Why is there such a significant amount of people that dislike cats? (kittens, carpet)

[ColdAilment]

I've met many people who either completely despise cats and don't consider them to be proper pets at all, some people who are terrified of them, and some others who just don't care for them, citing that they are selfish and not affectionate animals. What causes cats to get such a bad rap?

[catdad7x]

I don't know if the number of people who dislike cats is large/significant or not. But I believe that a good portion of those folks who say that simply have never been exposed to cats, or been around them very much, and tend to believe all those old myths that are still prevalent today. I've read many accounts (and actually know of some first hand) about non-pet people or confirmed dog lovers that end up with a cat on their hands, and be smitten and converted in short order.
There are always going to be those who don't like animals, and won't have a pet of any kind. But I think that a lot of so-called 'cat haters' simply don't know much about them & have no experience with them.
Unfortunately, they don't know what they're missing.

[=^..^=]

I was about to post something similar to what catdad7+ posted. I'll just add that in come cases I suspect the person's only experience was to an unfriendly cat or perhaps one of the rare outright mean ones. That turned them off to all cats.

[catdad7x]

Originally Posted by =^..^=

I was about to post something similar to what catdad7+ posted. I'll just add that in come cases I suspect the person's only experience was to an unfriendly cat or perhaps one of the rare outright mean ones. That turned them off to all cats.

That's a good point. If a persons only exposure to a cat happened to be a particularly territorial or unfriendly pet, or perhaps a neighborhood feral, then they are going to have an unfair and unwarranted opinion of all cats in general. Could also be an unpleasant childhood experience with one. As with many things in life, pre-judging something you have little knowledge about can lead to an unfair & biased opinion.

[Sunnydee]

In my experience the people who don't like cats have never had one as a pet. I readily admit I'm a dog person, but I have had cats at various times in my life and found them to be very cool creatures. One super smart cat I had could open every door in my house, could fetch, and was incredibly empathetic. He was amazing really. The reason I don't have cats any longer are because I don't want to deal with the shedding and the jumping on the counters where I prepare food.

[ColdAilment]

I think all of you bring up good points. Most of the people I have spoken with that have a disliking or misunderstanding of cats have also never had one as a pet, and most of their interactions with a cat were in passing, and mostly to a cat that was skittish of strangers in one form or another.

I've had a few people who don't much care for cats meet mine, and they are usually pleasantly surprised at how friendly and easily approachable they are. Too many people try to compare cats to dogs and measure their friendliness and sociability in that manner; well cats and dogs are a breed apart and you can't expect them to behave the same way. Cats show affection in different ways, they have their advantages and disadvantages over dogs, but I prefer to call them differences.

One separate thing that I think sets people off about many cats is the scent they sometimes leave behind, especially cat urine. If a cat has soiled carpet or bedding in a house it can be very difficult to get rid of, and the scent is particularly more foul than anything a dog would leave behind. Of course a cat with a good owner and good training generally isn't going to go around spraying your house.

[TerraDown]

I have to agree with all the other posters. Some people just don't get along with animals other than their own kind, period.

My next door neighbor has a friend who absolutely hates cats. She turned us off right away. Who does not love an animal of any kind?

He is kind and compassionate, fed a couple of strays that he also paid out of pocket to have spayed, and until she showed up, the cats were not reproducing, lived outside, and were happily living their small time here.

Because of his comprising nature, he allowed her to essentially bully him into not allowing them food, walk on his porch, nor be anywhere on the property.

That had my wife and me scrambling, because poor said beings were now coming over here and interfering with our one, neutered feral's space.

Thankfully, he found his cajones and just kicked her out.

Maybe like others said, you must observe each creature and accept it for it's place in this world, not be so judgemental.

Cats are different than dogs. And I like that.
(btw, I also own a huge dog)

[kaelti12]

I think a lot of people don't find humor in the facts that cats can, and are Moderator cut: language removed sometimes. I think cat antics are hilarious and they much cleaner then my dogs lol
We do only have dogs though, my husband is allergic to adult cats.

That's how it is in our circle of friends anyway. "cats are jerks, dogs are awesome"
...however if you hand them a kitten(we have 3 fosters) they just melt into kitten loving dudes.

[ColdAilment]

Most people seem to have a special place in their hearts for baby animals, kittens and puppies are especially cute, and even a cat hater should have their heart melt if they're holding a kitten.

[mishigas73]

My partner admittedly was never a cat person- his only experience with cats were either ferals or barn cats. My last cat definitely converted him. He readily agreed to adopt two kittens this past weekend.