs... I never have had a cat Huff. I love it! Is this just a release of tension, or a genetic trait?

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starstarstarstarstar 		I give up huff
by: Izzy and CC

My Cc will give me a growl, and when she realizes I'm not intimated she'll stop growling and give me a frustrated huff. Does it every time. If u keep giving her attention, she doesn't attack, she gives an I give up huff.
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starstarstarstarstar 		My cat huffs too
by: Anonymous

My cat also huffs at me, like a little dragon puffing out air. She only does it when I’m on a position she doesn’t like and wants me to move so she can lay on me. She also does it if I’m asleep and she wants a cuddle.
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starstarstarstarstar 		The huff
by: Kurt (Admin)

Cats can make a lot of different sounds. In my experience, I've heard cats make several kinds of sounds that could be called a huff.

The first is an exhale after exertion, like running up the stairs and into a room. I had a cat named Frankie who would run into the bedroom, jump on the bed, lie down, and exhale like that.

The second is when they're relaxed. When a cat is falling asleep or putting their head down to rest, they'll exhale and this can sound like a huff. Jazzy often does this when he first settles down or wakes up and goes back to sleep.

The third is the kind of annoyed, anxious, or angry huff you and Jim have described, often with tail swishing or other signs. This kind of huff sometimes almost sounds like a hiss, but not quite.
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starstarstarstarstar 		She's annoyed!
by: Jim W.

From your description, it sounds like she's doing the angry or annoyed huff. Whenever I've heard cats do that, it's almost like they're warning others not to get too close.

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