What would you say to someone who said to you that they hate cats? Would you (a) smile politely and keep quiet (b) enter into a conversation with him to find out why he hates cats and try and convert him (c) ask him if as a result of his hatred of cats he abuses them (d) do as Christi Metropole did and say, ‘Sir, that is as offensive to me as if you told me you hated someone because of their religion or color of their skin’?
Christi went on to say, ‘Cats are victims of people’s hatred and cruelty because……’
The man backed up and retracted his statement. He was probably surprised to be confronted by an woman who knew her mind and who was confident enough to express her views.
You may have a different response. Do you avoid asking anyone if they like cats for fear that they might say they hate them and then what do you say?
I think we owe a duty to cats to politely (if possible) confront people who say that they hate cats. It may well be a neighbor and if so it’s potentially a grave problem.
I would enter into a discussion to try and get to the bottom of the reason for his cat hatred. I’d then try and explain to him why his hatred for cats was irrational and unkind. It always is in my opinion. There is no need to hate cats. Even ornithologists don’t have to hate cats. They should understand that (a) we can’t blame the cat for attacking birds because it is natural behavior and (c) humans are responsible for the presence of domestic and feral cats on the planet. Therefore is someone is to be criticized it is humans.
People who hate cats should be sensible enough to focus on human behavior and leave cats out of it.
Cat Containment
I mentioned the possibility of a neighbor hating cats. If you love cats and own one or two this situation can be dangerous for the cats unless they are confined. The only surefire way of confining domestic cats is with a specialist, customized cat containment fence. They are 99.99% secure and will keep your cats inside the confines of your home and yard (garden). There are may instances on the internet of issues with neighbors abusing cats. They someones say they hate cats and will hurt the cats if they wonder onto their property.
You often cannot reason with these people. The best or only course of action is to move (a drastic step but sometimes necessary) if the cat hating neighbor is particularly hostile and violent or build a proper cat containment fence. These fences bring absolute peace of mind to the owner. That is priceless and the cats are healthier provided the owner entertains her cats.
What would you say to someone who said to you that they hate cats?
Please search using the search box at the top of the site. You are bound to find what you are looking for.
I have sometimes told them there must be something missing in your head. On another occasion I explained to them about the Black Death and how the persecution and killing of cats was instrumental in the inability to contain or reduce it’s severity. The people who were responsible for that brought about their own demise all the quicker, and good riddance to them, I said, as the punch line. They couldn’t think of any rejoinder, so I just left it that. There is nothing fundamental in a cat’s behaviour that would justify treating them cruelly or hating them. The problem seems more to lie in a psychological and behavioural disorder of the human. Unprovoked unreasoning hatred is a mental disease.
Harvey, your conclusion hits the nail on the head. And I like what you’d say to a person who told you they hated cats. I would certainly try and put them right.
This is just total projection on your part and on the part of the person you are reporting on, and all cat-owners’ parts. Most people, when they say “they hate cats”, are really just more simply saying they hate and despise all cat proponents who let cats roam free. For they are the truly despicable and loathsome humans of the world. Cats are just an offshoot of human behavior. It’s not the cats’ fault, it’s the fault of those who like cats — they are the ones truly hated and despised and with complete verifiable reason. Unfortunately this hatred and vehemence gets transferred to their cats — since it is illegal to maim, torture, and kill the despicable and loathsome cat owner for what they do. That gets landed on their cats instead. In the hopes that they will learn how to be responsible and grown up into adults one day.
I guess you are an ornithologist! You generalise. A lot of cat owners keep their cats confined. Do you hate these people?
Then my reply to them would be ‘I hope ye come back as a mouse in ye next life’