I have been doing the A-Z of cats and dogs which got me to really thinking about this: I know for a fact there are people that, for some reason, really hate cats. I've never been able to fathom out why this is and I feel that it perhaps males that feel that way about cats more than females do. I've seldom, if ever, met anyone who has said they hate dogs. Wary of them perhaps but not a hate of them.
Men certainly seem to favour dogs and I often wonder if that is because dogs in the main are controllable and are there to please their 'masters' most of the time. Cats on the other hand will do what they do when they want to do it and you just better remember that. Our Precious is reasonably obedient which is surprising for a cat but she can also be bossy at times.
P.S. Jenny, the lovely English lady that cleans our house for us once a fortnight, has a phobia and it is the fear of cats. It is Ailurophobia (the persistent, irrational fear of cats) and I'd never met anyone before who has that phobia. Her mother apparently also is not happy in the presence of cats. Our Precious, although twelve and half, is still very timid when it comes to strangers but she has become accustomed to Jenny being in our home regularly so will now come in to the room when Jenny is there. Jenny tolerates it but doesn't like Precious to look directly at her and I have to make sure that Precious, now she has lost her fear of Jenny, doesn't suddenly take it into her head to go near her.
With my love of cats I can't imagine how one could be frightened of them. Have you ever known anyone who has Ailurophobia I wonder.
Yes. I knew a woman who was terrified of cats. She believed that given half a chance any cat would needle her. And also believed that all cats would deliberately smother babies in their prams/cots if they had the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI don't think her fears were rational - but fear isn't. Which makes it so hard to deal with.
I like both cats and dogs but unsurprisingly cats are first in my heart.
So obviously the lady you knew did suffer from that phobia. I do remember when I was young hearing that story of never leaving a cat in a room with a sleeping baby. Not so much because they would intentionally but they would cuddle up in the warmth of the pram/cot and with the baby being tidy it could be smothered.
DeleteCats also come first in my heart and always will.
-chuckle- what a great post Mimsie. Both my daughters LOVE their cats with one daughter fostering kittens and finding forever homes for them.
ReplyDeleteI don't hate cats - I cat-sit so I mustn't. But, :( I do avoid them as much as one can with two cat besotted daughters - because I ITCH like crazy from the cat hair!! Apparently I've been told it's the barbs? at the end of their hair. I'm not allergic as such I just itch!
Well done both your girls. If I lived in the country I'd have more cats or would have done when I was younger.
DeleteI am sorry to hear they make you itch. I had a friend who suffered badly from asthma and cats were one of the things that set it off although over the years it became less so. She unfortunately loved cats so it was sad in her case.
I've just recently heard from a third person that my brother hates cats. I've no idea why, but will ask him when he visits in July. I may have to confine Angel to the back porch for that visit. I've known a few men in the past who SAID they dislike cats, but were happy enough to leave my cat happily purring on their laps. I like dogs too, but I would never own one of the small yappy breeds. yap yap yap yap yap, drives me nuts. I'd much rather hear a good woof!
ReplyDeleteIt is Angel's home so perhaps your brother should learn to tolerate cats and as long as he's not cruel to Angel it is a shame if Angel has to be shut out.
DeleteI couldn't help smiling about the gentlemen you knew who didn't like cats but.......men can be so funny.
Neighbours across the road from us own a yappy dog but fortunately keep it inside but if either of them sits on their front porch to have a smoke the dog comes out with them and yap yap yap. I think that dogs who just do a deep-throated woof are much better.
I'm not supposed to be here, today is Time-Out Tuesday, when I don't blog or comment, but I need to reassure you my brother is not at all cruel and would never hurt Angel. He would just be unlikely to pick him up for a cuddle. The back porch is large and Angel loves playing out there anyway. So many nooks and crannies for him to explore!
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned above, there are many who succumb to old wives' tales about baby smothering and cats as witches' familiars and the like. It is surprisingly prevalent and, as stated also, irrational. What most folk forget is to learn Cat as a language - or for that matter, Dog. Just because we have forgotten how to interpret visual signals doesn't mean it is any less subtle. Folk who dislike or fear cats will, in reaction, flinch and narrow their eyes - perhaps only marginally, but enough for the cat to read it in its own language. Eye narrowing and flinch of ears is a 'come on'!!! How often I have heard folk say, "I don't like cats but they always come to me..." With dogs it is the opposite - straighten up and widen your eyes and you are asking for fun and games. Which explains why very often cats and dogs are at cross purposes. If they grow up together they learn each others' language.
Slightly off topic I got!! But it is related - fear, simply put, can never properly be explained. It can be overcome if the sufferer is willing to push it. For example Mimsie, you admit fears of spiders being close - whilst I have no issue at all. (In OZ of course, there is sensible reason to be cautious!!)
Fear of dogs is often founded in bad experience, therefore is not so much of the irrational kind but the 'once bitten twice shy' variety. I have assisted folk to overcome that with my own pet, but it doesn't mean they will be comfy in every situation. The idea that dogs 'smelling fear' will bring trouble is nonsense. But they will try to please and so do all the coming up and wanting to be close which can aggravated when folk pull back and - worse of all - raise their arms, which is a clear signal to jump... which comes down to ignorance of the human and over enthusiasm of the dog resulting in total panic all round.
Then I have friends who will only have cats and others only dogs. The first say that a cat's independence and cuddliness is their preference (men and women), the second say it is because they prefer the interdependence and ability to interact more with dogs which appeals.
Me? I just love animals. Full stop. Not every one of every animal...after all, much though I don't want to admit it, I don't like every human I meet... &*<> I'll stop now... YAM xx
Yam I loved your comment and understand all that you were saying an agree wholeheartedly with you. I love the way cats narrow their eyes when they want to be friendly. Precious does it when she wants something and I narrow my eyes back at her. We also talk to each other quite a lot and she makes many different sounds which mean different things.
DeleteI am sure many people don't know how to teach dogs to be obedient and after a while just give up and then they have a problem dog which often has problems with people. A vicious circle of their own making.
As you say one can dislike certain animals and certain types of people as well. We are, after all, only human. xx
An interesting post Mimsie. I grew up with a Ginger Tom who was a much loved family member, and we also had beloved dogs and rabbits. Since I was married 38 years ago we have had one family pet, a dog who was very precious to us. We moved around a lot in those days having married a navy man and didn't get our dog until we had settled more. I have never heard of Ailurophobia but hubby is one of those who isn't very fond of cats. He didn't grow up with them though his family did have dogs. When family members added cats to their family, he had a couple of bad experiences, one as he walked into a room with one of the cats and she arched her back, bared her teeth, took a running jump at him and gave him a nasty bite. She had been a feral kitten and was very leery around strangers. I always wanted to pet these cats but they wouldn't ever come near me. Not sure if we will ever get another family pet but if we do it will probably be a dog.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame your husband had that bad experience with a cat. A few years ago we had a feral cat and her kitten arrive in our back garden. We fed them both but there was no way you could get near them. Eventually we had to ring the Cat Haven who provided us with two traps. It worked and the animals went into the traps after the food there. We immediately telephoned for the traps to be collected but if we even went near them the spitting and hissing was quite frightening. I felt so sorry as I would have given anything to tame those two animals but there was just no way it could be done.
DeleteI hope you do get yourself a dog one day as I always feel a house without a pet of some kind is not a real home but that's just me. Cats and dogs make wonderful companions.
I grew up with cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, fish, turtles....farm animals...wild animals...I have a healthy respect for anything with teeth and claws but fear???? no.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was small of course we had cows and a horse plus a cat too of course. I have loved animals since I can remember although have a healthy regard for some which can be a little threatening.
DeleteCreatures in water though are a different kettle of fish (no pun intended). Not keen on sharks, crocodiles and the like. Not one little bit but then I don't intrude into their world. Have always kept well clear of it in fact.
Hi Mimsie, I am back as I realized I had not answered your question. First of all thank you very much for stopping by my Bald Eagle post. You wondered why they were called "Bald" Eagle when they weren't really bald. Well, I'm glad you asked as I didn't know myself and so I went and found out. The answer I got was that the word "bald" comes from an old English word "balde", meaning white and so that's how this particular eagle got its name, because of its white parts, head in particular.
ReplyDeleteDenise thank you so much for that. I of course could have Googled it as well. Must be getting older than I thought as I am always Googling looking for answers to one thing or another.
DeleteWhen I read your explanation something in the back of my mind clicked so perhaps years ago I had heard why the bald eagle is so named. Thank you again.
Hi Mimsie! I'm so sorry I haven't visited your lovely blog in quite some time. I'm trying out a new "time management" schedule and hopefully that will help me! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't "hate" cats, but I've never been a cat lover, and only because 99% of the cats I've ever been around have been skittish, and have really scared me...even as an adult. I've met a couple of darling cats, though, in the past couple of years (friends' cats) and I just love them. Why? They act more like dogs! LOL
Becky please don't apologise as I don't visit your blog as often as I should. Even though retired I sometimes find time slipping away but maybe that's just because of my age. Who knows?
DeleteIt's strange how cats behave around people isn't it? I am fortunate in never having had a really bad experience with cats, or dogs for that matter, although we did have a cat that would give one a nip if he felt like it.
Our Precious tends to behave more like a dog as she follows us around and comes when called which can be quite unusual for a cat.
I get far too fond of our furry friends and of course when they go it's like losing a very close friend.
Firstly, I am so scared of spiders, always have been. My brother is the same, and my dear old dad was petrified of them too! Doesn't help when we live on a farm though!! I am more of a dog person than a cat person, we had two beagles, who were our babies for 15 years, I miss them so much, we've never owned a cat, hubby is allergic, and sneezes when they are nearby, maybe that's the reason we have had dogs instead of cats!!!
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