If you want to know if your cat doesn’t like you or she is just messing with you, you must be aware of some of the signs!
We all know how our cats are, mischievous at times, and they might love to annoy you in different ways! But what if it gets the opposite? Yes, it’s possible, your cat doesn’t like you, and she would start showing some signs which might confuse you.
We are here to eradicate your confusion, here are the 11 signs of why your cat hates you and how can you work on them after rectifying them.
11 Signs Why Your Cat Hates You
After you start doubting the possibility of your cat-hating you, before being sure, we would suggest you go through the following points for a better understanding.
1. Hissing: Your Cat Is Stressed or Threatened
Do you remember the time when you brought your feline home for the first time, and she took all the time on earth to be comfortable with you! Whenever you try to go near cats, they hiss like snakes, when they are not sure about you.
That’s cats for you! They are not like dogs, who start rolling on the ground whenever a stranger tries to pet them. So cats generally hiss at you when they don’t know you!
But if your pet cat starts showing this kind of hissing behavior, she’s trying to communicate with you, and it’s not a good sign. Mostly, when the feeling of stress and fear is produced in them, they will hiss or even a growl.
In short, if a cat is hissing at you, that means she wants to punch you!
2. Tail Is Horizontal
Cats don’t wag their tail like a helicopter when they see their pretty human returning home after her 8 naps! But they use their fluffy tails to express emotions! So the next time you see your cat with its tail horizontal, she is either scared, angry, or hostile mood.
A whipping or flicking tail indicates signals that the cat is agitated. A tail is considered to be the greatest medium for us to understand cats’ feelings.
If the tail is tucked under the cat’s body, it’s time to just back off because that indicates anger on the next level, and she might be ready for some action!
3. Bites You Whenever you Pet Her
Cats love to give their humans love bites, which might confuse you being a pet owner that is those out or loves, or she wants to hurt you? Let’s find out!
Signs like hissing, growling, biting, and digging their nails deep into your skin are some of the signs that they show when they strongly dislike you. This can also confuse you as they perform the same actions while showing affection towards you.
In such a case, the only way out is, if after the playtime you notice the huge mark of nails, breaking your skin out leaving you to bleed then it’s not out of love she’s angry with you!
4. Pee and Poop Everywhere Except Litter Box
Cats might look like unbothered creatures, they are very particular about cleanliness! They won’t use a litter box if it’s not cleaned properly. When you keep the litter box clean, without fail, but see the cat pooping everywhere else except in the litter box. Something is fishy!
The cat will perform such actions purposely because they know that humans don’t like it! And when they don’t like humans even after being litter trained.
Some cats can face difficulty using the litter box due to medical conditions, eventually, older cats face such issues more. So lookout for the other possible reasons if you have an older cat!
5. Walk Away from You
Here it is, one way in which cats are similar to their humans! Cats are tinier than us, and they know how to use them as weapons against us!
They can escape easily wherever they want to without the need of being humble enough. If you start noticing that your cat leaves the room as soon as you enter or walks away knowing that you are present, she is trying to avoid you or is completely not interested in you.
6. Always Hiding From you
Cats hide to feel safe, once they perceive a person or object as a danger, then she starts hiding from them. So if you have recently got a cat or kitten who is hiding from you then you need very little to be worried about as they will take time to open up with you!
Your cat recently started showing such symptoms, then she might see you as a danger and is scared of you.
7. Cats with Ears Flat against Their Head
When it comes to understanding our cats, majorly we depend on their body language, if the cat’s ears are flattened against their head then it indicates that they are frightened or nervous. They can display aggressive behavior.
Cats with ears flat against their head also indicate an angry or aggressive cat.
If you see your cat in such a position then one thing is sure that she is giving signals of hate, you should give her some space.
8. Rolling Upside Down
This position might pull you into a big and heartbreaking delusion! Which is that when your cat gets on its back with her claws pointed out, you might feel like ”oh wow! My adorable cats are asking for belly rubs!” but wait, she is not, this position indicates she is keeping a watch on you and is ready to attack!
9. Scratching
If this question ever arises, ”why is my cat scratching the expensive furniture even after she has millions of scratching posts and cat toys! It got to be something else and trust me it is!
You might think that no matter what, a cat will never hold a grudge against you, but that’s completely false. The truth is a cat can hold grudge against you!
You must have witnessed at least one such event where your cat has a scratch or bite you right after you scolded her for not behaving like a decent cat. That’s no coincidence, but her counter-attack against you.
Whenever you see such an event, It’s because cats like humans can hold grudges!
But don’t go back down to the memory lane of all such events which took place where your cat was violent with you or your stuff because they don’t hold grudges for that long. The average memory span of cats is only 16 hours.
10. She Is Friendly to Everyone but You
The nature of cats can be quite confusing, as they are known for being alone most of the time. The moment you need to worry is if they start doing it the whole time, and especially with you.
You can say they are similar to humans in this case, they will get all warm and cozy around the people she loves but will walk past you or ignore you like you just don’t exist!
11. Cat’s Pupils Get Big, Round, and Black
This is far most the smallest yet strongest detail to look for as a sign your cat doesn’t like you. When the eyelids of your cat are fully open, partly closed, or drawn into a squint.
Notice if their ears are pinned back and if their eyes are dilated. These are signs that your cat is feeling defensive and that you should get ready to be attacked by them.
How to Make It Right?
Play Gently
Playtime with your cat is very important but with that, a good playtime without hurting your poor cat is the most important! Many times we forget that they are tiny and more fragile than us, and get involved in a rough play, which is a big no!
For example, while playing with your cat and her cat chewing toy we start pulling the toy too hard that it just doesn’t hurt the gums of our cat but also leaves a bad experience about the moment. So rather than it being a bonding time with her, it becomes a bad time for her!
Avoid playing dress-up games with your cat, I know they look the cutest and all, but clothes can be uncomfortable for your cats as they already have their fur on! You don’t want to restrict their movements.
No Harsh Punishment
We understand that it is very necessary to train your cat to be a good pet. But no matter what, at the end of the day, It’s still a cat who won’t understand the importance of being polite and exhibit good manners.
So never go too far to discipline your cat. Strictly avoid punishments such as beating, scolding, holding them down, hitting, and shouting at them, it will break your bond with cats. They will only take you as a danger. They won’t respond to punishments in the same way a dog does!
Give Your Cat Her Space
Just like, your boyfriend or girlfriend can get super annoyed by you whenever you get clingy! Cats in the same way don’t appreciate too much attention.
Never touch a cat or woman without their consent! It is the universal rule everyone should follow, as it will help you in maintaining trust. Apart from that, you should not always try to pick up your cat like it’s your baby, take care of it or else your cat might feel hurt in places you won’t even understand.
You can set a definite time for playing with your cat, apart from that just see if she comes to you for petting of her own will. You need to set such boundaries for your cat in order to maintain a healthy and playful relationship with them.
Don’t Abandon Her
Pets are a very precious part of our life. We don’t want them to suffer due to us, so if you are planning to be a cat parent or already are one, make sure to at least dedicate 1-2 hours daily only to them. If you think that buying a cat and giving her food, shelter, and toys make you the perfect cat owner, absolutely wrong, you need to focus on how to have a happy cat.
Though cats are popular for their loner attitude, that doesn’t mean they won’t need cuddly time with you. They do deserve our attention in appropriate amounts!
Conclusion
Being a cat parent is not as easy as it looks, but with the right steps, you can be excellent at this job!
So don’t get upset when you realize that your cat doesn’t like you, instead take the necessary steps, and winning your cat’s heart won’t look like an impossible thing.
References
- Feline behavior problems — Cornell University
- Keep Your Indoor Cat Healthy – Pet WebMD
- Signs Your Cat Might Be Stressed – PetMD