12 Things that Cats Hate

There are many things that Cats hate and it is best to avoid these things if you want love and devotion from a cat.  While many cat breeds have unique characteristics, here we look at things that most cats detest.

12 Things Cats Hate

 1)  Certain Strong Smells – Cats have sensitive noses when it comes to smells and there are some strong scents they hate including:  air fresheners, incense, peeled citrus fruits, garlic, gasoline, strong scented cat litter, and the smell of cat pee or cat poop.

2)  Loud noises like Fireworks – cats have sensitive hearing and thus do not like loud noises.  Cats have a very wide range of hearing and they don’t like high range sounds.  High pitch sounds like vacuums, blenders, fire engines, smoke alarms, and loud music are sounds that cats hate.  Loud and high pitched noises will make for an angry cat.

3)  Cats hate being cold – cats are warm blooded animals with a normal body temperature range for cats between 100.5°F and 102.5°F (38.1°C – 39.2°C).  They are used to higher temperatures to be considered warm or normal temperature.  Cats love fireplaces, heaters, and sun spots.  Some breeds like Maine Coons, Norwegian Forest cats, Siberian cats have sturdy winter coats are are better suited for cold weather.

4)  Too much attention or aggressive petting – cats enjoy the right amount of attention on their own terms.  It is best to allow a cat to smell your hand and grant permission to be petted.  Most cats prefer a gentle touch and do not like overly hard petting.  This is why many cats don’t like strange toddlers who often rush in and are overly aggressive about petting.  Tummy rubs or touching their stomach region also falls into this category.  A cats tummy is a vulnerable region to predators and a cats will naturally protect and defend their tummy region.

5)  Not enough attention or being ignored when they want attention – when cats do want attention, they don’t like being ignored.  So, if they are showing you signs of affection (like head bunting, rubbing against you, licking you, etc.) it is best to show attention back to the cat.  Working on a computer or talking on the phone may bother cats as they are being ignored.  This is why many cats will attempt to interrupt your computer work routine or seek attention when you are talking on the phone.

6)  Being ambushed or sneaking up on them – an internet trend started where people were placing cucumbers behind cats and filming their reactions.   Many people thought that the cats were afraid of cucumbers because it looks like a snake.  The core issue is that cats don’t like being surprised or ambushed.  If you sneak up on them and place an item behind them, they feel like they have been stalked or ambushed.

7)  Medicine or taking medications – cats don’t like swallowing pills or being given medication.  They also don’t like being forced to do anything.  With their broad range of scent, they don’t like the smell of medicine and a foreign object that they don’t understand.

8)  Spoiled food – with sensitive noses and more picky tastes, cats don’t like spoiled food.  While many dogs are fine with smelly foods, cats prefer fresh food and most do not like strong rotten smells.

9)  Dirty Litter boxes – Cats are clean animals and don’t like a dirty litter box.  In the wild, a cat would use the bathroom over a very wide territory.  Since a litter box is a small space, it must be kept clean to keep a cat happy.  A dirty litter box will lead to an annoyed cat.

10)  Boredom – cats need regular exercise and things to do to remain happy and healthy.  This is also a good reason to considering having two cats versus just one.  Cats love interactive play.

11)  Chaos – cats love their routines and do not like disruption of their schedules.  When people go on vacation or change work schedules, this will often bother cats.  This is also why they don’t like visits to the vets.  Having a new baby and paying attention to new family members can also disrupt “normal” for a cat.

12)  Invasion of their territory – many cats will stake out their own territory and do not appreciate if other cats or pets invade their space.  They will also have shared territory where it is fine to be with other cats or pets.  This is also why many cats will hide from strangers in the house until they are socialized with the visitor.

Remember to “share” this list of things that Cats Hate with other Cat fans and “subscribe” to our CatFancast Channel on YouTube. Avoid the items above if you would like to have a happy and content cat.