People have an innate tendency to humanize the behavior of our pets, thus, we affirm that a cat loves us when it purrs quiet on our lap and that he hates us when he bites, ignores or scratches us. But is it really so? What do we know about feline behavior?
In this article on our site we will explain if cats can experience hatred towards people, we will review the different signs that your cat hates you, why they occur and how we should act in each case. Do you think your cat hates you? We will delve deeper into this topic below:
Why does my cat hate me?
Do cats hate humans? Although cats can show some animosity towards some people, the truth is that they do not experience a feeling of hate as we understand it. There are three main reasons a cat can "hate" a person:
- Socialization: Socialization is a sensitive period that begins at two weeks and ends at two months of age. At this stage the cat will learn to relate to people, animals and environments. If socialization has been deficient or absent, it is likely that the feline will develop fear or anxiety towards people, which would explain many of the behaviors that we will mention below and which can be interpreted by guardians as "cats hate their owners".
- Negative experiences and traumas: despite having correctly socialized our feline, a negative experience that leads to trauma can explain why why our cat is surly or scared. For example: the bathroom is usually an experience that, performed incorrectly in the adult stage for the first time, can cause trauma in the feline. It is likely that from then on the cat will avoid getting into the bathtub or avoid the person who bathed him.
- Learning: Regardless of socialization and lived experiences, each cat has a unique and individual character. There are cats that are more sociable than others and there is nothing wrong with that. However, if we insist on showing affection to a cat that does not want it, it is likely that he will begin to develop rejection behaviors. For example: if our cat knows that through the bite we will leave him alone, it is likely that he will carry it out whenever he does not want our caresses.
Now you know why a cat can show certain behaviors that, through human thought, can be interpreted as gestures of hatred, resentment or aversion. But what are they? How to know if a cat hates you? We explain them below:
1. My cat hides when he sees me
On some occasions we can see that the cat is hiding under the sofa or in the closet and does not want to come out, being impossible to find. We can also notice that the cat hides when people come. If we also observe a hunched body posture, low tail, drooping ears and very dilated pupils, it is likely that our cat shows fear of people The fear may be caused by the lack of socialization or by the experiences lived, as we have indicated previously.
It is important to point out that a continuous state of fear can cause the appearance of stress and anxiety, which affects well-being and homeostasis of the organism, thus causing a drop in the feline's defenses and, in the most complex cases, the predisposition to get sick more easily.
two. My cat avoids me and avoids me
In parallel to the previous point, we must also talk about those cats that have changed their way of relating to humans. We can observe that the cat avoids certain people, leaves the room when someone enters or, directly, does not interact with one or several members of the family.
Family members often state that the cat no longer loves them as before, because he no longer does some routines with them, like sleeping or being affectionate. The feline is also likely to avoid looking directly into the eyes of people or being grabbed.
The missing or broken link can occur for many reasons, but is usually caused by carer mishandling. Not understanding the language of cats, forcing him to do something he does not want or punishment are some of the examples that can cause this problem.
3. My cat hisses, hisses or blows at me
Huffs, growls and hisses are part of the language of cats and usually indicate discomfort and displeasure It is very likely that the feline show when we annoy you, scold you or do something you don't like. It is his way of warning us and it is important to pay attention and stop what we are doing.
The cat will make rapid tail movements, which go from side to side, which translates as irritation or discomfort. We can also observe the tail held high, as a warning signal, and ears back. In these cases it will be essential to spend more time with our feline to better understand what it likes and what it doesn't.
If we ignore these warning signs, behavioral problems are likely to escalate.
4. My cat attacks me
It is likely that if your cat attacks you you will interpret it as one of the signs that your cat hates you, either through biting or scratchingIn addition to the attack itself, it is possible to observe that the cat shows dilated pupils, the coat completely bristling and the ears completely backwards.
It is not pleasant at all for a cat to attack a person, in fact it is quite dangerous behavior, especially if we live with small children. It is important to note that aggression in cats is a problem that should not be ignored. If it is also difficult to predict when it is going to attack, a visit to a veterinarian specialized in ethology is essential, since all this is indicating high levels of stress, anxiety and even a he alth problem.
Furthermore, if we do not begin to apply specific guidelines it is likely that aggressive behavior will become chronic, generalize towards other people and be more difficult to deal with each passing day.
5. My cat is behaving strangely
The appearance of strange behaviors, such as the cat grooming itself excessively, using vocalization constantly or spending all day sleeping should warn us. It is not normal for a feline to show negative behavior towards her guardians and also Suddenly change habits
We should know that behavioral changes in cats are also caused by he alth problems Therefore, before suspecting that your cat hates you, we advise you to make a visit to the vet, in which the specialist will be able to rule out hormonal problems, pain, etc., which could be directly influencing our cat's behavior.
What should we do if we see these signs in our cat?
Now that you know "the signs that your cat hates you" you probably understand that your cat doesn't hate you, but that there are some problems in your relationship or in his he alth condition that need to be corrected so that he shows a more positive behavior towards you and/or towards people in general.
Before suspecting that the symptoms noted are due to a behavioral problem, you should see a veterinarian to rule out he alth problems Only then you can start working on your feline's behavior, with the aim of improving your bond.
How to get along with a cat? When it comes to solving bonding problems, we will completely eliminate the use of punishment, shouting and any other behavior that can trigger fear or aggressiveness in the cat.
On the contrary, we will use positive reinforcement to indicate to our feline what we like. We can use pets, cat treats, friendly voice, etc. Likewise, we strive to understand the body language of cats, an essential tool to understand them better, know their limits and relate correctly to them.
To finish, in the most complex cases, it may be interesting to bet also on the improvement of enrichment in the home and the use of pheromones for cats. All this will help us improve its well-being and, therefore, the behavior of the cat and the relationship it has with us.
