Why do people HATE cats?

Zapperzy

I really don't understand how someone can hate cats either, not particularly like cats yes but not actually hate them. I'v never encountered the same level of hatred aimed towards cats with any other species of animal, bar maybe rats or wasps. Of course I know lots of people who don't like dogs but these same people might go awww if they seen a small cute fluffy dog or would at least feel some sort of sadness if they hit a dog with their car, with cat haters there is none of this.
In fact I remember when I was about 12 or 13 my friend's cat went missing so we knocked on doors with a photo of him asking had anyone seen him, I remember one woman answered and we said our spiel showed her the photo and she told us no we had not seen the cat but if she did she would make sure to run over him, she said this to 2 children (me about 12 or 13, my friend about 11) with such venom in her voice that it still sticks with me to this day.

I hear many people say that it's because they're not loyal like dogs, in my house I have a dog and a cat and it's my cat that's the most loyal. The only thing my dog is loyal to is himself and his stomach, and he is certainly not mistreated or abused in anyway, it's just his nature. He would happily go off with anyone without even looking back at us if they offered him a slice of ham. When we go away on holidays and leave him in kennels (well it's more of a dog sitter than a kennel, it's his second home really) it's all waggy tails when we drop him off without so much as a backward glance from him then when we pick him up he's usually depressed and sulking when we put him in the car because we've to tear him away from his dog buddys. On the opposite end of the scale when the cat gets home she's ultra sticky velcro cat for a week afterwards then just velcro cat at all other times. Follows me everywhere, sits as close to me, if she can't sit on me, as possible. Sits on my knee having breakfast, trys to sit on my knee on the toilet, either sleeps on my knee or sits on the desk purring in my ear when I'm on the computer, every morning she acts as though all her christmas's have come at once when she first see's me, whereas the dog yawns rolls over and puts his paw over his eyes. If I go downstairs she's at my heels watching what I'm at, and it's not for food, strangly she's not a food cat, she just wants to keep me in my sights at all times to the point that it's not healthy for either of us and I have to do something to get her to unsticky herself from me.
But after all that from my point of view it's my cat that's the most loyal (doglike in some people's opinion) and would suffer the most if I was no longer here. That doesn't mean I hate all dogs, in fact I love dogs.

The weird thing I'v noticed (both here and elsewhere) is that when a dog is roaming loose and craps in your garden or just is a general nuisance the general thinking is oh what a bad owner for letting their dog run loose, the blame is automatically on the owner and not the dog and people wouldn't dare suggest any of the cruel methods I'v seen here for removing the dog. Now when it's a cat that's doing the exact same thing, crapping in your flowerbeds, walking on your car, people aren't as quick to say oh what a bad and irresponsible owner and are much quicker to talk about cats being sneaky and suggest it's just crapped in your flowerpot as revenge for you squirting it with a water pistol last week (cats, nor dogs, aren't even capable of that sort of thinking) and it's ok to dispatch it by any means possible. Now I'm perfectly aware of the laws surrounding dogs and the lack of laws regarding cats and how frustrated people can become but it shocks me how callous people can be regarding cats when they wouldn't dream of doing similar with a dog.

tonsiltickler

My dad used to hate cats. He still remembers being in a cot as a baby and a cat coming in and sleeping on his chest. About 3 months ago my sister got a cat and now my dad calls to her house to play with him everyday. He now loves d kitties! Cats are every bit as nice as dogs and to completely write off a species of animal based on some pre-concieved notions you have about them is pretty lame tbh

lily4

Zapperzy wrote: »

The weird thing I'v noticed (both here and elsewhere) is that when a dog is roaming loose and craps in your garden or just is a general nuisance the general thinking is oh what a bad owner for letting their dog run loose, the blame is automatically on the owner and not the dog and people wouldn't dare suggest any of the cruel methods I'v seen here for removing the dog. Now when it's a cat that's doing the exact same thing, crapping in your flowerbeds, walking on your car, people aren't as quick to say oh what a bad and irresponsible owner and are much quicker to talk about cats being sneaky and suggest it's just crapped in your flowerpot as revenge for you squirting it with a water pistol last week (cats, nor dogs, aren't even capable of that sort of thinking) and it's ok to dispatch it by any means possible. Now I'm perfectly aware of the laws surrounding dogs and the lack of laws regarding cats and how frustrated people can become but it shocks me how callous people can be regarding cats when they wouldn't dream of doing similar with a dog.

This is a great point ! I've heard people refer to cats as vindictive etc .... totally untrue. Cats are animals and operate according to their instinct like every other animal. Yes they do move stealthily and slowly because they are designed from tip to toe to be hunters !! Not because they are sneaky !

I also think many people get a cat/kitten, throw it out in the back garden without so much as a small kennel/house for shelter, feed it and otherwise generally ignore it and then wonder why the cat has moved in next door where it's being treated like a king !!

Still I'm glad this thread has unearthed lovers of the felines, they rock !!

Cherry Blossom

Well as someone who used to keep pet rats I have a different perspective on it. Loads of people detest rats but were mostly indifferent to my pets, they may not have understood it but it wasn't a case that people specificly hated my pets. Those that would shudder at the sight of mine and declare their hatred of them were just expressing a 'learned' attitude that had become deeply ingrained in them. It's the unsolicited visits from the wild ones to their property that they hate and the thought of the diseases they carry. There are a fair few feral cats around the place that fit the same description so I find it perfectly understandable (and reasonable) that some people are completely infuriated by them. I don't really see it any different to me being extremely angry at the existence of dog ticks and fleas.

bronte

I don't get all the hate towards them at all.
I've had two. The latest one we adopted when she was a few weeks old (her mother was ignoring her) I raised her/got her eating solids/toilet trained her/kept her in my room every night until she was strong. She can have a terrible temper when she wants to but she is also very very affectionate.
My mum had a back operation and noticed while she was recovering that if she made a noise like she was in discomfort, the cat immediately jumped up beside her purring and sniffing her face as if she was trying to comfort her.
She's done the same thing to me if she catches me watching a weepy movie.

She's very attached to my uncle (he treats her like royalty) and when he visits from the states every 6 months she recognises him straight away and makes a big fuss of him.
I love dogs too and hate this whole you are either a dog person/cat person.

It takes more effort to win a cat's heart I think, but why would you want anything that comes easy?

Heroditas

Zapperzy wrote: »

On the opposite end of the scale when the cat gets home she's ultra sticky velcro cat for a week afterwards then just velcro cat at all other times. Follows me everywhere, sits as close to me, if she can't sit on me, as possible. Sits on my knee having breakfast, trys to sit on my knee on the toilet, either sleeps on my knee or sits on the desk purring in my ear when I'm on the computer, every morning she acts as though all her christmas's have come at once when she first see's me, whereas the dog yawns rolls over and puts his paw over his eyes. If I go downstairs she's at my heels watching what I'm at, and it's not for food, strangly she's not a food cat, she just wants to keep me in my sights at all times to the point that it's not healthy for either of us and I have to do something to get her to unsticky herself from me.

Two of our cats are like that. they'll follow is around the house all day long and sit on us too.
The third is a tamed stray and she's becoming a bit like that too, although funnily enough, she's more interested in the other two cats than us!

OldmanMondeo

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't hate cats - genuinely. (and I think the witchcraft theory is one without any basis! ;o) )

However I do detest when owners let their cats go stray - whereupon they climb into my garden and proceed to defecate all over my flower beds, destroying hundreds of euros worth off plants (over a seven year stretch, I am NOT exaggerating). They then wander off back to their masters, leaving me with the mess and the damage.

The further issue with the cats leaving their feces all over my garden is the danger it represents to my sixteen month old son. He delights in being outside, and while he is always (obviously) under our supervision, the danger of him contracting toxoplasmosis because of these cats is not something I should have to deal with.

Further to this (and there was another thread on it recently), is the quite frankly baffling attitude of cat owners justifying how the damage their cats do should not only be tolerated, but accepted is beyond me - going so far as to compare cats to dogs, children, noise, etc! Pure ignorance.

Ditto on that. I have had plants damaged so that cats can crap, sporting equipment ruined and not cheap stuff, these things cost over €1k new. cat poo all over the garden, on the kids trampoline, I even walk out the door one morning a few years ago to find a large car poo on the door matt....

With saying that, we have a cat and 2 dogs growing up and my brother now has 2 cats which are kept in all the time. The are lovely creatures, very friendly and playful. Cat owners need to learn that cats are not cleaner than dogs, they will crap everywhere, the only difference is a dog owner can be fined, quite rightly, for not cleaning it up.

paddyandy

As with People when Trust is established then Love True Love blossoms.To know them is to love them.They get hungry angry lonely tired fearful and all the feelings of humans.It's living with them you learn not hearing or reading about them.They are Superior to humans in almost every way.Sonia O'Sullivan could not outrun anything on 4 legs except a tortoise .Their Sight and Hearing are Greatly Superior to ours.They don't need mobile phones they just pick it up on the air currents.Now they would'nt be troubled by Intellectual Concepts but a Cat does'nt need them.They don't go shopping every week for clothes they just regrow a new outfit and Dating is not a problem either.Need i go on???

TooManyDogs

I'm not a great cat fan but this thread has made me ask myself why. Firstly both my parents are allergic so no childhood cat and hubby is allergic so no cat now! So that's why I'd have lack of experience with cats.

The only friend I had with a cat had (as far as I'm concerned) a really crappy attitude to cats, Molly slept and cleaned herself on the dining room table and they would just shoo her off and then expect us to eat off the same table without so much as a clean One time I was petting her she sank her claws either side of my foot and bit my big toe, and she wasn't joking. When I shrieked the owner just said 'Oh Molly does that when she's had enough petting'. I was furious, the same owner would have been demanding my dog be put down if it had bitten her in the same manner. So that hasn't improved my attitude to cats.

The only other experience I have with cats is roaming cats and I'm a major fan of indoor cats and cat proofed gardens.

Zapperzy wrote: »

The weird thing I'v noticed (both here and elsewhere) is that when a dog is roaming loose and craps in your garden or just is a general nuisance the general thinking is oh what a bad owner for letting their dog run loose, the blame is automatically on the owner and not the dog and people wouldn't dare suggest any of the cruel methods I'v seen here for removing the dog. Now when it's a cat that's doing the exact same thing, crapping in your flowerbeds, walking on your car, people aren't as quick to say oh what a bad and irresponsible owner and are much quicker to talk about cats being sneaky and suggest it's just crapped in your flowerpot as revenge for you squirting it with a water pistol last week (cats, nor dogs, aren't even capable of that sort of thinking) and it's ok to dispatch it by any means possible.

I think one of the reasons people people aren't a fan of cats and do treat them differently to dogs because legally owners are responsible for their dogs actions but a cat's owners aren't. My experience is the most common attitude to damage by cats is 'cats will be cats, sure you can't keep them in' and that's what makes people take matters into their own hands. Most cats are seen by other people in the absence of their owners, so there is no visual owner to complain to about the cat's actions, so the frustration and anger is turned on the cat, hence the hatred.

I wonder if cats were kept on their owners properties would the attitude begin to change? Then cats wouldn't be creating frustration and I reckon that distills into 'hatred'

lily4

This thread is quite interesting ! It seems the unsupervised behaviour of cats is definitely not doing them any favours and of course this lies with the owners...

I come from a family of cat people so to speak ! Our cats were always neutered, very well looked after when we were younger.
We get our cats micro-chipped, put into a cattery when on holidays etc and to be honest even that elicits shock from many people - why would you bother getting a cat micro-chipped etc sure nobody would take a cat to the vet to see if it's chipped etc. Why would you spend money on a cattery, sure I'll watch the cat (response from neighbours)

I think a whole shift in attitude towards cats and cat ownership needs to happen but that will take time . I think as a country we are getting there in relation to dogs (slowly) but cats are a whole different story.

I suppose the first step is a change in the law which at the moment doesn't recognise the status of cats as anything other than wild animals. That really needs to change.

Cat ownership too needs to be overhauled - every cat should be id tagged and microchipped (every dog too) but I reckon that's a good bit away yet..

Thanks to all the non-cat lovers who contributed to this thread - it's quite an eye opener as a cat owner to discover that the behaviour of cats really does upset a lot of people.

zyndacyclone

Personally speaking, they hate my cat because she likes to stand on my head and glare at them. Also, she detests kids (mostly because they assault her....seriously, parents, TEACH YOUR KIDS HOW TO HANDLE ANIMALS).

I COULD show them my cat when she's a sleepy bundle of trusting fluff, belly up in my arms, but, you know what, I don't trust THEM.

In short, I don't think that this is a cat problem, I think that it's a people problem.

comongethappy

I've noticed a lot of Irish people hate cats. If I talk about my cats in work, I'll always have someone tell me how much they hate them. Their usually excuse is that a cat will never be as loyal as a dog. My reply always is that people here don't seem to treat cats as well as dogs, they generally are left outdoors with little or no shelter and tossed a food and water bowl out now and again. I also explain, if they treated a dog like they treat a cat and if that dog could jump over your garden fence to a nice neighbour that gave it more affection and nice food, it would probably leave too.

I have 3 cats, mostly indoor except for an hour before feeding dinner, and on weekends or days off they go out before breakfast as well, as then they stay close to the house. They have 3 distincly different personalities, but all are loving and loyal. My eldest cat is daddy's girl, my boy is a big momma's boy, and our youngest girl, she mostly prefers the cats, but every now and again will go into a mad cuddle frenzy with you. I remember when I had my wisdom teeth out and was feeling incredible sleepy and very pained afterwards. I went straight into bed, and they all came around me, spent ages smelling and checking me out, and all curled around me a stayed by me as I slept for about 8 hours. Normally the boy and the youngest girl sleep on the foot of our bed, but never the eldest girl, and she was there too.

However, I do understand people not liking cats in terms of owners letting their cats pee and poo in neighbours gardens. My cats are all litter trained, and if outside, will come back in to use the litter box. Once in a while, if they feel it's not clean enough as I haven't yet cleaned it for the evening, they will use the flower bed of my garden, but never a neighbours. I do have a neighbours cat that poos in my garden at least once a day, and they do not take very good care of their animals, and the poo is in a horrible state. To make it worse, it's not in the flower beds off to the side, it's always in the middle of our lawn and get tangled in the grass. The cat also likes to harrass my male, so no, I don't like the cat very much, but I blame the neighbour more.

Dusty87

Although im a dog person, I dont hate them, we've even had a few here over the years. Like another poster said, i hate the irresponsible owners. 'its in the nature'. Its also in the dogs nature but if they were to roam all day it would be a different story.

ToniTuddle

Well currently my entire right hand and part of my left hand has multiple nasty looking scrapes on them but I don't mind! My own fault for not paying attention when sitting on the couch chatting to the Mother each evening with the cat in between us in his bed. Me waving my hands about blabbing on, learnt my lesson now and getting to learn when he's gonna swipe :pac:

Was just saying to my Mum that I think alot of people don't like cats because they don't really show emotion in their faces like dogs seem too. Which isn't really the cats fault it's how they were made! The fact they are fast as hell when they swipe at you would make some folks jumpy. But folks who think they are not loving creatures simply don't know them at all.