Why do people HATE cats?

lily4

As the title suggests I'm wondering why people hate cats?

As a cat owner I'm genuinely surprised at the amount of people who hate cats/ are freaked out by them/ think their sneaky etc...

I recently was chatting to a colleague about her dogs, looking at her photos of them, admired them, asked lots of questions about them, I was genuinely interested in them as they are clearly her pride and joy and I'm quite an animal lover.
Once I mentioned I had a cat the immediate reaction was 'I HATE cats, all my family hate cats'....

I think it could be historical/cultural thing when cats were associated with witchcraft and also because cats are made for hunting they move silently and so are seen as 'sneaky'.

Similarity I don't understand why people think cats are less loyal than dogs - if a cat is well cared for and it's owners make an effort to bond with the cat they are just as loyal as dogs - they just show their affection differently.

OK rant over!!

ryan84

it drives me mad how people say they hate cats when they have had very little to do with them. A friend of mine has admitted to intentionally hitting cats with his car( one of mine died from being run over so this does not go down well with me)

He also states that cats are useless around the place and that at least dogs will get rid of rats etc.. He was shocked to hear about how many mice and birds our feral cats kill! He never knew they did that.

Another one of my friends stayed at my house for a few days when she was in town for work. Now I am clearly an animal lover and always talk about my cat. Any time he walked into the room she mentioned how much she hates cats! and how horrible they were around the place. Needless to say when she asked to stay at my house again last week I said no!

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.

ryan84

Mine stays indoors at all times, since my last one was killed by a car in a very quiet estate. my sister visited recently and thought it was hilarious that I act like such and big animal lover but was being so cruel to him by keeping him in. She couldnt see that I was maybe thinking of his welfare. When I get my own house he will have a caged outdoor area.

If someones dog used my garden as a toilet I would be annoyed. Same goes for someones cat.

lily4

@DrussRua - Yes I completely understand your point of view with regard to free roaming cats but I think that is an issue of responsible cat ownership, which is an important issue and rightly an annoyance for many people, but I think a different issue to what I am referring to, which is an automatic hatred of cats.

The witchcraft theory only came to me recently when I was reading how cats were regarded suspiciously during medieval times .... just a theory .. A lot of people seem to get creeped out by cats

@Ryan - a friend of mine came into my house recently and hissed at my cat - scared the wits out of her and was surprised when I told her my cat is timid and that she had scared her !

paddyandy

To know them is to love them i'd have 10 +- if i had the space.They are so self contained and need very little.And they are not cold hearted like people think.

lily4

lily4 wrote: »

@DrussRua - Yes I completely understand your point of view with regard to free roaming cats but I think that is an issue of responsible cat ownership, which is an important issue and rightly an annoyance for many people, but I think a different issue to what I am referring to, which is an automatic hatred of cats.

The witchcraft theory only came to me recently when I was reading how cats were regarded suspiciously during medieval times .... just a theory .. A lot of people seem to get creeped out by cats

Fair enough, as I stated, for my part I don't hate cats, or even dislike them - my issue is (as you've pointed out) with responsible ownership of the animals.

Wholesale hatred of a species seems a little strange to me, though I suppose some people have an irrational hatred of spiders and will go out of their way to kill them (another thing I can't understand)!

lily4

@Druss yes I understand your frustration with regard to cats coming into your garden, I detest having to avoid dog poo on pavements and what really irks me is when people bring their dogs to the beach during the summer on hot days - inevitably results in dogs wandering around, peeing on windbreaks, taking a large interest in people's picnics etc, pooping on the beach, very annoying !

That said I'm a big fan of dogs

MissRetro

Firstly, I don't hate cats.. I'm a believer of 'no bad pet, just inexperienced or sometimes uncaring owners'.
But, I do admit to having a severe dislike to some(maybe even most) of the cats I have come across. And, this is probably due to the fact that all the cats I may have liked are probably at home in the care of their responsible owners and not straying around annoying me.
I have friends who have cats as pets and I usually like them because I meet them in their own home and they usually just come up and rub across your leg to say hello and then go back about their business.

The point to this?.. I can understand how some people can be extremely irritated by cats.

c-note

I hate the way they hold their tails up in the air showing everyone their/they're assholes.

I hate their languid gait and their incessant yawning and stretching.

I have never gotten the impression from a cat that they are happy to see me, unless they are looking for food.

I hate the smell of cats.

I do like to pet the odd cat.
I admire their agility and intelligence.
I like that they catch mice, and that's the only reason i would have one.

edit:
Also, this is what i secretly believe all cat fans to be like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTTwcCVajAc

Mo60

I believe this hatred of cats and the allowed straying by 'uncaring and irresponsible owners' is a cultural thing.
I was brought up in the east end of London. My parents had cats as did I later on. I never came across this hatred of cats that appears prevelant in this country, or the obsession about cats that are allowed to roam.
I can assure you that if a neighbour in this area of London had any issues they would soon have let you know.

anniehoo

Cats aren't predictable....thats what i ADORE about them!

They go against everything that us humans want...reciprocated and unconditional "love",which we generally get in adundance (as we perceive) from dogs.They wear their hearts on their metaphorical sleeve.

You can put years upon years of effort into "loving" some cats and they'll still go "meh!" and shack up with someone else without a second thought.

Anyhoo...:D Ask yourself, why any of us have pets?Humans have a deep seated need to nurture and be loved. Dogs give it in obvious abundance and make it very easy to love them....cats dont.

Bad day (owning a Dog)= loves you regardless (waggy tail,hugs,licks,walk in the woods to calm down-bonding); Bad day (owning a Cat)=looks at you when you walk in the door (in fairness Beanie does a yawn and stretch when he sees my car drive up),runs to food dish,might or might not acknowledge me, then cuddles an purrs an hour later when i most need it,)no expectations or demands and they wont fall over themselves to show it either.Stoic!

Im generalising all over the place here,but I find so many people (including some on this forum) are so intolerant to cats and the complete misunderstanding of what they're about. I had a dog (my bestie buddy) for 14 years and i was completely and utterly besotted, so i love dogs even more so!!!!

But, i find the intolerance and ambivalence to cats so upsetting from many people.They're a completely different species, with their own mannerisms and modus operandi and we shouldn't expect them to conform just because we want them to.;)

charlemont

Cats dont give two ****'s, I think they are an awesome animal.

Cass

lily4 wrote: »

I think it could be historical/cultural thing when cats were associated with witchcraft and also because cats are made for hunting they move silently and so are seen as 'sneaky'.

As with a couple of other posters my dislike of cats has nothing to do with whatever this is, but comes from a simple case of multiple bad experiences. Not only with the one animal either. I seem to bring out the worse in them or they have all collaberated against me.

Deleted User wrote: »

However I do detest when owners let their cats go stray - .

This really does get up my nose. I know the exact same can be said for dogs, however peoples attitudes, at least around me, are different to roaming cats than dogs. If its a dog then its a possible threat, but with a cat its "their nature". Anyway not really the issue of the thread so moving on.

paddyandy wrote: »

They are so self contained and need very little..

You hit the nail on the head for me anyway.

anniehoo wrote: »

They go against everything that us humans want...reciprocated and unconditional "love",which we generally get in adundance (as we perceive) from dogs.They wear their hearts on their metaphorical sleeve.

You can put years upon years of effort into "loving" some cats and they'll still go "meh!" and shack up with someone else without a second thought.

Couple this with the previous quote and you are at the heart of it for me. My dogs, throughout theyears have all shown the appreciation, happiness to see me, etc, etc. I cannot stand the indifference of cats. If they were people they would be lonely, independant, recluses with no friends and happy to be that way. Xenophobes if you will.

Thing is for as many people that dislike/hate cats there are as many or almost, that like them. I doubt i would change their minds to hate them no more than they would change my mind to like them.

mikemac

Found two stray kittens on the farm, don't know where they came from. I never saw the mother.

They were weak and one died the next day. The other was wormed, check up by the vet, feed and let sleep and nursed back to health.

And when she got a few months older she shacked up with the neighbors, even has a new name now

My dog would never ever do this. Cats just don't give a fook

I don't hate them but I don't like them.
Happy to look after a stray but I won't be homing any cats from owners

keithb93

I hate cats. There I was pouring a glass of water and some random cat nearly jumped in my sink through the window. Needless to say I closed it. I dont wish any ill faith against them but they are just not as loyal as dogs. Have you ever heard of a cat stop eating or sleeping when its owner dies besides moving onto a new one?

planetX

keithb93 wrote: »

Have you ever heard of a cat stop eating or sleeping when its owner dies besides moving onto a new one?

why do people look for that kind of sycophantic quality in a pet? I want a companion, not a minion.
And it's not true that cats don't give a ****, they just hide it better. It depends if they grew up with a loving owner, or living in a barn with a bit of food thrown at them now and then. They are the most fantastic company and ask for so little. Unlike the manic dog which is driving me to despair...... to sit by the fire with a purring cat on your lap is heaven.

Bullseye1

I've never been a cat person until I adopted a kitten. He is a house cat so he is always hanging around me looking for attention. He likes to play and especially fetch which he does better than any dog I've had. I guess it depends on the cats environment. But generally cats are just more independent than dogs and have not been as domesticated to the same level as dogs who show a lot more dependence towards us.

Bullseye1

I agree. It's unhealthy for people to seek this type of relationship with their pet.

planetX wrote: »

why do people look for that kind of sycophantic quality in a pet? I want a companion, not a minion.
And it's not true that cats don't give a ****, they just hide it better. It depends if they grew up with a loving owner, or living in a barn with a bit of food thrown at them now and then. They are the most fantastic company and ask for so little. Unlike the manic dog which is driving me to despair...... to sit by the fire with a purring cat on your lap is heaven.

mayobumblebee

I have three cats and i have to say they are very affectionate they are very shy i find around new people well bar one. This may be why most who don't own them think they are unfriendly because as as soon as you go into a dog house you are greeted by dog on your lap and licking you or loudly barking where as cats may either leave or just look at ya and go back to sleeping.

But if its just me and the fella or even if someone is round for good few hours, we get headbutts, cats rolling around on floor in front of us belly up looking for petting and the best is a happy cat purring away on the lap beside a fire.
I have on more than one occasion had to feed the cats before going to town as they follow me the mile to town meowing all the way.

they do show affection very differently than dogs.

Shanao

Jeez, we must have gotten very lucky with our cats. We've got eight in the house at the moment; four of our own and four foster kittens (though i have a sneaking suspicion that two aren't leaving) and they are every bit as affectionate and loyal as our dogs. We went away for a weekend there a few weeks ago and the person who came in to feed them got really worried because none of them would eat until we came back. When we did get back, I had to put up with the four adults sleeping in the bed for the following week because they would scratch the door down if we didn't leave them in. They've settled down again since but there's two in particular that have bonded with me, while the other two have bonded with the OH. And if I dont say hello to them when I get home, the two sulk for about two days and 'wont talk to me'. Its not all about food for our cats, they genuinely are loyal to us. Now they love anyone else who comes into the house and will climb all over them for attention but after a few seconds of it, it's back to us again.

The only thing I hate about cats is the maine coon's tendency to stick his nose in my eye to wake me up:rolleyes: Pretty sure that's just limited to him though

The Sweeper

keithb93 wrote: »

Have you ever heard of a cat stop eating or sleeping when its owner dies besides moving onto a new one?

Yes I have.

SlimCi

Firstly I hate them because I am allergic to their hair. Secondly even before I was allergic I always hated them because if to be honest I am afraid of them. They bite, hiss and scrape and try to plump up your legs if they sit on you. They are too independent and not cuddly enough or loving enough for my liking. Always think they are really manipulative!!:D Also next doors 4 cats live under my shed for the last 7 or 8 years and I have caught one trying to climb in the top window of the bedroom where the baby was sleeping in the cot. And they leave dead things all over MY garden.

krissovo

I am a cat "hater", ironically I also kind of own one. Well I feed a stray who has kind of made the place its own but its useful as I am in country in a new build with plenty of mice around. It will never come in the house though and I would not upset if it decided to take off.

Hates:
They kill birds, which I happen to like around the place.

In estates cats left to roam around and crap everywhere and kill birds, I blame the owners for letting it happen and for the hatred of cats.

I am allergic to cat hair and if one scratches me I swell up so badly I normally end up in hospital

They do nothing! Dogs will show love and obedience and are "mans best friend".

thebishop

Here is a piece from a BBC website..
"However, there is a quiet massacre taking place in Britain and other countries where cats have been introduced. The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) conservatively estimates that there are around 9,000,000 cats in this country and they kill in the region of 275,000,000 small animals each year. That figure of 275 million includes 55 million birds. That only works out at about 30 kills per cat per year. As many cat owners will testify, their cat may make two or three kills per day if it's a very good hunter. These numbers are astounding! It's difficult for people to visualise or otherwise comprehend just one million. The entire human population of Britain is less than 60 million and yet cats manage to kill almost that many birds in Britain alone, every year. Wow!"
And thats not including the large numbers of Butterflies and Moths and other insects killed by these pests.

lily4

Again bishop that is a call for responsible cat ownership..

XxMCRxBabyxX

Is it just me or could some of the things that people hate about cats also be attributed to dogs.

And the same the other way round. The things that people love about dogs can also be seen in cats

SlimCi

Probably, but I think to be honest that people usually fall into one or other camp through upbringing more than anything else.

Mo60

I was brought up only with cats, but when older ended up owning both cats and dogs.
Each have their attributes and each have faults. They show their affection in different ways but I enjoy the company of both.

Shanao

I've always had cats and dogs growing up and have both now as well. One of our dogs is very cat-like and one of cats acts like a dog (fetches and everything, sits on command). I feel that the things people hate about cats can be attributed to dogs, like the little ******* terriers that used to **** right outside our gate every morning. Dogs would do it all too, they just cant climb out of gardens as well as cats. Except for spitz breeds of course, especially huskies. Leaving all the irresponsible owners part out of it, why do people hate them? And do the people that hate them hate dogs as well? The 'they're too aloof and wont bend over backwards to please you' argument doesn't work for me because there are plenty of breeds of dog that are very much the same, especially the more primitive breeds.

planetX

thebishop wrote: »

Here is a piece from a BBC website..
"However, there is a quiet massacre taking place in Britain and other countries where cats have been introduced. The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) conservatively estimates that there are around 9,000,000 cats in this country and they kill in the region of 275,000,000 small animals each year. That figure of 275 million includes 55 million birds. That only works out at about 30 kills per cat per year. As many cat owners will testify, their cat may make two or three kills per day if it's a very good hunter. These numbers are astounding! It's difficult for people to visualise or otherwise comprehend just one million. The entire human population of Britain is less than 60 million and yet cats manage to kill almost that many birds in Britain alone, every year. Wow!"
And thats not including the large numbers of Butterflies and Moths and other insects killed by these pests.

how many are killed by cars? and loss of habitat due to human development?
I hope you don't drive or garden....

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.