How to tell if your cat hates you

Does your cat know you exist?

If it does, there’s a good chance it hates you 😹

They’re pretty picky, and there are some simple signs to determine if it’s the cat or you. Obvious signs of aggression or being in attack mode are the first thing to look out for.

Cats are pretty loud and aggressive when they are in fight or flight mode. You’ll see their tail puff up and they arch their back. If they are really pissed, they’ll attack.

That could just be a temporary moment though. It’s when it happens on repeat that you have a problem. Or if they happen to attack your kids or another animal.

If you had the car for a while, it likely ignores and avoids you if it doesn’t like you. It’ll be loving and cuddly to everybody but you. There are cats that hate all humans, but if it’s nice to everyone but you, it’s definitely you.

The thing is – why does your cat hate you?

You should spend some time bonding with your cat, because they’re not as easy to win over as dogs. My current cat definitely loves me, but it took several years to build that relationship. And she still won’t let me pick her up, even though she’s perfectly content sprawling out on my lap, chest, shoulder, or any other accessible surface.

Every so often, she slips back into catty mode and bites or scratches me out of nowhere. But she mostly does it to play and holds back on actually attacking full force.

You can’t force the cat to do anything, but you can subtly entice it to like you. Feeding it well (and having treats) is a good start. Finding ways to Play when it’s frisky helps too.

My favorite trick is to look at my cat and close my eyes slowly. Eventually she started doing it back. As an apex hunter, feline eyes are like heat seeking missiles that lock onto you as prey. Closing their eyes is a sign of trust, and you can form a bond over the course of a few weeks by doing your best to very slowly and intentionally blink at your cat.

Once the cat starts blinking back, you’re on your way to petting their belly, having them curl up on you and lick you, and generally act like a friendly dog. People who say their cat acts like a dog are really telling you that they learned to bond with their cat.

When they like you, you’ll know. Otherwise just assume all cats hate you until further notice.