Dealing with non-cat people?

Yep, I'd be interested in the "Why", too.

Maybe by asking the person, they would realize how ridiculous they sound, and re-think the attributes of a cat - with your help, of course.

Sometimes instead of getting irritated, you could understand the person's limitations, and try to teach them. If you play macho with the person, everyone loses.

Take the opportunity to teach - even if it is one person at a time.

Originally Posted by PebblesandMeow

I just have to vent a little, because I am so fed up!!!! I am SURE this has to have been discussed before but I am so

Without fail, everytime the discussion of pets comes up in a conversation and I talk about my furbabies, there will always be that person who thinks it is perfectly acceptable to respond to my gushing by saying, "I hate cats"

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I don't know but if you figure it out tell me! I had my kitten over at a friend's house once and she had another friend over. He (her friend) said something like "I hate cats-- if that cat comes near me I'll punch it." That was just a KITTEN! I found out though after talking to him a little that the truth was that he was really scared of cats.
I think next time someone tells me they hate cats, I'll just say "I'm sorry for you."

Originally Posted by carolinalima

It doesn't really matter to me... I think people can like dislike whatever they want... It's just fair to recognize others' right to feel differently from what we feel... I only take it personally when the comment is against my cats... My best friend used to hate specifically my cat in Brasil - he was the sweetest cat in the whole world!!! That I took personally, and I made a point to say that she was welcome to leave my house at any time, as my cat would continue to be around me, sleep with me, and it was too bad if she wasn't happy about it - I would not lock him up because of her. She always complained, but never left the house... so... oh well, her probem to deal with, not mine

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I agree. My sister in law comes over here occasionally, and she has loudly voiced her distaste for cats. Normally I just ignore her...she hates anything someone else likes, just so she can argue about something. The only time it bothers me is when she comes to my house and one of my cats is curious about the tiny noisy human (baby) and just wants to see what it is and she starts freaking out like they are going to kill her baby. My brother in law wants a cat really bad, he's a cat person, but she wants a dog b/c she is a dog person. Again, I think just to have something to argue about. I just want to slap her, and hate having her over.

I don't care if people generally don't like cats, it's when they don't like MY cats and make a huge fuss about it. I have never had a vicious, mean, or otherwise aggressive cat before, so there is no reason they should think one of my cats will suddenly go off and kill them. Sometimes I wish they would though....

i always ask why when someone says that, i think b/c im one of those really nice people who cant say anything mean to anyone, and you know its usually they are just not a cat person or some other stupid reason, if the convo goes foward with them telling me about the pets they have then i can deal with that and i usually say well im not a dog person either, but as long as we can carry on talking about the cute things our pets did and laugh about it, then its all good. if its someone that doesnt like animals at all, they are most likely miserable and i just say oh.

i totally "hate" kids...i mean i strongly dislike kids, i dont want any and for the most part they get on my nerves lol. i cringe when im out in public and theres a baby screaming and crying or a parents in a restaurant and there kids are screaming and running rampant all over the place, i really think they should have a "family" section in a restaraunt, cause alot of people go out to relax and they dont want to hear someone elses kids screaming at the top of their lungs...but in the same respect im not going to tell someone who has a kid that i hate kids and i do have friends and family with kids and i always play with them and are nice to them, i kinda force myself to like the kids i have to be around lol

Originally Posted by Mai_kitties

I once responded to this exact comment with "Oh my god that is such a coincidence. I hate ignorant people who hate cats."

The look on her face was priceless as she had no clue how to respond especially since she had sorta butt into my conversation that I was having with another cat lover. We continued our conversation without a beat as she just sorta wandered away.

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That is perfect!!!!
I try to adjust my responses to the situation. Sometimes I look at them with a long pause & then say, "Oh...uhm..cool" and act obviously uncomfortable, as if I've noticed they have a "booger" in their nose or a speck between their teeth. Once, a lady in line behind me at KMart, eavesdropped on my conversation with the checker, about our cats & announced that she can't stand cats and I said that maybe the cats she's met want it that way - cats can see into the soul

Well you can't expect everyone to like cats. I was once a cat-disliker. I guess I just didn't think they did anything other than lie around. But then I rescued a cat and now I have two. They have a certain charm. However, I don't understand those who have mean cats who hiss and growl at everyone including their owners. People put up with a lot with cats, much more than dogs. I guess they understand that their hissing and growling comes from fear, whereas a dog's behaviour may be from a number of different sources and they're trainable. A cat is too, to an extent, but overall, people tolerate more from cats than dogs. I work at an animal hospital and am surprised at seeing owners ooh and aah at their cats as they are hissing at them. My cats are sweet; one is not as affectionate as the other but if I'm hurt, he'll come over to see if I'm okay. I guess you could say to a cat hater that they could be surprised one day and find out they don't hate cats as much as they think they do. But, still, to each his own...you can't hate someone because they don't like cats. I guess they could respond in a more polite way or just keep their mouth shut. If they were asked, they could say, "I'm not into cats". I didn't used to be and now i'm on a cat forum....

I wonder how many people here who have cats don't have kids (and don't really want to?) It's an amazing coincidence.

Whenever someone tells me they don't like cats, I invariably respond with, "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Thanks for sharing". I don't want to be mean about it. I'm not a "dog person" (too allergic to really get close to them) but I don't go around spouting about it.

I just feel sorry for people who don't like cats. They've never experienced the kind of we have! They're missing an incredible part of life!

There are some animals people have as pets that I don't care for either. Ferrets, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits don't appeal to me, not to mention snakes, lizards, and tarantulas; I just don't see the attraction. I like birds, but don't think I could ever keep one. I wouldn't say that I "hated" them; I wouldn't even volunteer that I disliked them unless the matter came up.

I love the response, "What a coincidence, I hate ignorant people!" and I will definitely use that one when appropriate!

You know, I never really realized it before but you're all right, I find more men tend to dislike cats than women. My hubby is an ex-cat hater. He of course hid it from me when we first met because he was trying to get me to go out with him. It was my sweet Meowser that gave him a change of heart. The first night he slept over, Meowser (who usually hid from anyone other than me or my mom) jumped on the bed and started licking his feet. Of course, not knowing what was going on, my hubby freaked out. I kept trying to tell him how special he must be for Meowser to kiss him. That was the beginning of my hubbys love affair with Meowser and now he's even worse than me, showing off the hundreds of pictures of our babies!

I always say that Meowser chose my hubby for me

Usually, i dont respond when someone says that they dont like cats, as im talking about my cats. Sometimes ill ask why, and ill get an answer along the lines of "Im allergic" or whatever. It doesnt bother me really, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. BUT, its the ignorant people who know NOTHING about cats, and just dont like them, that bother me. Then theres my boyfriends sister. She really irks me. She is the type of person who does things just for attention. I hate to say this because it sounds awful, but she had a baby JUST so she could get attention. Also, she will say hurtful things to start an arguement. ANYWAY. She comes to our house to do her laundry every week and she always say things like "Your cats are ugly" or "i hate that ugly cat" talking about Monster. Then her cousin has a kid, and she had to get rid of her cats because they were moving to an apartment that doesnt allow animals, and bfs sister took one of them. But she always complains about this cat, how its mean and never comes out except at night. I tried to tell her thats prolly cuz the cat isnt used to kids and her son will go up to it and smack it and all of that stuff. Im sure he does that because when hes here and Monster is loving on him will straight up smack him, i always yell at him but his mom lets him get away with it with their cat at home. Then she will say how she wants to get rid of her cat but doesnt want to pay the $30 fee that the humane society charges to take an animal, so she will say im just going to let it go on the street. THEN she turns around and asks me if she can have Monster!!! And ill be like, why do u want my cat when u cant stand yours? And then she will say, because your cat is nice. Her cat is nice too, everytime im there he comes out and asks me for lovins. & then the next time she is here she will come out with "That cat is so ugly!" just to make me mad. I just ignore all of it. And if someone just admits that they dont like them bc they dont know anything about them, i tell them things and it changes their minds ya kno? Theyre mostly just un-educated.

I have actually told people who say they hate cats..that I hate children. If they say certain reasons why they hate cats, I will tell them why I hate kids. And it usually hits a nerve for them. But hey, insulting my cat or cats in general is like insulting my kids.

Originally Posted by Sparkie

I wonder how many people here who have cats don't have kids (and don't really want to?) It's an amazing coincidence.

Whenever someone tells me they don't like cats, I invariably respond with, "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Thanks for sharing". I don't want to be mean about it. I'm not a "dog person" (too allergic to really get close to them) but I don't go around spouting about it.

I just feel sorry for people who don't like cats. They've never experienced the kind of

we have! They're missing an incredible part of life!

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I don't have kids but really want at least one. I've experienced cat and dog love but the love between a mother and child is so special. Now that three of my brothers have had or are having kids, I go nuts over them. I've always been an animal lover but really didn't realize how much until I got my dog. But I guess part of the reason I got a dog was to fill the void because I didn't have a child. And now that I have 3 pets, I still feel that void. I love my pets, don't get me wrong. But I know I have a special connection to children and would like to have one with my own child. I had that with my nephew when I wasn't working but now that I'm working, I don't see him as much so that connection is weakened. And it's not the same as having your own child. It's kind of paradoxical because I love spending time with my nephew but at the same time, it painfully reminds me that I don't have a child of my own.

I don't feel sorry for people who don't like cats, dogs, rats or kids. It's their own opinion and they're entitled to it. I feel bad for those who really want a cat, dog, rat or child but for some reason or another, can't have one.

I'll be honest I didn't read all the posts. But not long ago, I was "that" person. I was not a cat fan. I grew up in a home where we had dogs--I had never know a person with cats really, and the few I did weren't good pet owners (I'm realizing now), they're houses smelled like cat box (then I thought it was just cat, but now I know it was litter box smell) and they let their unneutered and unspayed pets roam the neighborhood. I guess all I saw was that cats were sort of throw away pets.

I got to a place in my life where a dog wasn't a possibility. But I needed a furry companion if you will. The opportunity arose to take a kitten in and I seized that opportunity, deciding right then and there to provide the best I could.

I love cats now-I dislike a lot of cat owners.

Leslie

For me it's not so much the people that dislike cats. People have their likes and dislikes. Its just when they feel the need to interject their unwanted options as if by doing so they will make me see the light or to just be mean. Hence my sometimes not so nice responses to people who do this.

I don't just go around to random people forcing my funny stories of what my babies did last night. I know the other cat lovers in my life and we love to share. It would be different if I asked "hey what do you think about cats" but I don't. I find most the of people who respond with I hate cats are usually the people who are hanging around with nothing better to do with their time and are just sorta listening to our conversations.

If I'm with friends and the conversation they are having is about football, I don't make it a point to make sure everyone around me knows I hate football. If I'm asked I'll say something like "I'm really not into sports."

Originally Posted by Mai_kitties

If I'm with friends and the conversation they are having is about football, I don't make it a point to make sure everyone around me knows I hate football. If I'm asked I'll say something like "I'm really not into sports."

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Exactly; I prefer soccer. I think I have good reasons. But when I'm in a group discussing (American) football, I don't bring up my preference for soccer unless asked, and if asked I don't diss football, just say why I like soccer better.

Originally Posted by silvionc

In my age group mostly everyone I converse with has kids. I normally respond with “I hate kids†Then of course the conversation turns into “how can you hate kids†“omg your so mean, kids are so cute†and I say that exact same thing back to them about cats. If its someone I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know, or never met I normally just ignore them, if they “hate†an animal they are really not worth my time, or thoughts.

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That is so me, and so true

I'm like that with kids... I don't have brothers, sisters, cousins or anything like that. So I was used to being by myself a lot and haven't ever really felt close to children or felt that "motherhood pang" that hits. I'm cool with other people's kids but don't think I'd be a good mom myself because I wasn't raised around any.

I do however, love my cats like they were my children. I haven't quite come close to putting furbaby pictures on the mantle or having furbaby showers (can you imagine! LOL!) but I'm so close to my cats, it wouldn't surprise me if I did either of those things one day

It's sad that there's even a thought about a comparison between cats and kids.

Sorry.

I can understand how that might happen, but, it's still sad.

Originally Posted by AddieBee

Yeah, there is no convincing people. I try not to talk about my shelter kitties to people who don't like cats/animals. You could say, well, I am sorry for you.
And then move away. Don't engage. Some people want to engage in antagonistic conversation. My mom HATES cats, which is why I cannot foster directly. She had a bad experience as a child. She also says she doesn't like the fact that they rub on you, etc. Well, there is no changing her at almost 85.

And to people who says cats walk in their waste, hey -- dogs EAT their poo and roll in it and and are generally very smelly animals. And they track crap into the house. At least cats BURY their waste, dogs leave it everywhere or you have to pick it up for them. Ugh!!! That said, I love dogs.

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Cats are totally better than your average dog! I mean, I like dogs (kinda), but they are messy. My cat, Junior, gets annoyed whn he sees dog poo in the yard, and burries is promptly! lol He's really funny that way.

When people say they don't like cats, I take a deep breath and think of ferrets. I don't like ferrets. I'm sorry if there are any ferret people here, but when I see one something deep inside me rears up and screams "Noooo!"

That being said, I would never do anything deliberately cruel to a ferret, and if I were asked by a ferret owner to care for one when s/he were on vacation, etc. I would do my best to do so. I just would never choose to have one of my own.

I don't think that makes me a bad person, just not a ferret person.