What is wrong with people who express their hatred for cats?

Dorethy · 07-06-2015 01:36PM

I grew up having cats as pets. All were very different personality wise ranging from incredibly affectionate to aloof to downright wild! I loved each one of them!

In recent years I've had dogs. Again each one different. Each one I've loved.

I've petted a friends cat and had her lie in my arm and purr despite warnings the cat does allow it, and sure enough had the same cat turn on me and dig her nails in and really hurt me.

Didn't hold it against the cat, (including any body parts!).

Discodog · 07-06-2015 01:48PM

The dislike of Cats goes way back in history. There is also a view that Cats don't need neutering or feeding.

My neighbours are teachers, so well educated, but they won't neuter their cats.

TerrorFirmer · 07-06-2015 01:54PM

Cats are fine, I've owned a few and they were nice pets, all were either killed or disappeared though. That's what I don't like about cats, always worried about them when they go out. Can't handle that! Do much prefer dogs in general though.

Shenshen · 07-06-2015 08:20PM

TBH, as long as they just talk big on the internet, I don't mind.

But I recently adopted 2 kittens, and the lady at the charity told me about a case that day where they were told about a feral cat having had kittens in an abandoned lot. Before they could get there to get the kittens (and the mother, to have her spayed), some kids got hold of them and burned them. Alive.

It left me absolutely speechless. She said they can't even charge the scum with anything, there's little enough by way of laws, and the guards had just laughed in her face and told her to mind her own business, it wasn't their job.

No, if you asked me what was wrong with those kids, I could give you quite a list there.

TerrorFirmer · 07-06-2015 10:29PM

Somehow I doubt that when she reported to the Gardai that someone was burning cats alive for fun that they 'laughed in her face'.

I think that must be one of the most over-used phrases in relation to alleged Garda incompetence/corruption. It's hardly ever 'our hands are tied', or 'I sympathize, but there's nothing we can do'.

No...they always seem to laugh at people. Laugh them out of the station.

Shenshen · 07-06-2015 10:34PM

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Somehow I doubt that when she reported to the Gardai that someone was burning cats alive for fun that they 'laughed in her face'.

I think that must be one of the most over-used phrases in relation to alleged Garda incompetence/corruption. It's hardly ever 'our hands are tied', or 'I sympathize, but there's nothing we can do'.

No...they always seem to laugh at people. Laugh them out of the station.

Well, they've since asked a lawyer to put together a file with all legislation around animal welfare, and gardai responsibilities vis a vis the same. They now always bring that to the police station to actually have it in writing what the guards' responsibilities actually are.

According to the lady, the guards have become much more cooperative now.

colossus-x · 08-08-2015 04:51AM

I don't get this erm I'm a dog person or I'm a cat person malarkey.

Erm I'm a giraffe person.

And this anti-cat businesses has been existence since well machismo was born. My macho brother saw his 10 year ole son petting the cat and told him to stop immediately. It's just pathetic machismo. My taxi driver dad was telling us about the carload of young morons he had with him once who were bragging about running over cats in their cars whenever they had an opportunity. The macho's have to laugh out loud at the thought to show how macho they are to their other macho mates. Pathetic in the extreme.

08-08-2015 06:03AM

Shenshen wrote: »

Well, they've since asked a lawyer to put together a file with all legislation around animal welfare, and gardai responsibilities vis a vis the same.

They couldn't figure out how to google the legislation on animal cruelty and ask another Garda about practise and procedure when an allegation is made?

Jesus!

Lawyer 1 cat charity 0

Medusa22 · 08-08-2015 09:32AM

As others have said, cats often comes across as aloof or indifferent so I think that people who don't own one often don't see what they are really like. My cat is terrified of most people so he runs away any time he sees someone. That means that people never see him climb on my lap for a cuddle, nudge his head against my face and he puts his paws on my chest when I am unwell. He loves to be close to my partner and I, so he naps in whatever room we are in and he comes to bed with us at night. I have never had such an affectionate and loving pet. He's also great fun, playing with him and watching him get up to mischief is the best entertainment

B0jangles · 08-08-2015 10:34AM

Cats can't help what they are, what I have a problem with is cat owners who take no responsibility for their pet's activities outside the house.

My neighbours have a couple of cats which spend hours a day hunting wild birds in my garden. If a pet dog kept roaming around the neighbourhood unrestrained, then you could call the dog warden to have something done about it, but cats? Nah, they can do what they want, crap where they want, hunt where they want. I think its largely down to the fact that a dog might hunt farm animals and cause financial damage, while pet cats just kill large numbers of wild animals that are of no monetary value (ecologically of course, it's a different story).

Bottom line, I think cat owners should be legally forced to house and control their pets in the same way dog owners are. Don't give me the usual crap about how "it's their nature!", it's a dog's nature to hunt too, but we don't let them roam freely 12 hours a day to follow their instincts, do we?

Dramatik · 08-08-2015 10:46AM

Well in that case then whoever owns the birds on your lawn should keep them indoors as well, I'm sick to death of birds ****ting on my windows and pecking the **** out of my nice front lawn. Don't give me the usual crap about how "it's their nature!"

ToddyDoody · 08-08-2015 10:46AM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Where has this irrational hatred of cats that some people express so vehemently come from? What is it about our feline companions that make people feel such hatred against them? Is it something people take up alongside hating ginger people and FF?

A friend of mine had a cat he didn't like. A nice, grey, long-haired female that wasn't particularly outgoing, didn't have the friendliest expression and was a bit on the fat side. The great thing was, she disliked him more.

B0jangles · 08-08-2015 10:50AM

Dramatik wrote: »

Well in that case then whoever owns the birds on your lawn should keep them indoors as well, I'm sick to death of birds ****ting on my windows and pecking the **** out of my nice front lawn. Don't give me the usual crap about how "it's their nature!"

Do you seriously not understand that there is a bit of a difference between a wild animal and a pet animal?

the dark phantom · 08-08-2015 10:57AM

Its generally the stricter and stingier people I know that hate Cats, Me thinks its because Cats are very independent and they know they can't control them, Cats take shíte from no one.

Rightwing · 08-08-2015 11:02AM

anncoates wrote: »

I kinda liked the idea that my cats (when alive) would easily piss off with anther owner if I died.

They were affectionate but retained an independent personality.

They didn't negate their essential personality as animals to become a craven extension of me.

It's like cohabitation really.

It was also mordantly amusing to think that if they were the same size as a large dog, they'd probably have attacked and eaten some of the children on my estate rather than regarding them with lazy contempt.

Some large dogs do this too. Can't see much amusing about it.:rolleyes:

ToddyDoody · 08-08-2015 11:06AM

the dark phantom wrote: »

Its generally the stricter and stingier people I know that hate Cats, Me thinks its because Cats are very independent and they know they can't control them, Cats take shíte from no one.

Studies have proven this.

secondattempt · 08-08-2015 11:11AM

Cats are much nicer to pet, they are like living teddy bears with their thick soft coats.

Dogs tend to have wirey hair and have this weird odour and even are too "clean" sometimes from having baths.

08-08-2015 11:15AM

the dark phantom wrote: »

Its generally the stricter and stingier people I know that hate Cats, Me thinks its because Cats are very independent and they know they can't control them, Cats take shíte from no one.

I think it's generally the more...single people who like cats. Spinsters, guys who spend all day playing war games etc. And a lot of them can be strict enough, lacking the social contacts that can wear the rough edges off a personality.

kylith · 08-08-2015 11:52AM

B0jangles wrote: »

Cats can't help what they are, what I have a problem with is cat owners who take no responsibility for their pet's activities outside the house.

My neighbours have a couple of cats which spend hours a day hunting wild birds in my garden. If a pet dog kept roaming around the neighbourhood unrestrained, then you could call the dog warden to have something done about it, but cats? Nah, they can do what they want, crap where they want, hunt where they want. I think its largely down to the fact that a dog might hunt farm animals and cause financial damage, while pet cats just kill large numbers of wild animals that are of no monetary value (ecologically of course, it's a different story).

Bottom line, I think cat owners should be legally forced to house and control their pets in the same way dog owners are. Don't give me the usual crap about how "it's their nature!", it's a dog's nature to hunt too, but we don't let them roam freely 12 hours a day to follow their instincts, do we?

This is the issue I have with cats. I actually do like cats, I think they're nice animals and I enjoy petting and playing with them. If my mother wasn't deathly afraid of them I'd consider getting one myself.

What I don't like is how if one of my neighbours gets a cat it becomes everyone's problem. You want a cat? Great, I'm delighted for you, but I don't want one so why should I have to be ok with it in my garden toiletting in my flowerbeds, digging up my plants to bury it, and stalking the birds at my feeder? I lost two goldfish from a garden pond to cats. Cats can, and should, be contained in the owner's property.

There is no other animal that people are so blasé about allowing to roam, and it leads to a lot of dead cats. People fret about their cat going missing and others will try reassure them that the cat has probably moved in with someone else (and how is this supposed to be ok? If my dog decided to move in with the neighbours it'd, imo, speak volumes about what kind of crappy owner I was), but everyone knows that the cat is most likely dead in a ditch somewhere. If I decided to let a dog roam and said 'well, that's the risk he'll have to take' if people asked me was I not concerned about it getting hit by cars, attacked by stray dogs, burned or shot or stabbed by scumbags, getting lost and starving, or picking up potentially fatal diseases people would, rightly in my opinion, think that I wasn't fit to have a pet if I happily sent it out to risk its life on a daily basis.

I fully support increased protection for cats in law, mainly because I believe that it'll force owners to take more care of and responsibility for their cats. It'd be a much harder for psychos to get hold of cats to torture if the cats weren't just wandering around the streets.

Medusa22 · 08-08-2015 01:34PM

kylith wrote: »

This is the issue I have with cats. I actually do like cats, I think they're nice animals and I enjoy petting and playing with them. If my mother wasn't deathly afraid of them I'd consider getting one myself.

What I don't like is how if one of my neighbours gets a cat it becomes everyone's problem. You want a cat? Great, I'm delighted for you, but I don't want one so why should I have to be ok with it in my garden toiletting in my flowerbeds, digging up my plants to bury it, and stalking the birds at my feeder? I lost two goldfish from a garden pond to cats. Cats can, and should, be contained in the owner's property.

There is no other animal that people are so blasé about allowing to roam, and it leads to a lot of dead cats. People fret about their cat going missing and others will try reassure them that the cat has probably moved in with someone else (and how is this supposed to be ok? If my dog decided to move in with the neighbours it'd, imo, speak volumes about what kind of crappy owner I was), but everyone knows that the cat is most likely dead in a ditch somewhere. If I decided to let a dog roam and said 'well, that's the risk he'll have to take' if people asked me was I not concerned about it getting hit by cars, attacked by stray dogs, burned or shot or stabbed by scumbags, getting lost and starving, or picking up potentially fatal diseases people would, rightly in my opinion, think that I wasn't fit to have a pet if I happily sent it out to risk its life on a daily basis.

I fully support increased protection for cats in law, mainly because I believe that it'll force owners to take more care of and responsibility for their cats. It'd be a much harder for psychos to get hold of cats to torture if the cats weren't just wandering around the streets.

I agree with you to a certain extent, I have a cat myself and he is an indoor-outdoor cat but I try to minimise his hunting as much as I can. He has a collar with a bell which annoys him endlessly but it allows prey to hear him coming (although it is not 100% effective). As for having cats dig up your garden, have you tried a safe cat repellent? So that the cats leave your bird feeder alone and don't kill your goldfish. I understand that a cat going for a shyte in your garden and digging it up can be annoying. http://www.cat-repellant.info/ Here is a link for safe cat repellent suggestions.

However, there are ways that I can minimise danger to my cat, such as he is not allowed to go out at night, we chose an apartment that is away from a main road so it reduces the chances of having him knocked down, and he is also neutered which reduces his chances of straying or fighting with other cats.

I have spoken to my vet about allowing my cat to go outside, as I had the same reservations that you have, and I still worry about him when he goes out of course. However, my vet assured me that it is the best for my cat, both physically and mentally. He needs the exercise for his health and he needs the mental stimulation. A dog can be walked and get enough fresh air and exercise this way but most cats will resist a harness, and we have tried to use one on him in the past and he stubbornly refused it. For me, it is about quality of life, rather than quantity. I know that he is at risk when he goes out, but I want him to enjoy his life for as long as he is alive, not coop him up indoors and have him sleep his life away and get fat. He is played with a lot so it isn't as if I ignore him when he is indoors, but nothing beats a good walk. If you think it is stifling for a person to never leave the house, I don't see why you'd think an active and agile animal like a cat should have to live like that.

I think you are coming from a good place, you don't want to see cats harmed and you don't want to see them neglected or for owners to ignore their responsibilities, and I wholeheartedly agree with you on those points. There are many cat owners who neglect their pets and these cats do find another family, and if my cat did the same I'd feel like a terrible owner myself. I'm all for animal cruelty laws being updated, and they badly need to be, but I also want my pet to have the best life that he can have.

It is all about compromise, for me I wouldn't have to worry at all if he didn't go out, and I could be relaxed having him at home, but I know that would be selfish of me.

OneOfThem · 08-08-2015 02:15PM

I have recently semi-aquired three feral cats. A mother and two kittens. They show up at the window of my apartment intermittently during the day, to harass me into giving them milk and tuna. Gorgeous little things.

whiskeyman · 08-08-2015 02:19PM

OneOfThem wrote: »

I have recently semi-aquired three feral cats. A mother and two kittens. They show up at the window of my apartment intermittently during the day, to harass me into giving them milk and tuna. Gorgeous little things.

They have semi acquired you!

Areyouwell · 08-08-2015 02:21PM

My main issue is not with cats themselves, but their owners. As Kylith said, why should it be acceptable for cat owners to allow their cats to roam and wander where they wish. It's not acceptable for any other pet. And my main dislike of cats, stems from they damage they do to the natural environment and their fondness of killing for fun. High time something was done to stop and control such behaviour.

OneOfThem · 08-08-2015 02:30PM

whiskeyman wrote: »

They have semi acquired you!

That'd me more accurate all right.

I was really surprised just how timid/wild they were at the start. Wouldn't come anywhere near the window originally even with milk there for them. A little less wary now to the point the mother would let me touch her. She was not at all impressed when I put my hand out to one of the kittens though. Didn't spring the claws, but just sorta tapped my hand a couple of times and then slowly pushed it back in through the window and gave me a look of "Sir, there'll be no touching of the kittens please".

Herpes Cineplex · 08-08-2015 02:34PM

secondattempt wrote: »

Dogs tend to have wirey hair and have this weird odour and even are too "clean" sometimes from having baths.

You must be interacting with the wrong kind of dogs then. The only dogs I know that fit that description, are those rats that were invented for handbags.

hatrickpatrick · 08-08-2015 02:40PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Where has this irrational hatred of cats that some people express so vehemently come from?

Eh... Where is this hatred of which you speak? Certainly among my own friends all I ever get is snapchats and Facebook pictures of cats either doing cute things, or funny things. Not exactly hatred.

There's the odd joke about cats being grumpy ("Cats are the kind of animal that would correct your grammar if they could" etc) but those aren't really hatred, just banter

DEFTLEFTHAND · 08-08-2015 02:46PM

OneOfThem wrote: »

I have recently semi-aquired three feral cats. A mother and two kittens. They show up at the window of my apartment intermittently during the day, to harass me into giving them milk and tuna. Gorgeous little things.

There's a female feral cat who hangs out around my workplace whose constantly pregnant, I feel sorry for her having to scrape around for food all day and keep kittens out of mischief, she looks totally worn out. The tomcats of course take no responsibility.

I've tried to approach her before but it's impossible to get close, she just hisses and legs it.

NotASheeple · 08-08-2015 02:48PM

Herpes Cineplex wrote: »

You must be interacting with the wrong kind of dogs then. The only dogs I know that fit that description, are those rats that were invented for handbags.

Funny you should say that, I was just thinking the same thing.

secondattempt · 08-08-2015 09:16PM

Herpes Cineplex wrote: »

You must be interacting with the wrong kind of dogs then. The only dogs I know that fit that description, are those rats that were invented for handbags.

Nope I'm referring to.my friends spotless black labrador type dog. Don't like the texture of dogs. They have hair not fur.

08-08-2015 09:47PM

OneOfThem wrote: »

I have recently semi-aquired three feral cats. A mother and two kittens. They show up at the window of my apartment intermittently during the day, to harass me into giving them milk and tuna. Gorgeous little things.

Milk is bad for kittens

What is wrong with people who express their hatred for cats?

Comments