Why your Cat Dislike Certain people
If you are a cat owner then you may have noticed that they seem to have a dislike of certain people. It may even be you that they do not seem too keen on. Cats have a reputation for being fickle but you have probably seen that they do react differently to different people. The good news is that there are things that you can do about this.
Your cat may show dislike for a particular person in a number of ways. They may simply run away when a certain person approached and keep their distance until they have gone. Another common sign of dislike is that they will hiss at the person and may produce a low growling sound. In some rare occasions they may try and physically attack a human but in most cases, they will just try and stay out of the way.
There are several reasons why your cat may behave in this way towards certain people. Cats have their own personalities in the same way that we do. There are people that they will warm to immediately and others where this is not the case. They may prefer people who are quiet rather than loud and it is easier for them then you may think to sense who this quieter person is.
There are also certain breeds of cat that seem to only have room in their heart for one person. This includes Siamese and Bengal cats. Unfortunately, the person that they pick to give their heart to may not be the one that spends all their time looking after them. This can be frustrating but trying to force the issue is unlikely to help improve the situation. The cat may appear standoffish and aloof with anyone else that is not their favorite person.
There are some things that you can do in order to help your cat adjust to people that they do not like. It may be a case of trial and error to see which of these methods works but the following advice is a good place to start.
It may be the scent of the person that alerts your cat to the fact that they are present before they even see them. Disguising the smell could help your cat to become less distressed around that person. If you often wear a particular scent then you could ask your visitors to wear this as well as this will make things seem more familiar to your cat. There are also sprays that you can buy which will make the surroundings smell more comforting for your cat.
If it is you that your cat seems to dislike then you may just need to give them a bit of time and space. It may be that they are just waiting to see if they can trust you. This is common in cats that have been rescued who may have been treated badly in the past. Keep your behavior consistent and you may find that your cat starts to come round.
Cats are well known for only wanting affection on their terms. You may think that by giving them a lot of fuss you are making them happy but they may just want to be left alone. If you give them a lot of unwanted attention, then this is going to put them off. Be prepared to give a lot of fuss if they come to you but let them take the lead.
Another thing to bear in mind is how long your cat will actually spend with the person that it seems to dislike. If it is someone that lives in your household then it is worth putting in some time and effort to try and improve the relationship. However, if it is someone that only visits occasionally and for a short period, you may be able to keep the cat in a different part of your home where they will not become distressed.
Ultimately cats can be very stubborn and once they have decided that they do not like someone then it can be quite hard to change their mind. You may need a lot of patience and be prepared to put in the time and effort to try and get things to change. That being said it is also something that you should not spend too much time becoming stressed about. If there really is nothing that can be done to change your cat’s mind about some people then you will just need to try and manage the situation as best you can.
