Self-centered, disinterested, and misunderstood, many bad things are presumed about cats. However, many of their attitudes are due to the fact that we do or expose them to things and situations that they dislike very much. So to avoid misunderstandings, we tell you about these 7 things that cats hate :
1. The water
Well, you don’t have to be so literal. Cats don’t really hate water, if they did they wouldn’t drink it. What cats really hate is getting wet. This usual behavior has several explanations:
- The first has its roots in the origins of the cat. They come from desert areas, where they had very limited and sporadic contact with the liquid, so they originally did not have much experience with water. The foregoing may be somewhat right and is demonstrated by the affinity that cats have that live in areas where water is abundant, for example, tigers, who spend much of the day submerged in swamps and one of their favorite activities is swimming.
- Some breeds of cats are much less averse to contact with water, for example, the fishing cat, which can even dive in search of prey, although it usually uses its paws. Likewise, many caregivers have accustomed their cats to water. Therefore, a cat’s aversion to getting wet will depend on how exposed it has been to the liquid.
- Another explanation proposes that it is an instinctive reaction to avoid getting sick. The cat’s respiratory system is extremely delicate, and getting wet can pose a serious risk to its health, especially when they remain in the wild.
2. Not paying attention
Cats are very independent, but when they demand our attention, they want it immediately. In general, our cat will let us know when it is hungry, wants to be petted, or wants you to do something for it (open a door, put down something it cannot reach…). So if you don’t please him quickly, he will meow constantly, walk around you, and in some cases, even bite you.
3. Certain odors
Like dogs, cats have a highly developed sense of smell, although not as sophisticated as that of dogs. Therefore, some aromas that we find delicious are simply repulsive to them.
This ends up being very beneficial for us in terms of training, as it is a good way to discourage them, especially when we do not want them to play with the plants or lie on our beds.
Some of these smells are citrus, garlic, the smell of tea or coffee leaves, wormwood, citronella, and tobacco.
4. The smoke
This is not something exclusive to cats, most animals will instinctively flee from smoke, as they have evolved an alarm system that will make them move away to avoid dying from inhalation or burning. Smoke means the presence of fire and this can be very dangerous, so nature has specialized so that they flee from it.
5. Being manipulated too much
Cats don’t like being petted all the time by their owners. Although there are breeds such as Siamese cats, which are very attached to their caregiver, in general, they do not like constant contact. In part, because they use physical contact as a form of dominance, so he’ll only let you touch him when he wants and for as long as he sees fit.
6. To the dogs
It’s not so much that they hate dogs, it’s just that as the predators they both are, they tend to vie for food and territory. Not to mention that in a wild environment, cats would be part of the diet of canines. However, a well-socialized cat will not have the slightest problem being surrounded by dogs.
7. Loud noises
Sounds like the horn, very loud music, screaming, or shrill sounds, can cause pathologies such as stress, nervousness, and anxiety in cats.
This is because cats have a very powerful sense of hearing and keep an eye on what is happening in their environment. Because they are so territorial, they will understand a loud sound, especially if it appears suddenly, like an unknown threat within their range.
The best thing for this is to expose the cats to noise from an early age, despite not being easy, little by little they will get used to the fact that noise is part of their environment.
