The last post discussed cats choosing their humans, and also went into how you can become your cat’s favorite person. If you wish to influence the cat’s choice, you might wish to avoid anything that kitty really doesn’t like. It might prove helpful to learn what things cats hate.
1) Improper Interaction From Kids
Little kids and babies don’t always interact well with a cat, especially if their parents haven’t taught them how to treat small animals. Before any introduction, make sure the child knows how to play properly with kitty and to respect him.
Introduced slowly and monitored to ensure proper behavior, the child can learn how to act around kitty. Chasing, screaming, pulling, pushing, trying to carry the cat around are all off limits.
2) Not giving them a safe space for retreat
A cat needs to have control of his destiny, if possible. He needs a safe space to hide (under the bed often becomes the first choice,)
Also, many cats do not like to be touched a lot or picked up. Don’t smother your cat with affection. Let him tell you when he wants interaction and petting.
3) Ignoring your cat
While a cat wants to choose when he gets petting and cuddling, he also does not want to be ignored. If you work long hours, he may become quite unhappy.
He can even suffer from separation anxiety. He wants you home, and can become quite stressed and unhappy when you leave for long periods of time.
He can get bored, and that may trigger some activities you don’t like. Don’t punish him. Find some ways to counteract his boredom. A puzzle feeder will help. Lots of toys to play with and places to climb can be valuable.
4) Dressing them in clothes
You may think it’s cute, but your cat may have another opinion. Some cats will tolerate dressing up, but check his body language — If he shows signs of discomfort, take that clothing off him.
Cats in the wild do not wear clothes. Domestic cats sometimes do because their humans think it’s cute. He is not a small human — he is an animal! He has a fur coat and usually that’s all he needs.
Try to curb your desire to dress him up, and he will be much more content.
5) Loud noises
Watch out! If the noise level gets too high, the cat may call the cops!
Turn down the volume. Cat’s ears can hear high frequencies better than dogs. Also, loud noises of any kind — yelling, banging, slamming, — will freak kitty out.
It’s bad enough that he has to endure loud noises in the first place, but when they happen unexpectedly, it’s even worse. That’s why fireworks, thunderstorms, and construction noise can have him in a tizzy.
To keep kitty happy, keep his environment quiet and calm.
6) Strong smells
You might envy a cat’s nose, as cats can smell far better than we. However, with his strong sense of smell comes certain drawbacks.
Kitty may not like the smell of the cologne you wear regularly. If you want the cat to bond with you, perhaps you should save the cologne for special occasions only. Besides, your cat likes your natural smell, and does not approve if you cover it up.
Also, be careful of air fresheners, or any kind of scent you spray in the house. You may irritate his sensitive nose. The cat may try to avoid areas where this odor is strong.
On the other hand, cats like the smell of catnip, lavender, and silver vine. Use these scents to help attract the cat to his scratching post.
7) Don’t punish or scold
If you yell at your cat or scold him, you will leave the cat feeling confused and scared. Try calmly guiding their behavior, and rewarding them when they do something the way you want.
Don’t spray the cat with water, He will only become wary of you. It won’t deter his behavior — it’s a momentary fix.
Do not hit your cat. In fact, find some other way to solve the problem at hand, and never strike your cat. In his eyes, he has analyzed the situation and made a decision that the behavior he adopted works best.
When you punish him for something he thinks is just fine, you will frighten him, shake his trust in you, and he will not know what he has done wrong. Instead, try to find an acceptable behavior and lure him into it.
8) Declawing
Declawing is cruel and unusual punishment. Never declaw your cat. The procedure involves cutting off his toes at the first joint. Why would you subject a creature you love to such torture? Because you love the things he scratches more? Then rehome your cat immediately.
9) Improper care of the litter box
A cat likes his litter box clean. Put yourself in your cat’s place. If you had to use a box of dirt for your commode, would you want to be standing in old waste from earlier in the day?
Cats are very clean animals, and they want their litter box to be clean as well. Please clean it regularly — If not morning and night, at least once a day. If the remaining litter gets too smelly or dirty, dump it and wash out the box before refilling.
It is suggested by experts that you supply one box for each cat plus one extra. This way, the cat can choose the cleanest place to do his business.
Also, don’t use a covered litter box. The cat doesn’t want to be trapped in there with that odor! Take off the lid. He will be much less apt to find a place he considers better for his elimination chores.
10) Bathing
Do not bathe your cat unless he gets into something he will have trouble removing with just his tongue. In ordinary circumstances, he can keep himself perfectly clean. If you do bathe him, use a cat-friendly shampoo. Human shampoo or too much bathing will dry his skin out and could lead to other problems.
An exception is the hairless Sphynx cat, who needs some extra help.
11) Tummy rubs
This one can vary from cat to cat. If a cat has bonded with you and trusts you, he may enjoy a gentle tummy rub. However, keep in mind that the tummy is the most vulnerable spot on the cat, and you may find your arm wrapped in four paws and teeth in your hand. Be forewarned!
If you want your cat to love you and bond with you as his favorite person, this list can help you win him over. May you both find happiness with each other!
References I used for this post: rd.com/list/things-you-do-your-cat-hates/ iheartcats.com/11-things-humans-do-that-cats-dislike/ cattitudedaily.com/11-things-humans-do-that-cats-absolutely-hate/ pethealthnetwork.com/cat-health/cat-behavior/7-human-behaviors-cats-hate
Can’t imagine anyone thinking it’s OK to declaw a cat for any reason.
Nor can I — but lots of people still seem to think it’s a good idea. Just finished an article on cat facts, in which it was said that cats walk on their toes, which is why they can be so quiet when hunting. With those toes cut off at the first joint, their whole gait has to change. Horrible that people care more about their furniture than their cat. They should rehome the cat. Even the shelter would be better than having the poor thing’s toes cut off.