Why is there such a pathological hatred of cats in Irish society?

getz

Shenshen wrote: »

Title says it all, really.

I've never met so many people with such a dislike and hatred of cats anywhere else, and I find it confusing.
Unlike dogs, cats tend to be fairly easily avoided, they are shy and towards humans non-aggressive.
In many countries, cats are the number one pets. Yet here, people will voice opinions like "the only good cat is a drowned cat".

So where does it come from?

why do i think of the name...kilkenny, here puss puss

getz

Shenshen wrote: »

Title says it all, really.

I've never met so many people with such a dislike and hatred of cats anywhere else, and I find it confusing.
Unlike dogs, cats tend to be fairly easily avoided, they are shy and towards humans non-aggressive.
In many countries, cats are the number one pets. Yet here, people will voice opinions like "the only good cat is a drowned cat".

So where does it come from?

why do i think of the word..kilkenny ?.here puss puss

ejmaztec

medicman2009 wrote: »

Cats are just generally selfish, disloyal and more or less worthless. They can't gaurd, shepherd or guide and are virtually untrainable due to their stupidity. They are truly good at killling any small bird or animal, just for the fun of it rather than throuh any survival need. Natures true serial killers indeed!

It's nothing to do with stupidity, it's to do with not giving a flying fuck about trying to impress the one opening a tin for it everyday.

If they could open their own tins, humans would only see them robbing supermarkets, as they'd have no reason to associate with their inferiors.:(

christina_x

I used to like cats... but then i developed an allergy so now i dont like them because they make my face look funny :mad:

dan_d

newmug wrote: »

I can never understand how anyone would let ANY animal indoors. Its just not right. Reminds me of a story - One morning, going to work, I open the back door and 4 fcukin young cats try to burst in. I managed to shoo 3 of them away, but one vile fcuker got in. He ran under the couch, up the curtains, across the table knocking a few things as he went, everywhere! I couldnt get him. Eventually he made a burst for the back door, back to the outside. My back door is glass nearly all the way to the bottom, he lambasted himself off it! I was fuming at this dirty cretin, so I picked him up by the tail to throw him out. While I was carrying him out, he was all "meow, meow", real nice and cute like, as if to say "i'm only a poor lickle kitty, pweeeeze let me go". I was just about to, when he revealed his true intentions, and started hissing and spitting and clawing at my leg. Well, I had reached my limit, and I drop-kicked the fcuker ala Ronan O'Gara. He spun through the air head over tail, probably saw Dublin from his altitude, and came down head first on a window-sill at the far end of the house. I felt bad for doing it the minute my foot made contact, but they're exactly the buttons cats press when they behave the way they do, and thats the consequences. Needless to say all 9 of his lives evaporated instantly. I felt bad afterwards, and I still do. Obviously, it was me and my mindset that was at fault, not the dumb animal. So OP, reading this, compare it to what you would have done and how you would have behaved. Maybe it will give you an insight into the thinking behind why people hate them so much.

Of course, if you had half a brain you would have realised that chasing an animal a fraction of the size of yourself through an environment that it doesn't know, to try and get it out a door it's not aware of will make it do exactly what it did....run like hell.

Did it not occur to you that maybe getting it into a room (preferably the one with the open door in it) closing all other doors, and then either placing food outside, or going outside yourself, would have worked one hundred times better??? Brute force and ignorance is not actually the solution to everything. I don't know a single animal that, when cornered like that, won't wreak havoc in order to get away.

As for why like cats...why not? They don't need walking every day, they look after themselves...and no matter what you might say about loyalty, if a cat has a home at your house they will always come back. Whereas a dog won't necessarily. Most cats have the freedom to roam during the day, but they come back. It might be the food, but either way, they obviously like your home...which is more of a compliment than dogs, most of whom adore anyone who scratches their head. I love both, have grown up with both, and usually find that people who hate cats have never lived with them and have no experience of them....but have usually been allowed to scratch the head of their neighbour's dog every so often and as a result, think dogs are way better.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Misanthrope wrote: »

Because they're useless.And their crap stinks like nothing I have ever smelled.

If your house gets broken in to the dog defends you and himself.The cat either legs it silently or seizes his chance to rob food or both.Even a goldfish would do more to help.
Cats eat and sleep all day with the odd 5 minute burst of destroying furniture or pretending to hunt.Snakes have easily as much personality with far more limited physical facilities.

I actually roughly categorise people into cats n dogs.The ones I dislike are always catty spiteful sneaky selfish sorts.The ones I like best are the dog like ones,fun loving,loyal and too damn clumsy to enact any serious deceit.

That sir, is one of the funniest posts I've ever read! Literally pissed myself laughing. I'd buy yeh a pint if I met yeh in the pub.

Irish Guitarist

It's not just Ireland. Cats are hated even more in Cyprus. I was in an outdoor restaurant there a few years ago and there was a cat hanging around looking for food. I gave him some lettuce off my plate and he really liked it (or maybe he was hungry enough to eat anything). He sat beside me for about five minutes and I ended up giving him most of the lettuce off my plate. The next day I was at the same restaurant and saw the same cat. A man there started throwing his shoe at the cat, then picking it up and throwing it again. His wife or girlfriend thought this was hilarious and so did a lot of other people. One of the few people that felt sorry for the cat was an English woman who picked him up and gave him food off her plate.

It's not just cats though, they have no respect for any animals in Cyprus. There's few things more disgusting than a Cypriot pet shop. I thought Ireland was bad for animal cruelty until I saw what Cyprus was like.

Wolfe Tone

I do not like cats. They always try and kill the birds that do e in my garden. I have a dog now and she keeps the cats away, s the birds are ok.


I have a hose handy to blast the fcukers if they sit on the fence. One time a cat climbed into the kitchen to get at the chicken that was on the worktop, the dog followed me into the kitchen, saw the cat and started barking etc, the cat pissed all over the bloody chicken, dived out the window and tried to climb up the fence, but it fell. The dog was abut to get the cat, but luckily for kitty she is well trained and when I let out a yell she left the cat alone.


Basically cats suck, dogs rule. Cat just uses you. If your neighbor gives it nicer food he will ditch you.

kylith

Earthhorse wrote: »

Well, cats are nocturnal so it's pretty normal to let them out at night.

They're actually crepsicular (sp?) which means that they're active at dawn and dusk which is exactly when you're supposed to keep them in so that they don't decimate the local fauna.

Magenta wrote: »

It makes me laugh when people bleat on about how loyal dogs are, when half the time, their own dogs are kept on a chain in the back garden.
He's loyal, is he? He's chained up, he hardly has much choice!

Got some figures to back that fact up?

Wibbs

patneve2 wrote: »

cats=cooler than dogs.
why?
1. cats do what they want to do, dogs are silly, they do what the owner wants them to do. Idiots. Okay, friendly idiots.

Not quite. They're pack animals that think of their own little pack. They're constantly balancing that out too. Many many studies have proven dogs are more intelligent than cats. It's not a judgement call so much though. They're very different animals and they have different intelligences(and individuals vary too). A better way to put it might be that dogs are more intelligent as we judge it. We selected for that too. Dogs are quite unlike the wolves they come from. Wolves have little loyalty the way we think dogs do. They're more like cats on that score. If you had a pet wolf and an intruder came in your house, the wolf would be out the back door like a shot wondering why you were so dumb as to stick around. They've got larger brains and are more "intelligent", especially with social reasoning, but you couldn't train one too easily.

2. they are independent. You don't have to go shoveling **** off the streets. You don't have to bring them out for ****s.

Cats are solitary hunters, not pack animals to any degree. It's got little to do with independence anyway. That's human reasoning.

3. They are much cleaner than dogs. They clean their fur everyday and are much less likely to get disgusting germs into their bodies, like dogs (the animals who like to roll around in mud and **** all day long)

Untrue. Cats have many more diseases communicable to humans than dogs(and cause more allergies). They may look clean but they're not. In any case if you think showering in ones own saliva constitutes a cleaning regimen then good luck. Even cat fleas are more likely to bite humans than the dog variant(though neither like us much). The notion about people in plague times killing cats is only partly true. They killed dogs as well. The dog killing would have had a bigger effect as dogs are much more effective ratters than cats. In any case it probably balanced out as the flea that carried the disease(in its bubonic form) lived on cats and dogs too. We may think them thick back then, but they may have seen their cats and dogs come down with the disease so thought them a vector for it.

4. They have style. A dog is like a big mess. A cat is slick and does what the fcuk it wants to do.

Style? Humans eh?

Me I dont mind cats tbh. There are too many strays though and they do a lot of damage to wild bird populations. But cats are generally grand. While I find vociferous dog people a bit of a pain, I'd dislike cat people more though.

saywhatyousee

at this moment in time i prefer cats
less mess no dog hair everwhere
i used to have a german shepard(best dog going).they take up a lot of time and effort, daily 6.am walks before work.cost a fortune to feed too
a cooked chicken and nuts every day.i have two cats at the moment they are very loveable and not a lot of hassle.when i retire i will probaly get another dog but till then it cats all the way

ToniTuddle

Sanjuro wrote: »

Boards.ie aside, where have you heard this in such quantity that you think Irish people pathologically hate cats? I'm no cat-lover. I'm a dog person. But I've never met anyone who actually hates cats. I think you're making a generalization. And a grossly inaccurate one at that.

Patri wrote: »

I live pretty far into the countryside, and yet I've never heard a single person say something so ridiculously idiotic as this. Maybe if you went back a few generations you'd find some illiterate folk, but that was just sheer stupidity on your part.

Shenshen is not making a generalization.
I come from a rural area and I can tell you just how much local people hate cats.

We used to get stray cats every so often around the shop some even would sneak into the shop and hide under the tills at our feet to try and make a bed!! I asked every single customer if any of them would like to give the cat a home or even knew or anyone who would take them in. They all came from different backgrounds farming/business etc. All of them recoiled at the very idea of being nice to a cat. MANY advised me to just drown it or kick it away.

So I said...."fook the lot of ye's!" and took every stray cat that came to the shop home with me!

Would have done the same with stray dogs except where I live they would most likely get shot by nearby farmers.

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

Got to love pussy.

Trust you to say that! :pac:

pablo_escobar wrote: »

cats might kill mice but they wouldn't be able to take on an adult rat.

Well that's a load of bollocks.
I've had the joy of getting rid of dead rat corpses from our shed, feicin size of the things!

johngalway wrote: »

They wake people up in the middle of the night with their bloody screeching.

That's because they are being raped by other cats!
Get them all neutered no more screeching

Magenta wrote: »

Part of the reason people dislike cats is because, like people, you have to earn a cat's respect and affection. Some people have this insecure little need to feel loved and be adored and worshipped for no reason, which is why they prefer dogs.

Exactly!

I don't mind if my cats don't show affection-only one of them is like that though. I'm just happy I've been lucky enough to give some animals a better life sure that's what it is all about.

gbee

Shenshen wrote: »

T "the only good cat is a drowned cat". So where does it come from?

Cats have no loyalty, defecate in neighbouring gardens, don't kill vermin, carry disease and infestations into gardens. But will kill your garden birds what you've been feeding for decades.

Wake the whole neighbourhood when mating, mate at every opportunity, drop kittens for you to look after.

Can't be trained. They can't be 'guide cats' for the blind.

Hide in car engines in the cold and eat the electrics.

Shenshen

gbee wrote: »

Cats have no loyalty, defecate in neighbouring gardens, don't kill vermin, carry disease and infestations into gardens. But will kill your garden birds what you've been feeding for decades.

Wake the whole neighbourhood when mating, mate at every opportunity, drop kittens for you to look after.

Can't be trained. They can't be 'guide cats' for the blind.

Hide in car engines in the cold and eat the electrics.

All of the above would also apply to squirrels and foxes.
So I repeat the question, why hate cats?

Tigger

ejmaztec wrote: »

It's nothing to do with stupidity, it's to do with not giving a flying fuck about trying to impress the one opening a tin for it everyday.

If they could open their own tins, humans would only see them robbing supermarkets, as they'd have no reason to associate with their inferiors.:(

When the revolution cons we shall make you our ambassador

gbee

Shenshen wrote: »

All of the above would also apply to squirrels and foxes.
So I repeat the question, why hate cats?

So I repeat my post and I include squirrels and foxes too.

But I have to say that it's a stupid analogy to add squirrels and foxes to your thread.

But I prefer to strangle stray cats and kittens rather than drown them actually. I've a few being starved in the outhouse at the moment, can't wait for Halloween to have a few ritual killings.

Copper23

Whats GOOD about cats? Would would I like them?

They haven't done anything bad to me but their existence doesn't enhance my life any bit.

gbee

Seems there are a lot of cat haters here, so, tell me how do you express your cat hatred.

With so many CCTV camera around one cannot really drown them, with forensic analyses it's too easy to get caught with the poison and blood sacrifices in old churches and closed sanitariums are only on Halloween and so on.

Teutorix

Cats are self serving and lack any form of loyalty unlike dogs. Thats why I love them.

Son Of A Vidic

Cats are just generally selfish, disloyal and more or less worthless. They can't gaurd, shepherd or guide and are virtually untrainable due to their stupidity. They are very good at killling any small bird or animal, just for the fun of it rather than throuh any survival need. Natures true serial killers indeed! So cats really are vermin and are a great threat to many animals. Strict population control of these pests would be very welcome.

gbee

Teutorix wrote: »

Cats are self serving and lack any form of loyalty unlike dogs. Thats why I love them.

You love cats because they are self serving and lack any form of loyalty?

charlemont

fianna fail supporters hate cats ...

Teutorix

gbee wrote: »

You love cats because they are self serving and lack any form of loyalty?

Yes because it shows they are intelligent and can take care of themselves.

Paparazzo

If you have a cat you're either a single woman or a gay man.
And if you think cats are more intelligent I ask you this: how many blind people have you ever seen being guided around by a cat?

Keptic

I love cats, there is one that owns me since 2007, also a few people I know are totally into cats as well. They are wise, independent animals.

johnthemull

I dont
Anytime spent with a cat isnt wasted
unlike people
****
and they dont purr

stovelid

medicman2009 wrote: »

Cats are just generally selfish, disloyal and more or less worthless.

Following the utilitarian logic, dog ownership should be limited to shepherds, blind people; farmers or people with rodent infestations.

And indeed, people should just favour oxen, cows or carrier pigeons as pets instead.

FreudianSlippers

I love cats!

gurramok

Paparazzo wrote: »

If you have a cat you're either a single woman or a gay man.
And if you think cats are more intelligent I ask you this: how many blind people have you ever seen being guided around by a cat?

Cats rule you, not us rule them so where's the problem?:)

recylingbin

Earthhorse wrote: »

How many hamsters do you see sat with a homeless person?

Yet, they are not reviled in the way cats often are.

Case re-opened.

Cats are useless.
Case re-closed, nails put in and buried somewhere you can't find it.
(Unless you have a dog)