10 Common Reasons Men Dislike Cats
Suggested by SMSSome people genuinely hate cats and many people simply hate a particular cat in their lives and stretch the dislike to the entire species. Men in particular harbour hostile feelings towards felines especially if their significant other owns cats. Cats can actually be the deal breaker when considering a relationship especially if the object of affection owns several. Whether this pet prejudice seem illogical to you or not; there are ten common reasons men dislike cats.
1. Cats Are Independent
People tend to like pets that fawn over them and cannot live without their owner’s company. Cats do not fit that mould. This personality trait is not true for every single cat; there are some who are insecure and clingy. However, the average cat will be very self-possessed and will exert their own will over what their owner wants at any given time. Cats do not always come when called (although many do as long as it suits them), will hide when you really need them to go to the vet, and hate to be restrained in any way. Cat lovers learn very quickly not to hug their pets too closely and to always let the animal go when they do not want to be cuddled anymore. Even docile cats will scratch to escape a tight embrace. If you try and force a cat to stay in your arms that animal is less apt to come to you again. Cats are not pack animals like dogs and do not require affection to survive. They can definitely fair better when alone or homeless than dogs. Despite being independent and proud, cats still gift their owners with attention and love if the human is worthy.
2. Litter Boxes
The very idea of a litter box can tip the pet scale away from owning a cat. Many people simply do not want a box in their home where an animal goes to the bathroom. Unfortunately litter boxes have gained a bad rap because owners forget to clean them enough and the smell and mess becomes overwhelming. Imagine having to step into a filthy outhouse every day that has overflowed and then you can empathize what cats go through in full litter boxes. Also, people need to have one box per cat in the house hold to avoid power struggles amongst their feline roommate. When a cat out of necessity starts elimination in areas outside the box it can become a chronic issue. Cats are creatures of habit and often develop favourite litters, areas and even times of day to go in the box. Try not to disrupt the routine and keep the box clean so litter won’t be the reason your cat is an outcast in the home.
3. Scratching
Cats like to scratch and you will never stop them from doing this activity. The only hope of saving your carpets, furniture, staircases and curtains is to divert their attentions to acceptable scratching areas. The fact to remember is that cats do not scratch to make you mad or because they maliciously want to destroy your possessions; they scratch because it is natural for them to do so. Scratching exercises their muscles, sharpens their claws and takes off the old covering on their claws. The easiest solution to the scratching dilemma is to buy your cat a post and put it somewhere convenient for the pet. If the cat does not seem interested in the post try rubbing some catnip onto the post. You can also discourage the animal from scratching areas other than the post by employing a few proactive tactics. For example, the judicious use of a squirt gun when you catch the cat scratching might change their behaviour but this method will not work when you are not home. Another effective method for stopping the scratching is rubbing fresh orange peels or spraying bitter apple on sofa arms and carpet to scare your cat away; they hate the smell. If you cannot stop your pet from scratching ask for advice at your local pet store. There are many products designed to keep cats away from areas in your house. These anti scratching products use scent, sound and texture to keep cats at bay.
4. Hairballs
There are very few things in life as surprising and disgusting as walking through your home, especially at night, and stepping on a warm, mucus coated glob of fur with your bare feet. Even seeing a hairball can forever put people off owning cats. Hairballs are produced because cats lick themselves clean, sometimes spending a considerable part of their busy day grooming and chewing on their fur. Cats don’t swallow their fur on purpose; they have no choice because their tongues have little backwards barbs on them which do not allow the cat to spit loose hair out. Most of this ingested hair passes through the intestines easily but sometimes if there is too much hair it mats up and can get stuck. Cats need to regurgitate the hair ball or serious health issues like blocked intestines can result. The easiest solution to this potentially serious problem is to brush your cat regularly. This will reduce the amount of loose fur your cat ingests and be a pleasant bonding activity. You can also feed your cat petroleum jelly or butter to help lubricate the passage of the hair wad and make sure you buy high fiber cat food to keep your cat’s digestive system healthy.
5. Cats Seem Perverse
Cats have very strong personalities which can rub people the wrong way. They run around the house, careening off of furniture and walls, knocking valuables off of shelves for fun, leaping down from cupboard tops with no warning and then attack your feet when you try to change positions in your sleep. Sharing your home with cats can be like living in a minefield; you never know what the day might hold. Men in particular have a hard time with pets that cannot be controlled or at least intimidated and cats tend to be immune to disapproval. One of the most common complaints by non-cat lovers is that these pets seem to take delight in leaping into the laps of people who genuinely do not like them. This behaviour seems like a deliberate act designed to annoy but there is a reason for the cat’s actions. Cats are aggressive animals and will make eye contact, move towards and hiss at other animals when threatened. People who dislike cats tend to ignore them, avoiding both eye contact and physical interactions. Cats see this type of reaction as extremely friendly so they jump right up to make friends. They don’t know the cringing person does not like them.
6. Allergies
Many people are allergic to cats and tend to hate the little creatures that produce such unpleasant symptoms. A common misconception about cat allergies is that all that congestion and red eyes is caused by the cat fur. This is incorrect. Cats have a protein in their saliva which is put on the fur when the animal grooms itself. This protein can also be transferred off the fur onto couches, carpets and beds when the cat walks, plays, sleeps or rolls around. Allergens from cats also can be airborne for long periods of time so you need to utilize several strategies to control exposure. Rubbing the animal with a microfiber cloth can remove some of its dander; this is more effective (and safer) then bathing the animal. You can also keep the cat out of your bedroom completely to make it a dander fee zone and wash all your bedding (and chair covers) at least every two weeks in hot water. Getting a high quality HEPA air filter system and vacuum can remove a great deal of allergens from your home. The easiest way to minimize your symptoms, besides getting rid of the cat, is to wash your hands after petting the animal with a good antibacterial soap.
7. Attitude Based in History
Some schools of thought maintain that men dislike cats because of the subconscious association to witches and continuing historical prejudice. Cats went from being worshipped by ancient cultures such as the Egyptians to being despised for over 800 years after the 10th century. Accused witches were usually women who performed healing and midwife duties. These independent women were feared and persecuted and their cats were labelled as witches helpers in the dark arts. Cats were thought of as agents of the devil and many believed that witches could turn into cats to perform their wicked magic. Hundreds of thousands of felines (sometimes with their human companions) were burned, buried alive, drowned and otherwise put to death in the name of protecting the church or community. Cats, especially black ones, to this day are still thought to be bad luck if they cross your path. This fear and distrust is not logical but catching sight of glowing cat eyes in the middle of the night can bring a shiver down many people’s spines.
8. Cats are not Manly
Stereotypes are not acceptable in modern society but several still revolve around pet choices. Cats have gained a reputation as being somewhat feminine despite the obvious macho attitude that most cats tend to exude. This misconception might have its roots in the familiar story about old ladies and their many cat companions. Countless jokes are made about mature single women who start to accumulate cats as a defense against their lack of masculine companions. This feminine scenario has no place for a single man and his cat. Cats are only considered okay as a man’s pet if he acquired the animal through his wife or girlfriend. Otherwise he would have a big masculine dog to walk and throw sticks to in the park. Despite these prejudices cats are actually perfect for men because they require very little maintenance besides feeding them and cleaning the litter box. Cats are also very forgiving if an owner has to work late or has no time for cuddling.
9. Cats Rub Against Everything
Cats despite their well-deserved reputations for independence also like to rub their faces and bodies against people. Women tend to love this type of appreciation but men are not as enchanted by the shedding fur and inevitable cat behind in their face. Cats rub against their owners for many reasons including the need to be affectionate. Cats also rub against things they want to mark as theirs in a territorial manner. Basically cats have glands located all over their bodies that secrete different pheromones which are used for communication through scent. When your pet rubs against your legs these pheromones cling to you and tell other felines that you belong to a cat. Cats also like to butt their heads against you to produce a shared scent which is comforting to the animal. Anyone who has tripped because of a cat twining through their legs can attest to the fact that cats will rub up against their owner when hungry as well. No matter what your cat is trying to tell you, it is obvious that rubbing and cuddling are crucial to feline communication.
10. Cats Are Not Dogs
The most prevalent reason men don’t like a feline is cats are not dogs. People tend to fall into two camps when it comes to pet ownership: dog people and cat people. Dog people enjoy the loyalty, unrestrained affection and need to please that canines display to their owners. Cat people are proud of the quirkiness, personality and self-reliance that felines exhibit. Cats should not be penalized because they are hard wired genetically in a different way from dogs. Canines are pack animals that are submissive to their owner because that person is the “alpha” in the pack. They display loyalty and obedience because many types of dogs have these traits breed into them over centuries. Cats are not part of packs and are in many ways still relatively undomesticated. Cat and human relationships are often give and take scenarios where each receives a benefit from the other. Cats are fed, kept warm and dry while humans get the pleasure of the cats company and occasionally a dead mouse or two.
I love cats, and so does my husband… in fact, it was his decision to get a cat rather than a dog!! We got one, then acquired another through a friend who was unable to keep it, thinking that they were both female… then we realized the second one was male, and ended up with 3 litters of kittens totaling 17 cats!! lol… we finally found homes for all but one, one of the kittens from the last litter, who was born with a slight deformity of his back legs, and despite the fact that he is extremely "talkative", sometimes annoyingly so, we couldn't be happier.
Lots of men love cats, I for one love cats and I'm a man! I really think that people who don't like cats might not just like them because it's their personality, not their gender at all or anything. Let's not forget that dogs can be just as affectionate as cats as well, but I have a hard time to believe that most men don't like cats because they're too affectionate or independant.
I'm a guy, and adopting my little cat 4 years ago was the best thing I've ever done.
If you spend lots of time with them when they are very young, they will bond to you (though I expect the strength of said bond varies with the nature of each individual cat)
i love cats….and i know a lot of men who love cats too…cats are great..
I really don't think people dislike cats because of their independence. I think a lot of it has to do with their annoying traits — scratching, biting, not using the litter box properly, getting up on counters, knocking things over, running about/jumping all over the room creating havoc, perceived aggression, etc. Of course not all cats display these traits and a good owner will be sure to train their cat well. My experience is that a lot of owners do not take the time to train their cats well. As a result I am not fond of untrained cats but I blame the owner rather than the cat. A well-trained cat with a sweet personality is a great pet. In my opinion, however, they are rare.
Allowing your cat outdoors is also a bad thing. Outdoors cats on average live only about 5 years vs the 15-20 life expectancy of indoor cats. If you let your cat outdoors you are allowing them to be a nuisance to your neighbours — pooing in gardens/sandboxes and killing birds and other wildlife.
Im a guy and i love cats, have 2 white female twin cats.
Also my parents cat is a outdoor cat and she is still alive at 18 years.
I have known many guys who had cats.I got a cat because of the fact that they are independent.A dog must go out every night or there would be a mess on the floor.A cat can stay in the house and you tend to the litter box when needed.Another way to protect everything from getting scratched is to have your cat declawed.If necessary the cat could fight off other cats with its back claws and they could still climb trees.It would be best to have it done when they are very young so they would not know that they had front claws and they would not miss them.
Cats are ok but they do have their own personalitys. And they have to be payed attention to just as much as any other animal. Yes some cats need to go outside or they will drive you nuts meowing. And if not the stinky litter box its the hair some of them shead regardless how often you brush them. And they often can scratch or bite young children that try to play with them. Ive been attacked more than once by a cat as a child. Ill stay with my dogs.
i dislike cats VERY much. they have no business being indoors whatsoever. they walk in their crap and urine and track it, as well as their litter pebbles, all over your home. their litter constantly stinks up your home, i don’t care how often you clean it.
they like to hunt, tag everything with their urine and spray so their scent is on it so they are familiar with their surroundings. they gore little animals, eat them, even keep them as trophies. they like to climb and explore. they like to eat grass and herbs. they like fresh water they can find in any array of places.
cats are not smart. what they know is merely hard-coded into their shallow little brains. think of a cat’s ability to think as ROM. they only know what God hard-coded into them; i.e., instinct.
i hate cats. they stink. they are stupid. they are moody, pissy, bitchy, often unfriendly. they make me sick. the stench of their urine gives me migraines. the smell of their crap makes me want to vomit.
house cats don’t know they have to bury their crap. house cats spray everything and piss everywhere. house cats often miss their little box, walk through their crap, and track it everywhere. house cats don’t know they have to clean themselves, so my cat is *always* filthy and disgusting, like birds are.
having a cat in my home for 10 years now has made me hate cats, and i used to think they were pretty cool. i believe cats belong ONLY outdoors so they can really live how they’re supposed to; hunting, crapping on everything, pissing on everything, erratic and defensive behaviour, climbing trees, etc. do your cat a favour and make it an outdoor cat.
BTW, i ONLY agree, in partiality, with item #2 above. but, even though i clean my cat’s litter box 3-4 times per week, it still absolutely disgusts me, stinks my house up, and makes me want to throw my cat outdoors permanently to fend for himself. i just don’t have the heart to leave him there at 14 years old now.
I don’t dislike cats as individuals – they are likable creatures. But I disapprove of them en masse because they kill a lot of birds.
I don’t have anything against cats, i would keep one but I’m just scared of their claws. would they actually hurt people?
Cats aren’t manly, why because they’re small? think of the animal camps like this: Cats are the guys on Big Bang Theory, Big gogs are football players, Small dogs are the guys with their pants around their knees that think they’re threatening.
“People tend to like pets that fawn over them…” Really? do fish fawn? Snakes? Lizards? Gerbils?
“They can fair better when alone or homeless than dogs.” bullshit
“Despite being independent and proud, cats still gift their owners with attention…” puh-lease. Please look up the definition of Anthropomorphize. The fact is, domestic cats just don’t have the wiring in place for the kind of socialization that dogs and humans enjoy. Cats are primitive, stupid creatures that really only know how to eat, shit and sleep.
I dislike cats because a lot of them don’t bury their piss and shit, and it makes the whole house smell so bad, not even a fly would want to be in it.