Why do so many people hate cats?

I live in a rural area and a lot of the people in my town lived on farms at some point in their lives. A lot of them don't like cats and maybe it's because they only really had contact with barn cats, and some of these were probably semi-feral or feral.

I know some other people with a farm background who like cats but feel that cats absolutely do not belong in a house.

Originally posted by Sammie5
I was a "dog" person. It took two years for my landlord to convince me to get a cat. My standard answer was always, but I don't like cats! I was always raised with dogs, and even though there were friends with cats that I was quite happy with, I never thought I would like to have one.

There is a vast misconception about the nature of cats among people who don't have any. I thought they were such independent creatures there was not much point in having one as a pet, they merely occupy the same space as humans, but don't care to interact.

My cats follow me around. They wait for me to come home at night. They stand on the stairs telling me their day, and telling me off if I am home late. They just wait for me to sit down so they can sit beside me, or watch me do nothing at all. They let me know what they think of everything that happens in our little world. I cannot imagine how these creatures can possibly fit the preconceived image I had of them.

So where does that image come from? I think from other people who have had cats, and who didn't bother to get to know them and bond with them.

As my sister told her dog, you're lucky we got you first, because if we had gotten a cat, we would never have bothered to get a dog at all.

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I don't really like most dogs because they're loud and stupid. I like the quiet dogs that don't slobber all over the floor and constantly scratch.

Salem follows me around, too. He gets upset if he sees me leaving the house, even to go to the mailbox, and goes after me, meowing pathetically. He waits for me when I get home.

Maybe a lot of people don't like cats because they're um, snobby. Like Salem makes sure everyone knows he's in the room by announcing, "MEOW!" and strutting in, like he is king of the house.

ppl also make cruel jokes about them

I used to be a dog person too. Actually, I still am but Im now an avid cat person too I just love animals in general, but my real loves now are cats and dogs.

I probably wont have my own dog for a long time, as a single mom who works 40+ hours a week, I just cant have one right now. It wouldnt be fair.

Thats what triggered me to get my cats. And now I am completely hooked. I love these guys more than some of the dogs Ive had in the past. I guess I used to not care for them as much mostly because of what I experienced with them as a young child. My mom and sister are allergic and dislike cats, my dad HATES cats and is slightly allergic. We did have 2 kittens for a while before this was realized though, and they were mean (or perhaps just didnt like little kids? I was always gentle etc)and scratched the heck out of me.

Now that I am older, it is different though. In fact, Im having a VERY hard time not getting more cats

Originally posted by MamaKat
I used to be a dog person too. Actually, I still am but Im now an avid cat person too

I just love animals in general, but my real loves now are cats and dogs.

I probably wont have my own dog for a long time, as a single mom who works 40+ hours a week, I just cant have one right now. It wouldnt be fair.

Thats what triggered me to get my cats. And now I am completely hooked. I love these guys more than some of the dogs Ive had in the past. I guess I used to not care for them as much mostly because of what I experienced with them as a young child. My mom and sister are allergic and dislike cats, my dad HATES cats and is slightly allergic. We did have 2 kittens for a while before this was realized though, and they were mean (or perhaps just didnt like little kids? I was always gentle etc)and scratched the heck out of me.

Now that I am older, it is different though. In fact, Im having a VERY hard time not getting more cats

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Very similar to my history. I grew up with dogs, would have had a dog years ago -- except for the lifestyle thing. I was single, working, had a longish commute, and no way of taking a dog with me -- you don't do that to a dog. So I decided to get a cat -- more independent, could be left alone, etc, but you could still have a relationship with it. Little did I know! Shasta educated me and there was no turning back. One day, maybe after we're both retired, I'll have a dog, but it won't be before I can either stay home with it or take it with me pretty much everywhere. Meanwhile, and forever, I will not be without a cat, or more, if I can help it.

As for why people have these negative attitudes toward cats, I think it's because they believe that you have to be human to be a person. They probably haven't even articulated that thought to themselves, but to those people the term "person" assumes a member of their own species. If they acknowledged the personhood of other species, they might be more ready to allow a relationship to develop, rather than implicitly demanding that the critter immediately fall all over them and bend to their will. After all, when you meet a new person of the human persuasion, do you expect to be fast buddies right away? NOT. So, why call a cat "aloof" for taking its time in getting to know you? Dogs, of course, stroke these people's egos, with their willingness to be friendly and demonstrative right away.

I posed this question to a friend, and he said he has always noticed that people who strongly dislike cats don't have such great personalities in other areas either.

Something I meant to include earlier was how some people DO change their stripes and learn that cats are good people, too.

My Dad was one. He was never a cat person. I don't know if he'd have said he hated them, and I know he'd never have hurt one, but he certainly wouldn't give one the time of day, so to speak. He was converted, in spades, by Gryphon. There'll never be another Gryphon for him, but now he's flattered when the cat who lives on his floor in his care facility chooses HIS chair to claim for a nap.

Another is the person who was responsible for Gryph's presence in our lives in the first place. Their human did NOT want to let them go. The official story, and there was an element of truth to it, but it wasn't the whole story, was that she had developed allergies and simply couldn't cope. In reality, the most serious "allergy" was her new partner, who was a dog person from way back, and couldn't cope with a critter that didn't fawn on her.

That's over 10 years ago now, and they both still want a critter or two. Sallie, the new partner, said to me the other day, "Guess what we're getting"...I said, "No! not really", even as she was holding up two fingers and grinning all over. Seems they went to see some ragdolls and Sallie is positively smitten. The babies come home in less than 2 weeks. And unless I am VERY mistaken, all will be VERY fine.

But I sure wouldn't give back the years we had with Gryph (and Nibs) as a result of the "allergy"!!

Raggies can convert anyone

Originally posted by RaggieMom

Raggies can convert anyone

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I've never met a raggie. Sallie had pics. My God, they were cute! She's not generally a heart-on-the-sleeve type person -- pretty matter of fact, actually -- but she sure was melting all over the place about these little critters!

Why do so many people hate cats? In one word....STUPID!

Not to offend anyone that doesn't like cats or semi-doesn't like cats(like my hubby)but that is the first thing that popped in my head when I read that title Sorry if I offened anyone on here.

How can anyone NOT like cats?

Gosh they are beautiful creatures!

Nah, but I agree media etc is giving the ole' feline catus a bad name, sadly!

I think that one reason people don't like cats is that they challenge the commonly-held belief that humans are the superior species on the planet. Dogs, due to their social structure, often make their guardian their alpha, which just reinforces some people's idea that they are superior. But cats, you have to work at a relationship with them, and I don't know about anyone else, but Ivo is definately the alpha in our apartment!

Dean Koontz loves to portray dogs os the heroes and cats as nasty creatures. Like in The Vision one of his books theres a cat in there that the cop wants to kick out at becuase it's a nasty creature.

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I like Dean Koontz books, but this proves why I like Stephen King better. For instance, Cujo....And if any of you have seen "Cat's Eye" a film by Stephen King with Drew Barrymore in it, you'll see a cat play the hero!!! It's a little scary, not bad comparing to today's horror films!

Originally posted by okeefecl
I think that one reason people don't like cats is that they challenge the commonly-held belief that humans are the superior species on the planet. Dogs, due to their social structure, often make their guardian their alpha, which just reinforces some people's idea that they are superior. But cats, you have to work at a relationship with them, and I don't know about anyone else, but Ivo is definately the alpha in our apartment!

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I think you've hit the nail on the head!