Why does my cat suddenly start to hiss at me while I’m petting him?

When your cat starts to hiss at you or even scratch or bite you seemingly without warning while you’re petting him, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t like you. It could be that you’re petting and stroking has gone on longer than what he enjoys and he is signaling you that he has had enough. Perhaps you started thinking about something else while petting him or you had actually continued the session longer than usual not realizing that so much time has passed and your cat was getting uncomfortable. Do not reprimand him for this, instead be aware of your petting and stroking and minimize it as much as you can.