The only time a cat scratched me was when I pulled its tale when I was 2

      • sammer510 [none/use name]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        26
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        9 months ago

        That’s the thing though they’re not really assholes. Most of them don’t even really do that much besides sit around. The perception that they are assholes I think comes from a disconnect where people expect them to act a certain way and be amenable to any treatment just because they’re domesticated. Like I know with my dog if I walk up to her and start messing with her she’ll just see it as an invitation to play and run around. I can grab her tail and she’ll just be like awesome let’s wrestle. But cats act more like humans, you can’t just walk up and pull their tails and have them react like it’s cool. They have boundaries. So when people say “cats are assholes” all it says to me is “I don’t like that I have to respect their boundaries”

        • GriffithDidNothingWrong [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          10
          ·
          9 months ago

          Cats are shy and defensive and take some time to get used to you. People who haven’t been around them much and are maybe a little neurotic tend to think that means that cat doesn’t like or is judging them. And some people are just obnoxious

        • alexandra_kollontai [she/her]@hexbear.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          9
          ·
          9 months ago

          My household cat will jump onto my lap, dig its claws into my knees as it gets comfy, decide it’s not comfy, jump up onto my desk, then start rapidly hitting any papers/cables/small boxes within paw’s reach onto the ground.

          I love them but they are a weird little guy. I have to notice the warning signs and lower them onto the ground before they can start doing silly things.

  • Yurt_Owl@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    25
    ·
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    People who don’t like cats also happen to be the same people with no concept of boundaries or respect for anyone but themselves. Befriending a cat is as easy as being quiet and sitting still doing your own thing and suddenly the cat wants to be your best friend.

    Cats hate loud people who are in your face who think everyone else exists only for their entertainment. And to be perfectly honest I also hate those people.

  • keepcarrot [she/her]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    9 months ago

    Part of the cultural perception is that cats have different communication style to humans.

    Part of it is only interacting with other people’s cats at their house, which may not necessarily be comfortable with guests.

    Part of it is a legacy perception that cats are a feminine or queer pet to have, though I think internet culture has actually changed this a lot. I still encounter old dudes that think having a cat is weird though.

    • RonPaulyShore [none/use name]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      AI pictures suggestive of “cats”, though not felicitous when compared to an actual photograph, nevertheless succeed in capturing a certain emotional truth – that cats are fucking disgusting.

  • macabrett@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    16
    ·
    9 months ago

    I’ve found that cats can be just as loyal as dogs, you just actually have to put an effort forth. I’ve got a cat that NEEDS to get under my blankets and snuggle into me every night. She will sit there patting me until I let her in. It’s adorable. I’ve got another cat that will keep rubbing my legs every step on the way to filling their food bowls. I love cats. Cats are good.

    • Pandantic@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      9 months ago

      I don’t think cats are assholes, but this is the reason I would think that. I once has a cat knock everything off the counter, one at a time, while I continued to say “please stop” and then trying “come here”, but nothing stopped her.

      Maybe they’re not assholes, and I just don’t know what this behavior is trying to communicate?

  • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    13
    ·
    9 months ago

    Cats tend to be very cool with me. Cat haters can make all the excuses they want but when a cat actually wants to hang around with you and just be there that is affection.

  • TankieCatgirl [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    9 months ago

    Cats are little assholes, and I love them. Even when I have to clean a hairball off my bed, pick up the things they knock off desks and tables for fun, or constantly move them out of the way of something I’m doing because they want attention RIGHT NOW.