# Why do some people (especially, it seems, men) hate cats? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413 "2004-03-30T22:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/121 "2004-04-04T15:57:46Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > OK, You don’t eat animals. There goes that argument, indeed. > > Nailing someone’s cat to a door… Criminal - yes, evil - definately. There was no indication of me not being serious, the thing is I really _really_ hate cats and I may have gone a _tad_ over the top with that post. You are certainly entitled to your opinion on cats or anything else. I do think your dislike for cats is irrational and beyond the norm for the relative negative impact cats have had on your life. JMO. Better to hatesomething that can actually hurt you, no? > [@](#): > > next time I’m talking about cats I’ll wait 10 minutes and read it over again before posting it. This would be much appreciated. Surely you understand that people feel very strongly about their pets, and when you talk about nailing them to a door or using them for target practice, people will become extremely upset. By saying those things, you must know that you are being purposefully inflammatory and shouldn’t be surprised when people get angry. A word to the wise… > [@](#): > > Thanks for the screens tip (trying to find out exactly what “screens” are. Some kind of drapes?), There are no screens on windows in Iceland? They are metal screens that you put down when you open the glass storm windows. The air can come in but nothing else. If your windows don’t already have screens on them, in the US you can go to a Home Depot type place and buy ones on springs that will open to fit any size window. That should reduce the carnage and annoyance in your home. > [@](#): > > I’ve actually had all kinds of insects and mice and such crawl in. They don’t leave a mess like the cats, I kill the insects and mice and no-one seems to care about that. Although I’m sure you do, come to mention it. The only animals I will kill are verminous insects that are unsanitary, like when I had cluster flies in my house. 1 million flies v. me, I have no choice. I also never have mice because I have 5 cats, and if they kill mice, how am I to stop them? > [@](#): > > And FYI some cultures eat cats, they even grow (cultivate? breed?) cats specifically to eat them. I’m not saying that just to goad you guys but don’t call someone a sadistic disgusting fuck or whatever you called **Scumpup** , just because he is of a different culture than you. FYI I knew that people ate cats, I do live on the same planet as you do. I am against eating animals of any kind, so you can’t call me a hypocrite here. Also, please don’t be disingenous: **Scumpup** wasn’t trying to rationally discuss his eating habits, he was trying to upset cat lovers. > [@](#): > > whales Ah ha, no respect for endangered species, eh? Doesn’t bother you that whales ARE intelligent and DO have feelings? Fine. This is a hijack for another thread. > [@](#): > > Anyways… I’ve said what I think of cats and now I’ve tried to minimise the damage I’ve done to the outraged cat owners out there. I don’t think I was trying to be mean but I really dind’t think enough about the feelings of cat owners. I’ll be more careful in the future. Thanks for saying this. I for one appreciate the fact that you are at least acknowledging that you’ve sad some hurtful things. Whatever you may think of us, we do love our pets and cannot but feel angry when someone talks about harming them in such a cavalier manner. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/122 "2004-04-05T16:34:15Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Animals.Are.Food. > They.Are.Not. Your. Friends. > Get.Over.It. > Okay? > > Really, there is something grossly wrong with you if you equate animals with people on any meaningful level. But, by the same token, not all animals are the same. Your basic livestock and fowls have been domesticated for thousands of years, principally to be food animals. Dogs and cats have also been domesticated for thousands of years, first as hunters and vermin-controllers respectively, but now primarily as companion animals. I realize that vegetarians will disagree with me on this point, but I don’t think of those two classes of domestic animals in the same light. Pets certainly don’t love their owners in any articulate sense, but, when well treated, they seem to end up needing their owners’ companionship as much as their owners need them. And there’s not always an obvious physical reason for that. When my wife or I need to be away from home for any length of time, our cats display definite signs of discomfort until we return. When we do return, if one of us has to dissapear behind a locked bathroom door, one or more cats will likely be waiting outside for us. And there’s plenty of food and water in their bowls. We’ve cleaned their box out. There’s no feline-care procedure that urgently needs to be done. Yet they follow us about, wait for us outside closed doors, and basically seem inseparable. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Vonnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Little\_Vonnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Vonnie)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/123 "2012-02-29T22:52:13Z")
I’m just curious why Gatopescado claims to HATE cats, but chooses the Spanish word for cat in his screen name? Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/124 "2012-02-29T23:59:12Z")
Because cats are assholes. Don’t get me wrong - I like cats. But they are definitely assholes. The old saw about “Dogs have owners, cats have servants” is pretty true. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/125 "2012-03-01T00:16:25Z")
Funny, I don’t know any man cat-haters. The main cat-hater I know is my mother, who to the best of my knowledge is not a man. Anyway, based on my observation of her, she is deeply insecure. She craves slobbery adoration, unconditional acceptance, and full obedience. Anything that doesn’t do that, she takes it personally. Dogs do that, so she loves them. Cats don’t do that, so she hates them. I shouldn’t generalize, but it does seem to me that dog people are on some level very insecure. In my book, following an animal around and picking up its feces in exchange for love is not what a self-respecting, well-adjusted adult does. Edited to add: I hate both dogs and cats, I just hate cats slightly less. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/126 "2012-03-01T00:28:34Z")
> [@Little\_Vonnie](#): > > I’m just curious why Gatopescado claims to HATE cats, but chooses the Spanish word for cat in his screen name? Hmmm.. Wouldn’t that be cat_fish_? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/127 "2012-03-02T00:11:30Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Because cats are assholes. Don’t get me wrong - I like cats. But they are definitely assholes. > > The old saw about “Dogs have owners, cats have servants” is pretty true. I came in to say this. I adore cats - definitely my favorite domestic animal. But they are furry little bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/128 "2012-03-02T01:17:08Z")
‘One cat just leads to another.’ - Ernest Hemingway. So tru. I have three and wouldn’t have it any other way. And I spent most of my life growing up with dogs. I love dogs and love the Divemaster’s wonderful husky and german shepherd, but I love my kittehs more. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/129 "2012-03-02T01:36:16Z")
I like cats but I hate that they have destroyed the reptile population in my apartment complex. The apartment rules allow indoor cats, but of course people ignore the rules and the manager isn’t up for enforcing them. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/130 "2012-03-02T01:54:01Z")
I’m really just neutral with cats. But the huge amounts of cat-love I constantly see just makes me want to hate them. In general, if a cat acts like a cat I’ll hate it. If a cat act likes a dog, I’ll be cool with it. I just don’t see why so many people own pets that fucking hate them. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/131 "2012-03-02T03:31:13Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > In general, if a cat acts like a cat I’ll hate it. If a cat act likes a dog, I’ll be cool with it. I just don’t see why so many people own pets that fucking hate them. Cats don’t hate you if you treat them well. I’ve got several, some of which act like dogs in cat suits and some of which are all cat. But all of them are affectionate, loving, and friendly. YMMV, I guess, but it does get frustrating when people just assume that all cats are aloof and hate people. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/132 "2012-03-02T05:35:38Z")
I hate zombie cats-but I do love my kittehs. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/133 "2012-03-02T06:20:55Z")
Paging **pseudotriton ruber ruber** … ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/134 "2012-03-02T08:30:10Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > **They have no redeeming value.** > > They stink. They ruin furniture with thier claws and various offensive bodily fluids and semi-solids. They don’t stay where they belong and always go where they do not, like counter-tops, tables and stoves. They are dis-loyal. They are picky eaters, y **et will often eat thier own vomit.** They shed excessivly. They cheat at “games of chance”. When caught licking their genitalia and anus, they give you a look as if to say, “What’s your problem, Girlfriend?”. They are financially irresponsible. They can’t use toilet paper, so basicly, whenever they are on the couch, they are wiping their ass on it. One hyphanated word: Hair-balls. > > I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: > > I hate cats. Addressing bolded item #1: Rodent control Addressing bolded item #2: No they won’t, they up-chuck, walk away and leave it there for the DOG to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/135 "2012-03-02T08:51:49Z")
> [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](#): > > Dogs chew up shoes and furniture. Two words: Proper training > [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](#): > > Try keeping a dog out of a toilet. Two words: Proper training > [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](#): > > Dogs eat shit. Their own. Another dog’s. The cat’s. Two words: Proper training > [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](#): > > Dogs choose to lick their balls at inopportune times. Like when the in-laws come over. Two words: Proper training I don’t hate cats (general). I’m indifferent to the cat as a species. I do, however, actively dislike - almost at the level of hate - those neighborhood cats who can’t be trained[sup]_)[/sup] to refrain from hunting at our bird feeder, piss on my stack of firewood and under the patio, or dig up my and my wife’s flower beds to use them as shitters. Every effing spring we have to walk around our garden to collect about a metric shit-ton of cat crap which has accumulated during winter and is happily peeking out when the snow disappears. I have no reason to actively dislike our neighbors’ dogs. The neighborhood dogs don’t hunt at our bird feeder, they don’t shit in our flower beds and they don’t piss on my stack of firewood. Because they’ve been trained not to. [sup]_)[/sup] And that’s the core of the matter, I guess: Anyone living in your house should either be properly house-trained, or kept in a cage. Be it your dog, your cat, your hamster, your children or your in-laws. A cat can’t be trained, and no-one is keeping their cats locked up in a cage. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/136 "2012-03-02T09:04:46Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > Wouldn’t that be cat_fish_? Yeah, sort’a. What he’s done is kill a catfish and translate literally the two halfs of the word - a living catfish is properly called a _pez gato_ (a fish is called a _pescado_ once it’s been fished, living ones are _peces_) - thus producing a fished cat. Kind of appropriate that the resurrection of a dead thread about cats involved a response to a dead fish (or maybe a dead cat). ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/137 "2012-03-02T09:06:50Z")
My cats are inside only cats. Part of this is for their safety, and part of this is so they don’t annoy the neighbors. All four of them are extremely affectionate beasts, who will pile onto you if you allow them to. Especially if you’re wearing clothes that can’t go in the washer. My husband used to dislike cats, because his stepfather hated them, and he never got to know them. However, my husband knew that I love cats, so he’s brought home a few over the years. And a couple of years ago, my husband went down to the Humane Society and picked out his own kitten. And then he rescued another young cat. Yep, he’s a convert. Resistance is futile. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/138 "2012-03-02T11:11:47Z")
I’m pretty indifferent to cats. I’ll step on the brakes when one runs into the street in front of me. OTOH, I don’t feel the need to have any in my house or shitting in my garden. The same goes for dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/139 "2012-03-02T12:00:41Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > In my last post I mentioned attending a class on cat behavior. I’ve attended several, actually, and a couple on dogs as well. > > The way it was explained to me is that if you want to study wolves to learn about domesticated dogs, you should study the pup/adolescent wolves. There was a word for this - and I thought I wrote it down, but I can’t find it in my notes. > > For example: adult wolves would never indulge in play behavior - they don’t need to anymore, they know how to hunt. Yet adult dogs will still play. I think the word you are looking for is “[neoteny](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoteny)” – It means the retention of juvenile characteristics in an adult. Dolphins likewise tend to remain playful all their lives. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413/140 "2012-03-02T13:15:55Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I’m really just neutral with cats. But the huge amounts of cat-love I constantly see just makes me want to hate them. That’s pretty much how I’ve always felt about Johnny Depp. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-especially-it-seems-men-hate-cats/237413.md?page=8)